TENTS

Big Agnes Copper Spur: Amazing Ultra Lightweight Backpacking Tent for You

Big Agnes Copper Spur
Written by Kane Dane

The Big Agnes brand is popular among backpackers and getting even more popular by the day. Their gear is enjoyed by many campers all year round. They provide backpacking essentials that include tents, sleeping bags, apparel and camping accessories. Among their most popular camping gear is the Big Agnes Copper Spur Backpacking Tent series.

Their Copper Spur series is especially popular among backpackers who are conscious about the weight of their gear. The ultra-lightweight three season, free standing backpacking tent is designed to offer comfort and protection in the wildness without breaking your back on the trail. The series offers four tent sizes designed to accommodate 1 to 4 people. The Big Agnes Copper Spur line of camping tents offers the lovers of outdoor life choices to pick from depending on the size of the camping party.

Every backpacker knows that weight is a very big factor when choosing camping gear and the designers at Big Agnes had this factor in mind when they designed the Copper Spur tents. They come with many features tailored to ease the load of the backpacker on the trail and provide protection and comfort at the campsite.

Product Specifications:

  • Features single door and vestibule
  • Storm flaps on vestibule zipper
  • UL2, UL3, UL4 feature double doors and vestibules
  • Steep wall construction and cross over pole improve tent interior’s living space
  • Media pockets enable clean ear bud cord routing from phones

Check the price on Amazon

Review

When buying a backpacking tent, there are several important features you should look out for including weight, size, and ventilation among others. These three-season tents give you a comfortable home away from home for spring through fall.

You will, however, need a separate tent for your winter backpacking. Irrespective of what product you want to buy, the best reviews you will ever find will be those written by ordinary consumers like yourself. Read on to check out some main features of the Copper Spur Tent.

Packaging

The Copper Spur Tent is 4 inches longer and has twofold the vestibule space. This tent has floor dimensions of 86 x 42 and the foot width is 30 inches. In case you are camping alone, then it’s a veritable royal residence!

But, for two individuals, there is a lot of space to sit up, change your clothes, move about and do many other important things without obstructing any other person. The steep-sided walls of this tent add to this in a big way, particularly when you share the room with somebody more than 6 feet tall!

Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 set up in the forest

The tent packs in a great measure of living space. Bounty enough space for you and another person to extend totally. With the floor area, you will be living huge, for an ultralight tent. The backpacking tent sits a nice spacious 42 inches tall, with close vertical walls because of the overhead crossbar. This enables you to move around in the tent without chancing upon each other.

Design and Durability

Tents come in a range of designs to suit user preferences and camping conditions. The simple design of A-frame tents makes them light, simple, and often less expensive than the other designs. However, their simple design also comes with limitations on usage. The shape limits elbow space and headroom and give the tents very little resistance against strong winds.

They are best used in gentle camping conditions. The modified A-frame with a center hoop pole and curved walls has more stability and space. Pyramid shaped tents are built with vertical poles to form a teepee shape and are often set up with a rainfly. They have the best space to weight relationship, but their floorless design makes them less ideal for wet areas or if you are likely to encounter bugs. If you are to use such a tent, be sure to include a footprint in your camping gear.

Big Agnes Copper Spur tent

Dome designed tents are more stable and hence preferable if you are camping in strong wings. They are also often more spacious that other designs. On the other hand, tube tents offer a good balance between weather resistance and weight. They are however not free standing so they require enough staking. Wedge tents are stable against the wind and lightweight but do not give enough headroom. Pick a tent whose design best combines the features required for your camping conditions.

Weight

Your style of camping will be the main determining factor of the weight of your gear. If you are setting up camp next to your car or riding to the campsite, the weight of your gear will not be a big factor. You can afford to treat yourself to a little more comfort and space if you are just lifting your tent from the car onto the camping ground. In this case, feel free to carry a heavy tent with all its extra accessories.

