Newbie, Marmot or MSR?

Hi there,

I'm looking to roadtrip substantially with motorcycle and have narrowed down my choices to the Marmot Limelight 3 and the MSR Elixir 3. They both happen to be on sale at 40%.

This is my first tent, and I'd like to get as much longevity as possible so build quality is my main concern here. Will be sleeping two at most. The limelight seems better built, with bigger vestibules and it's also higher. However, the MSR has bigger pockets, as well as vents in the rainfly.

I talked to two people and one said that Marmot products were of poor quality since production shifted to China, and the other said he used Marmot products himself and was not disappointed...

Thanks,

No experience with either of these tents or brands actually. But good call getting a 3 person tent for 2 tents are infamous for being way undersized. Since your moto packing I would imagine a little extra weight wouldn't be an issue. The best way to decide on a product it to go test it out get a feel for the material. Most everything is made in China these days and I would guess that all the big outdoor companies use 3 or 4 manufacture between them if that. A good place to find reviews on camping gear is trailspace.com
Happy trails
Matt

I used to have an MSR solo tent. I really cannot remember the exact name of it. It did not have a lot of good "features" but it was bombproof with respect to storms and was well made. (that was about 10 years ago).

Marmot tents do not get high ratings on reviews for weather-worthiness. I do not necessarily believe all reviews, but this is something to watch for.

I would not get too impressed with "features". A feature is not much good if you really do not need it given your specific situation and where you do your backpacking. I am a firm believer in talking to people who backpack where you will be backpacking. For example, some tents that are perfectly fine for the Sierra may not work that well in the Pacific Northwest or back east where you have to deal with a lot more humidity and rain.

I think you need to look at more brands and models before you decide. And read some more reviews. Pay attention to reviews of people who have used the tent for many outings. Nothing gripes me like a review that someone took it out of the box and set it up in their back yard but have yet to take it on a trip - yet to have it out in a rain storm!

Oh, forgot to mention. Having done some camping with my husband while traveling on a motorcycle, yes, you may not have to worry too much about weight, but bulk does matter. Another thing that may matter if you camp in public places, is privacy. People on the outside can almost see into some tents. Be aware that if you have light inside the tent, most backpack tents are virtually see-through.

You may want to also take a small tarp to set up for cooking out of the rain. It is not particularly safe to run a stove inside or near a tent. Tent material is very flammable.

Eddie,

I have over 100,000 miles on motorcycles with much of it touring. If you want to be comfortable, get a Gerbing heated jacket and gloves. They will take you comfortably down to at least 15 degrees.

They are expensive, but worth it.

A full face helmet will keep your head warm.

I'd take a look online at the tents made by Tarptent. They have a number of solo and 2-person models that are neither heavy nor bulky. While several of them use trekking poles for support, Tarptent sells tent poles for those who don't use trekking poles, which you probably don't on a motorcycle! For you, I would recommend one of their double wall models rather than the single wall models on sale. They will work fine for backpacking, too.

My only experience with Marmot has been a rain jacket that wet out after only a year. Of course, a rain jacket is not a tent! MSR definitely stands behind their products.