MSR Carbon Reflex 1 review

Ultralight backpacking tents test part two

By Erik Plankton

May 2^nd, 2020

Ultralight tent test series 2/3

I do a lot of outdoors stuff by myself. I have managed to hoard three one person shelters along the years. So let's put them to the test and see what I like and dislike and if there is a winner.

Part one: Tarptent Aeon Li

You are reading part two: MSR Carbon Reflex 1

Part three: Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL

Field notes: I pitched each tent in the same place and measured the dimensions. The ground was not totally even, so the measurements differ from the manufacturers specifications. There are my personal real world measurements (and they can vary slightly from pitch to pitch). The sleeping pad shown in the pictures is a Big Agnes Q-Core SLX insulated pad, that is about as big as you can get. Measuring in at 1,98m x 64 cm this pad gives comfort for a big bodied restless side sleeper.

Part two: MSR Carbon Reflex 1

The MSR Carbon Reflex 1 is a one person non-freestanding double wall ultralight tent. The model reviewed here is from 2016. There may be some slight changes to the design on the current model. The Carbon Reflex 1 weighs in at 727 grams fully packed with stakes, which is really light for a double wall shelter and only 203 grams heavier than the single wall Tarptent Aeon Li. The Carbon Reflex 1 is quite a minimalistic design without any extra features. It has served me well on many bike packing trips during the years. I have used it for about 30 nights so far and it has held up nicely.

Overview

The Carbon Reflex 1 inner tent has an integrated bathtub floor with a mesh body. The structure stays upright with stakes in each of the four corners, but you will need to use all of the six stakes provided to make it withstand wind. You don't have to put the rain fly on, so on warm nights you can use the inner tent for bug protection only and get maximum ventilation. This is where double wall tents excel over single wall shelters. You have more options regarding the weather and far less condensation in some circumstances. I have used this tent mostly from spring to fall with temperatures ranging from 0° to +30°C. It has kept my and my gear dry in some pretty heavy rain and moderate winds up to 10 m/s. I have not experienced truly extreme weather with this tent.

Setting up

MSR Carbon Reflex 1 packs down to a small tube that is a bit longer than the Tarptent Aeon Li and Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 1, but the diameter of the pack is much smaller so it is easy to find a place for it in your backpack or handlebar roll when bike packing.

It comes with six minimalistic stakes that are roughly the same size as the Easton Nano stakes that came with the Tarptent Aeon Li, but are have a rectangular form. I was a bit sceptical about these stakes at first, but they hold up pretty good as long as the ground is somewhat solid. For soft sand you need to add rocks or branches as anchors. The fly comes with a couple of extra guy lines which are really beneficial in windy conditions. But you need to pack a few extra stakes to take advantage of them.

The poles are Easton ION carbon poles that feel a bit flimsy, but surprisingly they have held up without any issues. The structure bends quite a lot when it is windy. The heavier Copper Spur HV UL 1 feels a lot more rigid in rougher conditions. The Tarptent Aeon Li has a different pyramid structure which feels really stiff and wind resistant. The DCF fabric does not have any elasticity to it, so it contributes to the rigidity of the structure. The nylon fabric of the Carbon Reflex and Copper Spur always stretches a bit especially when wet.

Setting up the Carbon Reflex is very straightforward. Stake out the corners and insert the long pole into the grommets at the end of the inner tent. Then clip the plastic clips on to the pole and add the short cross pole on the top. The fly has has small grommets that snap to the end of the cross pole. These can be a bit tricky to get on especially with cold hands. Then put the fly guy lines around the stakes and tighten all corners to get a taught pitch. The two remaining stakes are used for the vestibule and the rear of the fly where it creates a rather big offset for ventilation. This space can also be used for extra gear storage, but normally the vestibule has been enough for my gear. Interestingly all of the three vestibules measured out to be around 70 cm from the entrance. So not a whole lot of difference among the three tents tested.

Entrance

The vestibule features a zipper-free entrance. It has two pieces of velcro and two sets of ring and hook type of closures. One in the middle and one at the bottom. They are made of metal and feel way overkill for the ultralight fabric. Once you close the velcro there is virtually no tension on the ring and hook. Especially the one on the bottom is usually left open, since it difficult to reach from within the tent. But you can leave the velcro open and use only the hooks to close the door with some gaps for extra ventilation.

The Tarptent Aeon Li relies solely on velcro and the Copper Spur HV UL 1 has a traditional zipper with a couple of small velcro tabs on the vestibule door. My favourite has been the Copper Spurs zipper, since it is easy to operate with one hand and gives you an adjustable way to regulate ventilation.

The inner tent mesh door has a single zipper that has worked nicely. The entrance is the lowest of the three tents at 74 cm. This is pretty small for bigger persons and requires some extra acrobatics to get in and out. Still I don't see it as a major problem, it is just one of the realities when using ultralight minimalistic gear.

Traditional loop and hook tie downs when rolling up the vestibule door. They work ok, but once you have used the ingenious magnetic system of the Tarptent Aeon Li, this feels old school.

Living space

The Carbon Reflex is the smallest of the three tents. My large sleeping pad fill pretty much the entire floor, with only a little empty space at the end. No possibility to keep any wet gear inside the inner tent without touching your sleeping bag. I got this tent for shorter trips like weekend bike packing trips and for that purpose it works great. The longest trip with the MSR Carbon Reflex 1 has been a 10 day bike packing trip around Gotland. A small tent works well for trips where you use it primarily only for sleeping. If you plan to spend more time at camp then you appreciate a bit more space that the other two tents have to offer.

One pocket for smaller items on the inner tent by the door. While there is ample room in the vestibule for your pack it does block the entrance slightly.

Floor and ventilation

The bathtub floor has proven to have high enough walls to keep the water out when it is raining. The whole upper of the inner tent is 10D polyester micro-mesh that does a good job letting the air circulate. The fly walls have quite a big gap to the ground so in extremely heavy rain and wind you might get some splashing inside. I have attached a string with an adjustable prusik knot to the rear guy line, so that it creates a bit more structural stiffness and pulls out the fly at the same time with only one stake.

The MSR Carbon Reflex 1 is a tent that is best suited for warmer and calmer climates. I would not takes this tent for longer excursions into open wilderness or alpine areas. On warm summer nights I have tied the inner tent with guy lines to an overhanging branch and used it as a bug net without any stakes (last picture in this series).

MSR Carbon Reflex 1 overall

Lightest double wall tent I have ever used that does not disappoint. Not the strongest or sturdiest, but with the right care it will last for many adventures. Best for shorter trips in warmer climates. Simple and minimalistic, but a bit cramped for taller persons.