Big Agnes Copper Spur tent and mountains landscape in the background

However, if you are going on a long hike, the weight of your gear takes priority over most features. If you have to carry the tent for a long distance, then you must choose a tent that adds the least weight possible to your gear. The recommended maximum weight for a backpacking tent is 5 pounds if it is going to be carried by one person or heavier if the weight is to be divided among several campers. Additionally, be careful when it comes to tent’s weight as specified by the manufacturer.

Size

Backpacking tents are designed in different sizes to accommodate a range of sleeping capacities. Be sure to choose the right size for your camping party. For example, you do not want to squeeze four people in a tent meant for only three and it will be pointless to carry a 3person tent for a solo camping trip. When considering the size of your tent, do not look at just the square footage.

Look at the dimensions too, especially if you are tall or of heavy build. Make sure that the tent you chose will comfortably accommodate your body.

Big Agnes Copper Spur tent

Additionally, the size of the tent as specified by the manufacturer often speaks to the number of people, but, never specifies the amount of camping gear it can accommodate. Make sure that the tent you pick is spacious enough to accommodate all your gear. It is okay, and at times even more practical, to carry a tent that is a size bigger than what you need. This will give you enough space to lounge around inside the tent, more space for your gear and even extra space for a dog if you like camping with one.

Ventilation and Weather

Tents are designed to accommodate different seasons and their ventilation requirements. For example, the ideal warm season tent will come with lots of mesh for maximum ventilation and winter will require a tent that traps the air in to provide good warmth. If you want a tent that can give you ideal ventilation and is good in winter, then you can buy one with big mesh windows that can be zipped up when it gets cold.

Big Agnes Copper Spur tent near a lake

When you are choosing the tent for your camping trip, always keep in mind the weather. If you are going camping in winter, for example, you will need a very different tent from the one you use in the other seasons. There are three-season tents designed to cover you in spring through fall and there are some tents designed to take you through all seasons of the year, including winter.  You can purchase the four-season tent rather than get a separate one for winter. However, always check that the tent has all the features ideal for you.

Accessories

Always check that the manufacturer included all the accessories in the tent. As much as the tents are always sold with the main set up items and accessories, some items like a footprint, rainfly, gear lofts and others may be sold separately. Read the product information carefully to see exactly what you need to set the tent up and if it is all included in your purchase.

If some items that are essential to your camping are sold separately, then you will have to purchase them too. You do not want to realize after receiving your tent that you need a footprint and it did not come with the tent.

Close-up of Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2

If you are buying a tent to be used by more than one person, it’s better for it to come with two doors. A one-door design is lighter and ideal for 1person tent, but for many people, the two-door tent is more ideal. Additionally, two doors mean two vestibules, which provides more space to keep your gear.

Value for Money and Guarantee

The Copper Spur Tent at present retails locally for approximately $400. It’s a great deal to pay for a backpacking tent so you have to consider the level at which you will be hiking. While it has an ambient gray color scheme and a USB-controlled LED inner lighting system, this backpacking tent is valued at a premium.

Most reviewers concurred this tent is one of the best 3 season and 3-person ultralight backpacking tent available. It carries somewhat of a value premium, however, as is frequently the case, you acquire what you pay for and this backpacking tent is no exception.

Grand Canyon landscape and Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 tent

This is a real investment for your hiking gear. It is really a good value on the off chance that you are anticipating doing much backpacking outings, however not just only for car outdoor trips. The Copper Spur Tent is a costly piece of gear, and on the grounds that it is produced using lightweight, delicate textiles, it should be treated with care and kept properly.

As for the guarantee, the manufacturers of Copper Spur Tent provide a warranty which covers all forms of defect except the damages caused by too much exposure to the sun. Wear and tear are normal for all backpacking gears especially the ones that are often exposed to sunrays. Therefore, in case you have any issue with your backpacking tent, contact the manufacturers directly and they will deal with the issue, but only and only if it is covered under the warranty.                          

