Have you ever experienced carrying a tent that’s so heavy you concentrate on the weight on your back rather than the sceneries around you? Was there a moment in your trip that you regretted bringing a heavyweight tent that didn’t meet your comfort expectations?
Looking for a camping tent can be a difficult thing to do, especially, if you already experienced disappointment in the past. If you want a tent that’s lightweight, has great interior space and has loads of features, then you’ve come to the right article.
The Big Agnes Copper Spur tent was first introduced way back in 2008 and has been a top favorite of many hikers every since. Redesigned in early 2020, we’ve tested this tent’s new construction based on the comfort, weather resistance, weight, ease of set-up, and durability on our latest trip to Glacier National Park.
The heart of your campsite is your tent. If you want to ensure that you’ll have a good camping experience, you need to invest in good quality equipment. We’ve been camping for years now and we know what to look for in a tent. Read our “Best Tents for Camping” article to see our top recommendations.
Verdict
The Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 camping tent is one of the most all-around backpacking tents in the market today. Equipped with vestibules, a two-door layout, interior pockets, spacious floor area and headroom, can hold during strong weathers, and lightweight, you can never go wrong with this tent. Just make sure that you are willing to spend a couple more dollars for it.
Comfort
The Copper Spur HV (high-volume) has been redesigned to create a more spacious and livable camping tent. With the new pre-bent poles, near-vertical sidewalls, and crisscrossing pole, you would immediately feel the boosted interior inside the tent.
The interior almost has a rectangular shape and flat roof. It measures 42 inches wide at the feet and 52 inches in the head allowing you to have ample space for your sleeping pads and backpacks. The peak height is 42 inches allowing you and your partner to sit-up and change clothes without having a hard time doing so.
The 29sqft floor area of the Copper Spur is designed to be narrower at one end. We suggest that you bring a mummy-shaped sleeping pad so that you can still have some extra space. Additionally, there are two 9 sq. ft. vestibules located at the doors. You can put your dirty gear and shoes here and not worry about the weather.
Additionally, you’ll find loads of pockets inside the tent. There are two large overhead pockets which you’ll find on the overhead and foot end. These pockets can carry light to moderate packs that you don’t want to put beside your pads. There are also two supportive side pockets to hold your nighttime essentials.
Perhaps what we like the most are the two different zippers on the doors. Usually, you would have zip and unzip the doors in order to place the zippers on the right spot if you want to get something from the vestibule. But with the Copper Spur, the Big Agnes makers already know where the zippers would end so it’ll be easy to find.
The last thing that we would like to mention is the privacy panels which completely cover the lower part of the tent. It’s low enough for us to see the nature around us without the rainfly and it’s high enough for us to be covered from all angles.
Weather Resistance
During our 3-day hike in Glacier National Park, we experienced some strong winds, light rainfall, and sunny afternoons. With the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2, we didn’t worry about the tent blowing away or having leakages because of the sturdy and reliable tight pitch structure.
On the sunny afternoons, we were able to prop open the fly doors and fully extend the vestibules to create an awning using our trekking poles. Our packs were fully protected from the harsh sun and dirt and provide great ventilation inside.
When we experienced a light rainfall and strong winds, the full-coverage rainfly was very reliable. Additionally, the bathtub floor style was able to block all the water splashes and shedding the rain. If you want added protection, you can bring with you guyout points to further strengthen the rainfly, but you would need to bring extra strakes.
If you’re looking for more ways to make your tent and campsite more comfortable, check out our article on how to set up a comfy camping tent for tips and tricks on how to set up the most comfortable campsite. We have mastered the art of being comfortable outdoors and we’re more than happy to share what we know with you.
Weight
At the weight of 3 pounds and 2 ounces, this is one of the best lightweight camping tents in the market today. Considering all its features, pockets, vestibules, awnings, and sturdiness, you’ll seldom find a tent that has this much to offer and is also lightweight.
Ease of Setup and Packed Size
The Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 is one of the easiest tents we’ve ever set-up; considering it has many features. It’s completely freestanding so you don’t need to do some stakeouts. It has color-coded interconnected poles, including the crisscross pole, which means you just have to connect everything together.
Packing it back up is also easy because it fits nicely into its stuff sack. We didn’t have to squeeze it in or let any air out. If you’re concerned about the space of your backpack, you have the option to separate the poles from the tent because it’s mainly responsible for the bulkiness.
Durability
The Copper Spur HV uses a mix of 15D x 20D nylon. Although this is considered a low-denier fabric because of its thinness, we understand that they used this in order to make the tent as lightweight as it is. The poles are both rigid and flexible so we don’t have any worries about them breaking.
In order to put additional sturdiness into the tent, Big Agnes uses their proprietary nylon which provides a double-ripstop weave both on the fly and the door. However, this doesn’t mean that you can abuse the tent. This is one of the tents that can provide you a longer lifespan as long as you treat it well.
Pros
With all the features that we’ve mentioned earlier, here’s the summary of all the things we love about the Copper Spur HV:
- Two large double doors
- Spacious interior
- Great headroom
- Lightweight
- Full-coverage rainfly
- Vestibules and interior pockets
- Easy to set-up and pack
Setting up a tent in dry weather is preferable, but sometimes, you may be forced to set one up in the rain. This will make pitching your tent a little bit more challenging than usual. Follow our guide to setting up your tent in the rain to make sure that the inside of your tent will stay dry.
Cons
Even though we choose Copper Spur HV as one of the best camping tents in the market today, there are still some disadvantages we’ve seen in this tent.
- The nylon used requires extra attention and care.
- Expensive
Conclusion
Finding the perfect tent for your camping adventure can be very challenging. If you’re going backpacking, you need to find a tent that is lightweight and easy to carry. If you are willing to spend a couple of hundred dollars, you’ll be able to get your hands on the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 camping tent, one of the most all-around backpacking tents in the market today.
The main characteristic that we like about this tent is its light weight. Despite the fact that it is not a heavy tent, it is very spacious in terms of floor area and headroom. It’s also fairly easy to set up despite its numerous features and it’s also weather resistant. Even if you’re not going to use this tent for backpacking, we’d still recommend it because it’s one of the best tents that we have tried and tested.
