The MSR Access 1 tent is conceived as a one person, ultralight, four-season tent suited for winter backpacking, ski touring, and snowshoeing and especially in locations that may be at or around the treeline. It’s also suited for any location that will involve cold, wind, or otherwise winter conditions combined with your overnight activity of choice. In this review I’ll review the MSR Access 1 – the solo version of the tent. There is also a 2-person option and a 3-person variant, also in the bright orange outer fly color. Previously, the tent was available with a green outer fly color (suitable for use on rocky or grassy mountains and desert areas where one might prefer to blend in). However, orange is the only currently available color which is ideal on snow or ice for visibility to others, or just when you need to find your tent again after a hike from camp. The orange option is so visible that I have hesitated to pitch it on one occasion when a rescue helicopter was passing nearby.

The MSR Access 1 is a reliable four-season tent that performs well in cold and windy conditions.

MSR Access 1 Design & Specifications

The Access 1 retails for $680, with a listed floor size of 84x33” and a 40” peak height. On my tent, I measured an actual inner floor dimension of 81x32”, and an inner head height from 37” at the sides to 41” in the center. The outer fly is constructed of 20d ripstop silnylon, with a 30d ripstop silnylon floor and 20d nylon walls. It does not need seam sealing as all seams are taped. The tent packs up into a 19x5” package and stores easily in an outside pocket of my pack.

The MSR Access 1 inner tent with small mesh window for ventilation

The 30d bathtub floor of the inner goes up to near 10” from the ground which gives good protection from horizontal rain or spindrift. Above that, there’s DWR treated nylon with a small bug-mesh triangle at the top for ventilation. This means you will have maximum warmth and protection from cold winds coming under the edge of the outer fly, which will add a warmth advantage inside the tent. However in temperatures getting much above freezing, this design can cause a significant amount of condensation. For use in warmer temperatures you could save weight and gain ventilation by removing the inner canopy completely (and have an easier setup) and go with just the outer fly, perhaps with a bivy bag inside.

MSR Access 1 - Inside the head end with NeoAir XTherm Regular

As with most tents with an inner I use a lightweight polycro sheet underneath the tent to prolong the life of the floor. I would use something heavier duty, like tyvek if I was camping in a harsh rocky or otherwise abrasive area. The tent has a listed packaged weight of 3lbs. 12 oz. with a measured weight of 46 ounces for both the outer and inner fly and the pole set. Without the inner canopy the tent weighs 31 ounces. These weights are without stakes.

These are designed to be firm and yet flex to absorb the force of high gusty winds. There are two poles. The main arch pole splits into a Y-shape at each end supporting the corners and making the body of the tent free standing. The tent pitches inner canopy first using easy to attach clips, which work when wearing gloves. The second pole is a kind of inverted U shape running side to side to add structural rigidity and spread lateral living space along the width of the shelter, giving good headroom. Lastly the outer fly clips on at each corner with tensioning straps. When setup the tent is very sturdy, and if you press down on the top with your hand there’s hardly any movement. However the tent is not completely free-standing because you need to use additional guy out points even in low winds or sheltered pitches to keep the porch/vestibule taut and the outer from touching the inner, as the gap is quite small. This helps avoid condensation and drips getting onto the inner.

The deep bathtub floor of the MSR Access 1 is great for weather protection, and the second pole provides good headroom.

The tent comes with 8 MSR Groundhog stakes. A bare minimum of 2 stakes are needed (2 porch tie-outs which can share 1 stake and one at ground level on the opposite/back side). Another 4 stakes are really needed to keep the outer fly from touching the inner, one for each mid-height edge. In addition, you probably want 2 (ideally 4) to hold down the corners and stop the wind from lifting them. Then there are also tie-outs mid end at the ground, upper end (top of Y-pole fork), and top of back center. The attachment points have reflective tape which helps at night. I like to add a double loop of high tenacity bungee/shock cord to help absorb gusts with the upper tie-outs. In total there are 17 tie-out points which need at least 9 stakes, far too many for digging in snow pegs or dead-men. My preference is take 10 stakes in total with this tent, which will add some weight to your pack. The poles are rigid enough that you rarely need the upper guy-outs even in very high winds as long as the corners don’t slide (on ice or smooth rock).

The MSR Access 1 tent's vestibule has ample room to store gear.

Access 1 Performance in the Field

Build quality is very good and inspires confidence. Despite the ultralight credentials it is well made and when you’re out in harsh conditions you can really rely on this shelter. Worth noting as with any folding pole design, take care that the poles are fully seated over the inner tube when assembling. If the inner elastic is not tight, pull the knotted end out and tighten it up – although I haven’t had this issue with the Access 1. The vestibule has enough space to store a pack and wet outer layers and still have room to cook if the weather is foul. The floor is symmetrical inside so if you miscalculate a slope for example, you can just sleep the other way around and be fine. The mesh inner pockets give adequate easy to reach storage and there are 5 loops in the ceiling to attach a cord and hang things to dry or a light. Overall, I’ve found the tent works well in real-world conditions.

The MSR Access 1 tent is an excellent option for cold, windy conditions.

Conclusion

The Access 1 is a solid lightweight and reliable four-season solo tent designed for specific winter usage and in these conditions is where it excels. The tent however, is not ideal for usage in warmer weather with its lack of ventilation. The tent is well-built, sturdy, and can handle winter conditions where you may encounter heavy snow loads and/or high winds. The inner adds a significant amount of warmth and setup can be a bit fiddly, but once complete one can rest assured that the Access 1 will provide protection from the elements for 1 person even in winter conditions. While the tent is a bit of niche product in that it may not be the best choice during warmer seasons, when it comes to ultralight winter solo tents the Access 1 is a great choice.

The MSR Access 1 retails for $680, but it can sometimes be found on sale at various retailers. Find it here at REI Co-op, as well as here at Backcountry, and here at Amazon.com. For more information and factors to consider when choosing a backpacking tent or shelter, see our guide on how to choose a backpacking tent.

Editor's Note: This review originally appeared in Issue 44 of TrailGroove Magazine. Read the magazine article here for additional photos, pros and cons, and our MSR Access 1 rating.