The Gold Standard in Ultralight Backpacking Tents
The tent ultralight backpackers graduate to and never leave.
Elena Voss · Senior Gear Editor · September 12, 2024
Pros
- + Exceptional weight-to-livability ratio
- + Fast, intuitive setup
- + Solid storm performance for an ultralight shelter
- + Generous vestibule on each side
Cons
- − Floor fabric requires careful site selection
- − Stakes included are adequate but not exceptional
- − Premium price
First Impressions
Pick up the Copper Spur UL2 and the first thing you notice is how absurdly light it is. At just over two pounds, it barely registers. But Big Agnes hasn't achieved that weight by cutting corners on the things that matter.
On the Trail
Setup is genuinely fast — two crossing poles, eight stakes, and you're done in under five minutes. The hubbed pole design keeps the structure taut and the interior livable. The double-wall construction earned its keep during an unexpected thunderstorm above 10,000 feet — the fly shed water cleanly and we woke up dry.
Weight vs. Durability
The silnylon floor is genuinely thin — treat it with care, clear your pitch of sharp debris, and consider a footprint for extended trips. After three seasons of hard use, our long-term test unit shows some wear on the floor corners but no structural failure.