Similar Products/Competitors

Nemo Dagger Nemo-Dagger

The Nemo Dagger is a strong competitor for the lightweight yet livable class. While the numbers are amazing, we suggest including a couple of more ounces by including a couple stakes and guy lines to completely secure the tent.

At that point, you have issues with condensation at the shelter’s head and foot. Notwithstanding, the Dagger 2p is astonishingly livable, and the interesting vestibule design goes far to enhancing the happiness of being inside it.

The capacity to leave the entryway open while gaging by the two side corners of the vestibule enhance the ability to view the rain, and disposes of the need to creep over the apparatus. Join this with the already roomy inside, and an amazingly stable form for the weight and you wind up with a great tent that conquers a couple mellow issues.

The 3-season, 2-person NEMO Dagger Tent provides you with the best of both sides: a tent sufficiently light for an ultralight backpacking trip, yet sufficiently spacious to endure a rainstorm without you feeling claustrophobic.

Big Agnes Blacktail Big-Agnes-Blacktail-

The Big Agnes Blacktail is a 3-season free standing tent which provides you with a spacious resting area for two persons. Simple access through two-sided vestibules and doors makes climbing over your camp mate for a morning washroom run a relic of past times.

This tent is really an astounding value for the newbie level hiker or any individual who needs a super comfy tent to bring along on the trip.

The Blacktail backpacking tent was a lime green, on light-dark shading and it totally looks sharp. This tent features a fluorescent person lines and a webbing on the corners. Simply flash your headlamp over that tent amidst a starry night! You will salute yourself as a proud owner.

This backpacking tent has offered regard for points of interest. The zippers are high caliber. The webbing for the stakes is tightly sewn and intended to last long. The convenience, for example, the apparatus loft and the door stands are great!

You can pitch this backpacking tent without precedent for only a few minutes and everything will just be exactly how you want it and where you need it be. The poles and press can be easily connected without even consulting any diagram. Big Agnes’ utilization of more sturdy, lighter-weight materials in this backpacking tent’s body and rainfly, alongside its general sublime form-quality, offer it a slight edge over whatever remains of the field.

Enormous Agnes Rattlesnake Big-Agnes-RattleSnake

The Big Agnes RattleSnake is a sparkling example of a reasonable yet shakes strong hiking tent with some amazing features that you require. The standout feature of this backpacking tent is the mtnGLO innovation. This is an extraordinary, lightweight brightening feature incorporating a string of visible LEDs that are sewn specifically into the fabric of the tent itself.

It creates a soft, diffused gleam all through the tent, rather than a cruel direct light emission. It’s controlled through a removable battery space that stores two AAA batteries and a straightforward push knob control.

The tent likewise features two entryways, a peak height of 40″ and two vestibules. A hubbed DAC aluminum shaft framework frames the backpacking tent, with a cross bar elevating the side walls to create close vertical walls and additional headroom. There is just a top vent, with double zippers on the vestibules which can be incompletely unfastened from the top to permit somewhat additional wind stream through the tent sides.

The floor and fly of the tent are designed from a durable rip-stop nylon with a defensive and waterproof polyurethane covering. The tent body is a blend of breezy mesh on the top side and a wind-blocking nylon on the base. This permits air to move through for ventilation, yet likewise blocks frosty breezes that would some way or another sneak away under the vestibule.

Included in the tent is an extensive stuff sack with two smaller bags for tents poles and stakes, with a set of eight aluminum stakes to nail down the tent. This backpacking tent weighs 4lb 2 oz stuffed and retails for approximately $350.

Overview

The Big Agnes brand blended many of the above features into their three-season Copper Spur Backpacking Tent series to give you the ideal ultralight tent. The needs of an ultralight backpacker are at the core of the design to ensure you can easily carry it long distance without straining your back.

The Copper Spur series comes in four sizes to accommodate the requirements of different camping parties. Whether you want to go camping alone or in a group, Big Agnes has a suitable option for you in this series. The tents share many camping-friendly features that make them ideal choices as explained in detail below.

