MSR

Origin

MSR was founded in Seattle in 1969 by the American engineer and mountaineer Larry Penberthy. The company did not start out with a commercial product, but as a safety campaign aimed at improving the unreliable climbing equipment of the time. In the 1960s, Larry Penberthy carried out independent research for the mountaineering association The Mountaineers. He tested materials such as climbing ropes, ice axes and carabiners. To his horror, he discovered that many outdoor products failed under loads far lower than the manufacturers had promised. As the association lacked the funds to finance this large-scale testing, Penberthy decided in 1969 to set up his own organisation: Mountain Safety Research, Inc.

MSR originally began as a critical newsletter in which Penberthy shared his test results. To fund the costly research and the newsletter, he asked readers for a small donation. He soon began selling improved safety equipment to subscribers himself. This forced MSR to officially become a commercial enterprise.

Penberthy always approached outdoor challenges with an engineer's logic, which led to a number of groundbreaking inventions:

• Model 9 Stove (1973): Developed because mountaineers often became dehydrated due to a lack of melted water. This was the very first outdoor stove with a separate fuel canister, the basis of the well-known WhisperLite.
• Ice axes with aluminium shafts: MSR replaced the wooden shafts - which were common at the time but prone to breaking - with indestructible metal.
• Clothing and tents: Among other innovations, Penberthy devised the "pit zips" (ventilation zips under the armpits of jackets) and tested his storm-proof tents by mounting them on a platform at the back of a moving pick-up truck.

In 1981, MSR was acquired by the well-known American outdoor retailer REI. In 2001, the brand was acquired by Cascade Designs, which also owns, amongst others, Therm-a-Rest. To this day, MSR continues to produce high-quality, technical equipment such as the Hubba Hubba tents, stoves and advanced water filters.

Collection

Twinseasons stocks a large part of the MSR range. We offer a particularly extensive selection in the tent category. Do you already own, for example, an MSR tent or stove? And are you looking for a replacement part? If so, please get in touch with us. We can often help you with this..

MSR's gamechangers

The Hubba Hubba tents

MSR's Hubba Hubba range has, since its launch in 2004, become one of the best-selling and most iconic lightweight hiking tents in the world. The name sounds fun and energetic, but has a very logical and technical origin. It is a clever play on words based on the tent's frame. What made the tent revolutionary at the time was the central connector where all the tent poles converge: the hub (the centre point). Instead of separate poles, the frame forms one large, interlocking spider's web. The designers at MSR wanted to come up with a playful name based on this "hub" system. The American military chant "Hubba Hubba" (which roughly means "hurry up!" or is an exclamation of enthusiasm) fitted the bill perfectly.

The tent was an instant hit with backpackers and bike packers for a number of specific reasons. Thanks to its special hub-based construction, the side walls of the tent rise almost vertically. This gives you plenty of headroom and allows you to sit upright inside the tent without the fabric brushing against your head. What's more, you don't really need any pegs or guy ropes to keep the tent upright. The tent is freestanding. This is ideal when camping on a hard surface, such as rocks or wooden platforms. Finally, weighing around 1.3 to 1.6 kilos (depending on the exact model), the tent is very light for a rucksack. You make hardly any compromises on comfort. The tents have two large entrances and two spacious vestibules for your luggage..

The Guardian Purifier

The MSR Guardian Purifier was launched in 2016 and is regarded as one of the most advanced water filtration systems on the market. Development had begun years earlier in MSR's laboratory. At the time, the US Army was looking for a way to protect soldiers around the world from diseases in drinking water, without them having to rely on chemical tablets or heavy equipment. After six years of intensive research, military funding and rigorous field tests, the Guardian was born.

The Purifier uses medical kidney dialysis technology to mechanically block 99.9% of all bacteria and viruses via 0.02-micron hollow fibres. Thanks to a patented, self-cleaning pump system, the filter does not become blocked in muddy water and delivers a continuous flow rate of 2.5 litres per minute without requiring maintenance. In addition, the device offers exceptional durability. It is frost-resistant and can withstand being dropped onto hard surfaces such as concrete. The filter cartridge can filter up to 10,000 litres. In doing so, MSR translates military standards for reliability and water safety into a product for the discerning outdoor enthusiast.

Sustainability

At the heart of the sustainability strategy of Cascade Designs, MSR's parent company, is the aim to minimise its environmental footprint through product quality, responsible manufacturing and strict chemical management.

Focus on exceptional durability and repair

The cornerstone of MSR's sustainability policy is creating products that last a lifetime. MSR believes that reducing consumption is the most effective way to protect the environment. Rather than encouraging the rapid replacement of products, the brand promotes repair. The company offers a comprehensive repair service at its own factories, enabling campers to continue travelling with the same stove or tent for decades. The materials chosen, such as thicker-coated nylon for tent floors and recycled aluminium for snowshoes, have been specifically selected to prevent premature wear and tear.

Responsible production and local supply chains

MSR sets itself apart from many other outdoor brands by largely keeping production in-house. Most of the equipment is manufactured in the company’s own factories in Seattle in the United States and Cork in Ireland. As these facilities are located in regions with very strict legislation on the environment, water treatment and waste management, MSR is able to closely monitor and minimise the direct impact of manufacturing. Furthermore, this local production ensures shorter transport routes to the main markets, which significantly reduces transport emissions.

Safer chemicals and the Higg Index

As one of the founders of the Outdoor Industry Association's Sustainability Working Group, MSR helped develop the Higg Index. This is a voluntary measurement tool that enables brands to transparently assess their performance in terms of social conditions, material sourcing and chemical management. MSR uses this data to systematically phase out harmful substances. As a result, all new tents and equipment are now completely free of PFAS, the persistent "forever chemicals" that degrade very slowly in the environment. The company is also taking a critical look at smarter, minimalist packaging to eliminate unnecessary plastic.

The above is just a selection of what Cascade Designs does in the areas of the environment, corporate social responsibility and sustainability. If you’d like to find out much more about this, be sure to take a look at the official website of Cascade Designs.

MSR Store

In the Netherlands, Twinseasons is an official MSR dealer with a physical store and an extensive assortment on the webshop. Shop in our MSR store and experience how durable and high-quality MSR products are.