What is the difference between Tent Packaged Weight Vs. Minimum Weight?

At MSR, we voluntarily follow ASTM International F 1934-98 standards around these two tent industry terms. In accordance with this standard, packaged weight includes the total weight of the packaged contents off the shelf. Minimum weight, by comparison, refers to the combined weight of the tent body, rainfly (if applicable) and tent poles, but not any of the other items that may appear in the package, such as tent stakes, guy cords, stuff sack, etc.
 

Many MSR backpacking tents can be pitched using only the rainfly, poles and footprint, and in our tent specs we call this non-industry standard setup option our Fast & Light weight.
 

To learn more about packaged weight vs. minimum, and the manufacturing processes that can affect them, check out our blog post on the topic.