These tents are made from ultralight materials to keep them light enough for long treks. The 1person tent has a mere 2lb 3oz of trail weight, which makes it light enough for one person to comfortably carry on the trail. Even the 4-person tent, at a mere 5lb and 5oz of trail weight, can be comfortably carried by one person without the need to divide it among the different campers.

Big Agnes Copper Spur in a national park in the summer

The tent’s mesh and fabric offer excellent ventilation through the breathable lightweight nylon and polyester. The mesh body keeps the interior of the tent aerated and fresh at all times. The mesh is especially nice on nights when the stars are up or if you want to enjoy some sun without leaving the comfort of the tent.

In the case of rain, or any other need to cover the mesh, the rainfly can be easily and quickly put up. The rainfly can be set up first for quick protection and then the main tent assembled under it. This offers fast protection in times of abrupt rain showers.

PROS:

  • Ultra lightweight
  • Easy to set up
  • Excellent ventilation
  • Spacious vestibules
  • Three-season tent
  • Lots of pockets
  • Two entrances

CONS:

  • Expensive yet the footprint is sold separately
  • Not enough space in the UL4

Like with all camping gear, remember to test out your new tent before you set off for your camping trip. This way, you will know if it has everything you need and if you can actually set it up. You do not want to get to your camping site and start struggling with setting it up or realize that the footprint, which you assumed had come with the tent, did not.

Big Agnes Copper Spur
  • Packaging
  • Design and Durability
  • Weight
  • Size
  • Ventilation and Weather
  • Accessories
  • Value for Money and Guarantee
4.9

Summary

The Copper Spur series from Big Agnes combines the best features ideal for ultra-lightweight backpacking and comfort, and with an overall rating of 4.6, it has received the users’ stamp of approval. Always pick the tent that represents the best of the features discussed above in relation to your camping conditions. A more versatile tent will save you from spending more money on future camping trips as it will serve you in all camping conditions.

Make sure the tent you buy combines as many of the above features as possible to make it usable in diverse conditions. If you are camping on rough ground, be sure to include a footprint for extra comfort and protection from bugs. But if you are going to set the tent up on the smooth and safe ground, then you may not need to include the footprint.

However, there will also be a few cases where a customer may have a bad experience with a product simply because they did not read the instruction or did not know how to use the product or other such anomalies. The number of such cases is however never big enough to sway the overall rating of the product.

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Have you used this Big Agnes tent before? If so, please leave us a comment about your experience with it or any of their other camping products.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kane Dane

4 Comments

  • As a hiker I mostly go hiking in the jungles of Africa and Brazil. I therefore had to look for a sleeping bag that is light in weight as I mostly had to carry light weight backpacks.it was then that I got myself a Big Agnes SL 45 sleeping bag. This bag is filled with compressible down so that I can always fold the bag easily to occupy limited space in my backpack. The down used is 800 Down Tek treated down hence it is completely water proof. It weighs only 1.7 pounds meaning I have I pound less to carry compared to other hikers with other sleeping bags. Its five years old now!

    • That’s a good sleeping bag. The unique design improves connection between pad sleeve and the bag, providing you with a roomier space without adding weight.

  • Last Christmas my son gave me a Big Agnes SL 45 sleeping bag as a gift. He knows I am an avid adventurer and I have to say it is one of the best gifts I have ever received. The insulation used in this bag is the 800 Down Tek treated down. This down is highly compressible so I can easily fold it to fit into my backpack. Due to the 800 Down Tek down used it dries easily and quickly. My sleeping bag only weighs a little over 1.5 pounds and this is highly convenient as it is very light. My sleeping bag is of premium comfort as it is made of goose down and feathers.

    • When shopping a sleeping bag, you should not only focus on weight, but also warmth and comfort. And as far as backpacking tents are concerned, the Big Agnes – Copper Spur should be your first choice.

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