MSR Skinny Too

 

Product Description

Building on our ultralight, single-wall tent options, the Skinny Too provides all the benefits and features of the Skinny One™ with plenty of room for two. At just 4 lb 4 oz (1.92kg), it features the same overhead vent, mesh window and front vestibule to maximize ventilation and storage. Its easy-pitching hooped design lifts the wall out for the best use of space, and the taped silnylon shell delivers reliable and ultralight weatherproof protection.

* Ultralight: Single-wall design provides super-efficient weatherproof protection.
* Spacious Interior: Copious amounts of space for two, plus a front vestibule for gear.
* Outstanding Ventilation: Innovative overhead mesh vents and a foot-level mesh window keep provide excellent flow-through ventilation—even in bad weather.
* Easy Setup: Hooped, sleeve-and-clip pole configuration makes setup fast and easy.

(from MSR's website)

A Review of the Skinny Too

MSR’s latest addition to its Fast and Light series, the Skinny Too, is a wonderful and roomy little cave, err—excuse me, tent for adventures of all types. Did I say roomy? Perhaps generously voluminous, or even gigantic, would describe it better…Similar in packed weight (a dainty 4 lbs 9 oz) and slightly lower-priced ($249.95) than its competitors, what makes this tent worth it more than others? Space. A “hoop” design means that the walls of this tent are vertical, so you get every last one of those 25 square feet of floor space to live in, and aren’t surrounded by sloping walls on all sides, as can be problematic in standard dome tents. The first words out of my mouth after setting this beast up, in comparison to a previous single wall tent I tested, were “this thing’s freakin’ huge!” Single wall construction also means easy setup and guaranteed weather protection (though as a result it is lacking in one of my favorite areas: stargazing on clear nights). Unlike other single wall tents this tester has used, the Skinny Too had no condensation problems whatsoever, (as long as a vent was open somewhere, there was zero moisture formation on the walls, a huge bonus) and a compact vestibule keeps your gear close at hand for an easy reach. The only drawbacks I came across were the fact that it is not free-standing, so you have to stake it out, and the single door can make the vestibule (already kind of small at 8.5 square feet) a crowded place when exiting and entering. The Skinny Too kept my wife and I bone dry on a recent through-hike of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and there was plenty of room for both of our sleeping pads and a little extra gear within its confines. I would recommend this tent to anyone looking for a lightweight and reasonably priced single wall tent that will deliver performance when needed.

-stinkycheezman33

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