Why We Like The Thru-Hiker Mesh House 1
Every ounce packed on thru-hikes that last months must be carefully considered, so needlessly throwing a three-pound tent in our pack when we could opt for the ten-ounce MSR Thru-Hiker Mesh House 1 instead is a no-brainer. Its ultralight design delivers protection from bugs when thru-hikes go through the High Sierras on the PCT or the buggy Blue Ridge Mountains on the Appalachian Trail. A versatile design lets us pitch it under MSR's Hiker 70 or 100 Wing (sold separately) when we need protection from bugs and rain, and the non-freestanding design opts out of traditional poles for our own trekking poles to reduce weight even more. The Thru-Hiker comes with six MSR Needle stakes, so we can be sure the shelter's secured before we climb in for the night.
Details
- Ultralight shelter for thru-hikes and long-distance backpacking
- Micromesh canopy maximizes ventilation
- Xtreme Shield floor sheds mud and resists abrasion
- Non-freestanding sets up with trekking poles or trees
- Compatible with the MSR Thru-Hiker Tarp (sold separately)
- Item #CAS00FJ
- Material
- [canopy] 10D polyester micromesh, [floor] 15D nylon, Xtreme coating (1200mm)
- Poles
- 1 trekking pole (not included)
- Floor Dimensions
- 88 x 33in
- Packed Size
- 8 x 4in
- Packed Weight
- 10oz
- Manufacturer Warranty
- limited 3 years
Reviews
Q&A
Overall Rating
4 based on 11 ratings
Review Summary
What do you think about this product?
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Selecting an option will reload the available reviews on the pageDecember 18, 2022
Thru hiker
Use the thru hiker 1 as a bug bivvy in the summer on hikes like the West Highland Way,use it with a cat cut tarp(silwing) it's about 700grams. Use a goretex bivvy 1.5kg in the winter or a 4 season tent 3 kg. Can't beat the thru hiker for weight as for bivvies there is always some condensation. Also have a small single skin bivvy tent going to replace it with a Hubba,zoic or elixer when it eventually gets replaced.
Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site
October 4, 2022
Solid shelter for fast and light packing
Phenomenal shelter. I use it for my dog and myself and I couldn’t be happier with it. The pitch is fairly easy but as expected you do need space to stake it down. I haven’t noticed really any condensation but I do have my wing tarp fairly wide to help with the air flow. Not the best for really stormy weather, but I’d you stake it down correctly, it withstood a 25 M/H wind storm on a ridge at 7000 feet.
Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site
July 24, 2021
One draw back
Unless your good at origami you may want a compression sack to go along with it.
Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site
February 12, 2021
Condensation an issue in the foot box
Was excited to see MSR make an offering in the bug bivy department and eagerly bought this intending to use it for both work trips and fun trips to replace an older (and heavier) bug bivy. Unfortunately, I experienced the same condensation issues in the foot box as the other reviewers (in moderately humid conditions with overnight lows in the 60s). The condensation was bad enough that I had to hang my sleeping bag out to dry in camp after each night. MSR normally makes great products but this one needed a bit more time in the R&D department before it was placed on the market. If they made a version of the Thru-Hiker 1 that used the same design as the Thru-Hiker 2 and 3, with two overhead points of attachment so no fabric rested against any part of your body (increasing ventilation and cutting down on condensation), it would be an instant purchase for me. But as it is, I can't really recommend this to anyone.
Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site
November 9, 2020
I want to love it.........
I want to love this, like really love it, but I can't. And the reason is the footbox. I am not unfamiliar with single wall shelters, I own 4 different styles. Condensation is always going to happen in single wall shelters, it's part of the game. You can do various things to mitigate it but the issue with the Mesh House 1 is that you can't. When your inside the tent on a pad with your sleeping bag on, there is no way to not have the wall of the tent directly on your footbox. And in my experience, with no airflow at the foot end as well as the direct contact, you wake up with a wet bag, no matter what. I do like the design of the tent overall, but this issue makes me not love it. I would suggest if you are looking at a Mesh House, get the Mesh House 2.
Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site
August 30, 2020
Good little tent
Love it! It's so small and packable which is he best part about this tent. Very simple to set up. There isn't space to sit up inside but if you are just looking for a place to lay your head, it's a good little tent.
Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site
July 28, 2020
Not Quite Fully Baked
I wanted to love it, but overall, this will be a rarely used item in my quiver. For the weight difference, the Mesh House 2 is a better option for a solo hiker than the 1. Like other reviewers here I found that condensation in the foot of this shelter is a huge issue. I would use this in the desert in some seasons, but not again here in the Pacific NW. I also found it hard to sleep on my back in this shelter due to the fabric pressing on my toes. There is just not enough height for that IMO. I am 5' 8"" and changing clothes in the Mesh House 1 was a huge pain. I own the Thru-Hiker wing in the 70 size, and the Mesh House 2, which I will use regularly on solo missions. The Mesh House 1 was a good idea, but the overall width, tight toe box and weird fabric choice (not breathable) are fails here. Overall I am really digging the MSR minimalist shelters, however I agree with other reviewers that MSR is not giving us enough length on guylines, enough stakes to do a proper bad weather pitch, and also not providing guylines on all of the points they should for a full-on pitch. These are easy things to fix yourself, but should you have to? Kudos on including some spare seam sealant - but the implication is that this should be done before use - which needs to be clarified.
Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site
May 4, 2020
Good idea buts needs a rainfly
This tent would be great if you're taking it somewhere you know there is 0 chance of rainfall. Otherwise you need to add a tarp which adds weight and set up complexity. They tarp they suggest, or any other for that matter, increases your stake count from 5 to 10, and if you're in slightly rocky or rooty soil you may not be able to get them in at all the right places. What this tent needs is a form fitting rainfly that attaches to the existing 4 tent corner stakes and a vestibule with 1 more stake. If you're reading this MSR please make the fly I suggest, and I will be throwing my money at you!!
Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site
February 28, 2020
I intend to buy another.
MSR has been providing quality products since they began and it is no different today. It is obvious that thought has gone into this tent. The reinforcements at the stress points is no more or less than needed and entry and exit are easy. The older I get the more difficult things become and I appriciate it when things just work; Getting harder to find these days.
Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site
May 25, 2019
Go-to Summer Bivy
I've used this shelter for seven trips so far in two months. On the first four trips there was heavy condensation on the top panel in the leg/foot area, two of those times my down quilt was actually frozen to the tent fabric. This is Colorado, not Florida! So, I fixed the problem. I bought some 10D noseeum mesh (0.5 oz/square yard) and replaced some of the waterproof fabric at the foot end, leaving only a 12 inch strip of the original fabric at the bottom. This allows a 72 inch pad to be fully covered by mesh. See photographs. No more condensation or frost! There is still minor condensation on the vertical panel at the head end, but it doesn't drip and can be wiped easily. I've used the new thru hiker 70 wing twice with the shelter and just pitched the foot end lower to compensate. Another modification I had to make was to replace the supplied 6 foot top guyline with an 8 foot guyline because I barely had enough line to adjust the pole or to reach the ground. With round top poles I have to wrap the line around the handle to keep the line from slipping off the pole. Also, the pole tip needs to be planted at least 6 inches from the head edge to prevent bumping into it from the inside. The door is wonderfully wide and easy to get in and out. But the far end (the apex of the curve) is hard to reach. I would recommend reorienting the zipper to go from the top down the front seam and then curve along the bottom, with a tie on the top seam. This would allow the double separating zippers to be positioned near the head within easy reach to open vertically and horizontally. This is now my favorite summer bivy. At 10 ounces it's just 3 ounces heavier than the bivies that are barely off the face, but so much more convenient. In this one I can sit up almost fully, change tops and bottoms easily, unfold and read maps, all zipped up from the insects. So, as designed, I recommend use in warm and dry conditions only. But with the mesh modification, it is more versatile.
Originally reviewed on a Cascade Designs brand site
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