MSR Carbon Reflex 3 Person Featherweight Dome Tent Review

While creating this review of the Carbon Reflex 3, we compared data against one hundred and seventy-seven 3 person dome tents, comparing more than 60 different points. We also checked the cost including shipping & discounts at thirteen different retailers sites, to find the best bargain for you.

The Carbon Reflex Featherweight Fly Open
MSR's Carbon Reflex 3 Featherweight With the Fly Open
In this review, we will show you:
  • A summary of the customer reviews we read.
  • A comprehensive examination of the features, materials and dimensions.
  • The Pros and Cons about the shelter.
  • The Lowest Price that we Found!

Here at optimumtents.com our reviews are produced from our unique database of over 1,000 tents and shelters, that are sold in the USA. Our goal is to give you an objective report and our own exclusive rating based on the statistics, along with the lowest price and best value we could find.

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  • MSR Logo
  • Manufacturer: MSR
  • Model: Carbon Reflex Featherweight
  • Year Introduced: 2015
  • MPN: 10342
  • Sleeping Capacity: 3 Persons
  • Designed For: 3 Seasons
  • Best Use: Backpacking
  • Type: Dome Tent
  • Available in: Other Sizes
  • MSRP: $649.95
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Carbon Reflex 3 Pictures and Videos

Click on an image or video to enlarge them!


The Carbon Reflex Featherweight With the Fly Off

MSR Carbon Reflex 3 Featherweight With the Fly Off
Fly Closed on the Carbon Reflex Featherweight 3

Fly Closed Carbon Reflex 3 Featherweight

A video about the Carbon Reflex 3 tent.

Another video about MSR's tents.

QUICK OVERVIEW

Logo Representing the Features Section

Features


  • Freestanding: No
  • Color: Burgandy, Gray
  • Number of Rooms: 1
  • Number of Windows: None
  • Number of Doors: 2
  • Zippers: N/A
  • Storage Pockets & Gear Loft: Yes, N/A
  • Mesh Roof & Walls: Yes, Half
  • Footprint: Not Included, Available Separately
  • Carbon Reflex 3 floor saver
Logo Representing the Materials Section

Materials and Extras


  • Inner Walls: 10D Nylon Micromesh
  • Full Fly: 7D Ripstop Nylon, Durashield Polyurethane & Silicone
    Fly Waterproof Ratings: 1200 mm
  • Floor Materials: 15D Ripstop Nylon Durashield
    Floor Waterproof Ratings: 1200 mm
  • Pole Material: 2 Easton Carbon 6.3
  • Number Of Poles: 2
  • Pole Dimensions: 7.5mm
  • Guy Lines & Guy Outs: Yes, Yes
  • Stakes: Aluminum
Logo Representing the Dimensions Section

Dimensions


  • Floor Area: 39 sq. ft.
  • Center Height: 3 foot. 4 inches.
  • Packed Weight: 2 Lbs 4 Oz
    Trail Weight: 2 Lbs. 10 Oz.
  • Packed Size: 18 x 6 inches.
  • Number of Vestibules: 1
    Total Vestibule Area: 14.00 sq. ft.
  • Screened Areas: None
  • Awnings: None

Tent Set Up

Fast & Light setup


Warranty: MSR Warranty Info
Green Thumbs Up Logo

Summary: Favorable Reviews

People who bought the tent said: That it is lightweight and very roomy. It has the weight of a single ultralight tent. We had no durability issues whatsoever, rain, snow, wind, no issues at all. The packed size is smaller than an average sleeping pad. All four corners can be tightly stacked before pole assembly, allowing the tent to be set up exceptionally taut. Vestibules stake right into the ground, which provides excellent protection for packs and gear you need dry. Never had any issue with condensation. This thing is a palace, and it is massive but still light.


Teal Thumbs Down Logo

Summary: Unfavorable Reviews

Campers who have camped with the tent mentioned that: They did not personally like the velcro closures on the rain fly. Where the mesh joins the zippers for the door, the stitching is not the greatest.


SIMILAR TENTS WITH LOTS MORE SPACE

Eureka X-loft Featherweight 3
Eureka X-loft 3
  • 13% More Space
  • 25% Extra Headroom
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MSR Elixir Featherweight 3
MSR Elixir 3
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  • 3% Extra Headroom
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Big Agnes Sheep Mountain Featherweight 3
Big Agnes Sheep Mountain 3
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  • 15% Extra Headroom
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Big Agnes Manzanares Featherweight 3
Big Agnes Manzanares HV SL mtnGLO 3
  • 5% More Space
  • 8% Extra Headroom
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SPECS AND CONFIGURATIONS

The Carbon Reflex 3 Featherweight has two doors and a peak center height of 3' 4, which is 14 inches less than the average height of the 147 other 3 person tents we have examined With 39 square feet of room inside, it is significantly smaller than some other 3-person tents, and it would be quite cramped for you and, up to two other campers all through the 3-seasons, this tent is approved for use in, smaller tents like this one can make a very nice choice for campers that appreciate spending lots of hours outside the tent exploring.

