MSR designed the new Remote series of tents to be livable as well as strong. There are several new features that make this tent a contender for your next winter backcountry adventure. The new Easton Syclone poles are resilient. From welded guy out points to the extra living space – the MSR Remote 3 is one amazing tent for serious winter adventures.
Easton Syclone Poles for added durability
MSR engineered the Remote tents to withstand significant snow and wind. They claim that the Easton Syclone poles are nearly indestructible. The Syclone poles are made of composite materials that are wound in several directions. This allows the poles to flex instead of crack or break like aluminum or carbon poles. They claim 80% less likely to fail compared to carbon or aluminum. While they are more resilient than the other kinds of poles, they are not any heavier. The poles do flex quite a bit but never came close to snapping.
Architecture made for adventure
The architecture of the tent has several points of contact for reinforcement. This is always good when facing challenging weather conditions. There is a total of 5 intersecting points on the frame of the tent. The geometry of the tent is very livable for 2-3 people. It is nice to see a winter tent that actually has some room inside the tent to hang out in. The ceiling is 44” tall and the walls are steeper than some other winter tents. This allows more shoulder room and makes the tent feel bigger than it is. The length is 88” and width is 75”. This allows for 3 full size (25” x 75”) sleeping pads. The total tent area is 46sq ft, making it quite comfortable to use.
Inner tent is made of 40D ripstop polyester with a DWR coating. The DWR coating is nice when you are setting the tent up in a snow or rain storm. The floor is 40D ripstop nylon with a 10,000mm waterproof Durashield coating. You can stick this tent right on the snow with no worries of water penetrating! Both doors have a partial mesh window that can be opened up for extra ventilation.
The rain fly is made of burly 68D ripstop polyester with 1800mm polyurethane coating. It feels even more robust than the number let on. Once the fly is on, it creates a 22sq ft vestibule in the rear and a massive 41sq ft vestibule in the front. Plenty of space to lay out the winter gear. The front vestibule also includes snow flaps that allow you to seal the vestibule up with. A very nice feature that I think all winter tents should have. The rain fly can attach to the inner tent with velcro to create a very tight pitch. MSR impressed us with the welded guy out points on the sides of the tent. This allows the tent to have a very taught pitch. Combine that with the guy out points along the poles and you have a strong setup.
With all the features mentioned and the ability to withstand significant winds and snow, you would figure the tent would weight a lot. I measured 8.5lbs for the entire tent set up. Not too shabby for a legit winter tent for 3!
How did it do in the elements?
I did not encounter any Everest type scenarios while testing this, but I was able to use the Remote 3 tent in a good snow storm and decent winds in the Colorado Mountains. Laying down on my winter sleeping pad I did not touch the ends of the tent, which is a big bonus for me. At 6’1” and using a 4” thick winter sleeping pad, I tend to touch the ends of some tents. Sitting up in the tent was easy thanks to the steeper walls. The front vestibule provided more than enough room for all the gear on the trips.
Setting the tent up was easy. Stake out the 4 corners, then insert the cross poles, then attach the clips. Insert the pre-bent poles under the main poles and attach those clips. This creates a very good frame for the tent. I pressed down hard on the poles to flex them. Once released, they popped right back to normal. I am curious to see other tent companies use these Easton Syclone poles as well. The strength of the pole configuration is impressive. Just with the four corners staked out and poles set up, the tent feels very resilient.
The provided MSR Cyclone stakes are very nice. They have a spiral groove to them and are longer than some other stakes. The only problem is they do not include very many stakes. I was able to get the tent up with the stakes provided, but I had to choose which areas I did not stake. If they included 6 more it would be helpful. Heck, 20 more and you could fully guy the tent out.
The fly can attach to the inner tent with velcro straps. This creates even more strength in the tent. There is two welded guy out points on the main side panels that create a very taught pitch. This tent is designed for some serious weather! I was a bit confused on how to best ventilate the tent on the first few pitches. I wound up unzipping the rear vestibule for a 6″ gap to allow air through the tent. I did not think that would be very effective, but it turns out that was fine. Very little condensation. Even with 2 dogs and fully sealed up tent. Impressive.
Conclusion
After spending several nights in the Remote 3 tent, I can honestly say that it is a legit 4 season tent. The tent sets up fast. The front vestibule is large and helpful. You can actually fit 3 long wide sleeping pads in the tent. The materials and craftsmanship are quality. If MSR would include a few more Cyclone stakes, this would be perfect. MSRP $899
See also –
Leave a Reply