Root Family

Root Family

Mar 31, 2012

Gear Review: Big Agnes Copper Spur Ultra Light Tent

OK, so this review is coming as a result of my stupidity. I had the good fortune of using Nick's tent due to me grabbing the wrong tent, but the right tent poles on for our backpacking trip last week. I was so excited to be using my new MSR Hubba Hubba backpacking tent, but was so disappointed when I opened my stuff sack to find my POS $30 Bivy tent (I had put this one in a stuff sack identical to my MSR tent in case my brother needed it). Total disappointment. The first night Caiden and I opted to just stuff ourselves inside the bivy tent (with no poles) and just sleep under the stars. We got a little cold that night, so the second night Nick offered this tent for me to use (he brought it "just in case") and I jumped at the chance. In lieu I offered to do a gear review on the tent.

First of all, you can't beat the fact that it's a 2 person tent and it only weighs 3 lbs 12 oz and that weight includes the footprint. This tent was packed in it's original case and the measurement was 6" in diameter by 18" long. I personally like to put the tent, rain fly, and footprint in a stuff sack and carry the poles externally on my pack, but I still had a ton of room left over in my Osprey Aether 60.

The tent sent up really quickly. I love the design of the new tents where you don't have to slide your poles through long tubes connected to the tent. The poles are pre-assembled; you just snap them into place, set the corners, then connect the tent hooks to the poles. The rainfly goes on equally as fast.

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I like that they didn't waste any space wit this tent; since it's rated for two people it gives a good amount of "move around" space at the upper end (42") and at the foot (a cozy 22"). I comfortably fit two Big Agnes Insulated Air Core sleeping pads in the tent (20x72) with room to spare at the foot (or head).

Sand Creek camp

Sleeping in the tent I'm sure would have been comfortable, however I had a terrible experience with my new sleeping bag that affected it. Still, the tent did seem to provide better protection from the elements and I could tell it kept heat in because there was a lot of condensation built up on the inside of the rain fly the next morning (we were camping in a desert, so the condensation was not from humidity in the air).

Sand Creek camp

I think the only negative for this tent would be the tag price with a standard price of $400.00, however with Big Agnes, you always get what you pay for. They offer great quality-made products that hold up and last for a long time.

For more information on this tent and specs, visit this item's web site: Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 2

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