A few of the great points about dome tents are, that they are for, the most part not too heavy, making them simple to carry. In nearly all cases, tents used for backpacking are of the dome type. They are usually, freestanding and very straightforward to set up. In good weather, you can do without securing the tent with stakes and ropes, not that this is suggested.

Dome tents are without a doubt the most common of all the various types of tents you will see when camping. They tend to fair better in the rain than other types, allowing water to easily slide off the sloped walls, unlike cabin tents that have flat roofs, resulting in the water pooling on the roof. The simplest dome tent should have a square footprint, slanted walls a couple of poles which converge in the center of the roof. Because of the way they are made, it is typically thought of that they are ideal for up to a maximum of 6 campers.

Underneath you can see a list of the tent's pros and cons.

Click or Tap on the Tab you Want to See!

PROS

  1. Vestibule. Having one vestibule. Affords you somewhere to store shoes and other items that can get dirty, muddy, this is a huge plus.
  2. Internal storage. It is good to see MSR has added a gear loft and pockets in the interior to store some of your things.
  3. More than one door. With 2 doors, it is easier to get in and out of the tent, in the middle of the night if needed.
  4. Breathable. The Carbon Reflex's interior uses a mesh fabric on the inside of the tent, and this helps maximize the flow of air. With the extra ventilation, and this tent is great for use in the summer.
  5. The rainfly completely covers the tent body. The rainfly covers the entire body of the tent from the top to the bottom and has a waterproof rating of 1200mm. Meaning it will easily protect you against heavy rain.
  6. Available in other sizes. MSR has also made this model available in Other Sizes.

CONS

  1. Not roomy. With a floor area of 39 square feet, the Carbon Reflex 3 is smaller than quite a lot of the 147 other 3 person tents we have looked at.
  2. Lacking in Headroom. With 14% less headroom than similar sized tents, one can see how this could be a negative thing for some people.
  3. Footprint not Included. There is no included footprint, there is one sold separately designed for the Carbon Reflex 3 footprint Even though the floor may be made of 15D Ripstop Nylon Durashield, it is still best to protect it further with a footprint, especially on rough terrain.
  4. Sloping walls. Even though Dome tents have heaps of things to rave about. The sloping sides do tend to make it all the more smaller inside.

CONCLUSION

4.4 Stars Logo

Our Ratings: 4.4 STARS

MSR's Carbon Reflex 3 Featherweight tent is good for backpacking. There are a few other things not already mentioned above which, we found and liked, while researching the model: The non-freestanding Carbon Reflex 1 backpacking tent is designed for adventurers who like to travel ultralight but want more protection than a tarp can offer, Large doors provide easy entry and exit and A spacious interior, and roomy vestibules make life on the trail more comfortable.

With positive ratings, a couple of reviews and headroom of 3' and 39 square feet of area to sleep, this tent is like your very own modest home away from home. This allows you to enjoy some delightful time in the outdoors. We found a decent amount of positive points about the tent that you can look at above.

If you found this website looking for an endorsement about this specific tent, our view is, it would make for an excellent purchase. In case you simply happened to land on this page while looking for a brand new tent having not heard of this manufacurer or this model before, it is probably a good thing to look at a few more comparable tents also.

Value for money: In terms of value for your dollar, this tent is more pricey than the average cost of all the one hundred and ninety-four, three-person tents we have looked at, all alone this is not a negative thing. One should also look at other factors in detail, as we do for each tent.

When we calculate the score of a single tent, we look at tons of stuff, searching for areas where the tent could exceed other comparable tents and where it is lacking. On this occasion, with an overall rating of 4.4 and the price details above, one can identify that with a cost of $649.95 The Carbon Reflex 3 Featherweight is a good purchase although it may be thought of as a little expensive when set side by side with similar tents.

Its overall score shows that the quality and size the tent provides make it a great choice for those looking for a tent that can be used for lots of years. It is also worth noting it is marked down by 0% from the manufactures suggested price. It should make a good choice for most people searching for an adequate three-season backpacking tent to camp with, that should serve you well for years to come.

Best Value & Low Price

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$729.95 info_outline
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COMPARE WITH OTHER SIMILAR TENTS

MSR TENT MODELS

BACKPACKING TENTS || 4 PERSON TENTS

Other Sizes and Variations of the MSR Carbon Reflex Model

Model Headroom Sleeping Area

MSR Carbon Reflex Featherweight 1
Carbon Reflex 1 Featherweight

2' 10"17 sq ft

MSR Carbon Reflex Featherweight 2
Carbon Reflex 2 Featherweight

2' 10"29 sq ft

MSR Carbon Reflex Featherweight 3
Carbon Reflex 3 Featherweight

3' 4"39 sq ft
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