In a long expedition, it is important to not feel cramped in the tent. I think that a 3-person tent for one person is about the right size. I can have all my gear inside spread out to one side, while I sleep eat and do other business on the other side with room to spare. If possible don't share a tent with a partner. The only thing worse than your own bad smell is someone else's bad smell. The lack of space will also be fuel for displeasure and resentment towards the other person. If, of course you are looking for an excuse to initiate a divorce from your significant other, then an extended camping trip is the way to do it.
Some of the features I liked about the MSR Elixir Tent were the following:
There are lots of tent pockets to put things such as empty dry bags, telephone, headlights, etc.
There is enough height inside for me to crouch.
Both the fabric and the poles are light weight.
There are several hook points on the inside to string several lines to hang clothes.
The pegs are long and have a hook curve to ensure the tent is firmly anchored
The features I did not like where the following:
The setup is a bit complicated for one person. The long poles are interlocked on two hinge pins which I find are almost always twisted the wrong way for setup. This makes the tent difficult to setup alone in very windy conditions. I had to put my gear inside the tent to hold it down.
It is difficult to do a one-handed zipper opening of the tent doors. This is essential when you want to get your gear inside quickly to avoid mosquitos.
The tent has an "almost" square base, and it is easy to miss align the footprint with the tent. It would also have been convenient if the foot print could be permanently attached to the main tent for easier set up.
I snapped one of the poles on the last day around Florida, which means that this tent was good for about 30 nights. I would have expected better quality Amazon refunded me and let me keep the tent, so I fixed the pole with duct tape and it's ok now. Since that means I got this tent for free, I won't complain too much...
This YouTube video from Enwild gives a good review of the MSR Elixir 3 Tent. They go over the set up and the various features.
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