[Review] The Front Range Floor Insert & Tarp Shelter by MSR

While we were a little skeptical at first, the new Front Range Tent System by MSR is really cool. Not only is it light, but it’s also extremely versatile and can be adapted to many different situations. It’s not your typical tent, and we actually ended up loving it for this reason. The Front Range is not a standalone tent and uses a trekking pole, ski pole, 5ft accessory pole, or in our case-a stick clip to form it’s almost teepee-like structure.

As a four-person tent, this is one of the larger tents we’ve ever had. We typically don’t camp with four people in one tent, but we do have Hank (90lb hound) and we tend to have a lot of gear with us. For us, this is a great size in that we have plenty of room inside the tent for gear and Hank isn’t crammed on top of us. Our pads are a little bit wider so we had to overlap them to get them to fit between the side of the tent and the center pole. If you have four people with wide sleeping pads, there will be some overlapping and it may feel tight.

Speaking of having four people inside the Front Range Floor Insert, with the door only opening to one side, we can see it being problematic or annoying when someone needs to get up to pee. I really wish that the door opened to both sides (the Tarp Shelter does).

The Floor Insert is very quick and easy to set up and tear down. There are only two mesh pockets on the interior, which I personally think could be expanded to one on each corner but it’s nice to have at least two. There’s also no way to hang a light from the ceiling and I really wish there was!

We really love sleeping in just the Front Range Floor Insert because it is 360º of mesh and such a nice view at night. We’re entirely protected from the bugs. If the weather gets gnarly on us, that’s where the Front Range Tarp Shelter comes into play.

Remember the coolest thing about this system is the fact that you can use one without the other, leave one at home depending on the situation, or bring them both. It’s a lightweight option for sleeping four no matter what environment you’re in.

The Tarp Shelter is going to keep you dry and we even love the idea of setting it up at camp separate from the Floor Insert as a little hang out/cook spot. Especially if it rains, it’s a sweet spot to be able to cook and sit while staying dry. The Tarp Shelter has a little bit bigger of a footprint than the Insert. You can comfortably fit four people inside it on low profile camp chairs.

Similarly to the Floor Insert, the Tarp Shelter is very quick and easy to set up. There are more tie-down points on the Shelter than the Insert for when the weather really starts to get nasty. There’s also a vent up at the top of the Shelter which is nice for a little bit of airflow.

Overall, Cally and I were both surprised by how much we love the Front Range Floor Insert and Tarp Shelter. We were totally skeptical at first but after a few uses, we have really grown to love it. It’s different, provides amazing star views at night, is extremely versatile, and lightweight. While it’s not a free-standing, more traditional style tent, it’s an amazing tent for all kinds of adventures and seasons.

*We received the Front Range for free in exchange for a review, however, it’s important to know that all thoughts are our own.