MSR Freelite 3 tent review

Lightweight and low bulk, the Freelite 3 is perfect for bikepacking with friends

MSR Freelite 3
(Image credit: Stefan Abram)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

The MSR Freelite 3 is an excellent tent for bikepacking. Lightweight and with low bulk, it has a good pack-size in its original bag – while also being able to be tucked away inside a 6L half-frame bag. When travelling as a pair, it offers a luxurious amount of space but it’s also comfortably capable of fitting a trio.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Lightweight

  • +

    Low bulk

  • +

    Stable in high winds

  • +

    Two entrances

  • +

    Discreet (in the Green colour option)

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Poles remain fairly long when fully folded

  • -

    A little delicate

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

MSR stands for “Mountain Safety Research” and the company has been manufacturing highly engineered kit for outdoor adventures since 1969. The FreeLite 3 fits into the range as MSR’s second lightest three-person tent – a little cheaper and without some of the sacrifices of the superlative Carbon Reflex 3 Featherweight tent.

We think bikepacking is most fun when done with friends. Whilst a bivvy bag might be the simplest and lightest solution for a solo ride, a three-person tent can provide a luxurious space for a pair, while also giving the option to go as a trio. Evenings are so much more pleasant when you can play card games out of the wind, rain and midges, in the shelter of a tent.

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Stefan Abram
Tech features editor

After winning the 2019 National Single-Speed Cross-Country Mountain Biking Championships and claiming the plushie unicorn (true story), Stefan swapped the flat-bars for drop-bars and has never looked back. 

Since then, he’s earnt his 2ⁿᵈ cat racing licence in his first season racing as a third, completed the South Downs Double in under 20 hours and Everested in under 12.

But his favourite rides are multiday bikepacking trips, with all the huge amount of cycling tech and long days spent exploring new roads and trails - as well as histories and cultures. Most recently, he’s spent two weeks riding from Budapest into the mountains of Slovakia

Height: 177cm

Weight: 67–69kg