Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 Tent

Comments about Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 Tent:

Had a late start on a hike along the John Muir Trail and got caught in an unexpectedly severe snowstorm. What was predicted to be 6 inches of snow turned into two feet in a storm that lasted more than two days. We experienced wind gusts of up to 55 mph.

This tent is a 3-season tent. It was never intended to handle these conditions. And yet it stood up great! I spent 36 hours hunkered down in this tent. Though it took on some condensation, the tent surpassed my every expectation. Would I take it into those conditions willingly? No, but it's nice to know it could handle it.

There's only two down sides to this tent as I see it. First, the poles lock into a plastic attachment at the top of the tent. The way the piece is constructed, it's difficult to know when the poles are fully locked into place. My friend split one of his poles by failing to do just that (his tent also survived the storm, even with a broken pole). Second, the fly comes too close to the head of the tent. I had to pay special attention to the fly's set up to insure that the fly was sufficiently separated. This was the only area where the tent began to fail me during the storm, when snow began to weight down on it.

Overall, this tent is AWESOME. It's spacious, incredibly easy to set up, quite light and structurally sound. I was so happy with it after leaving the JMT that I called Big Agnes to thank them.

Service and delivery comments:

Big Agnes replaced my friend's split pole in a micro-second. They were polite, helpful and have a generous repair/return policy that makes me a loyal follower of the brand.

Comments about Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 Tent:

Would have given this a top rating except....
Only used it three times, so its basically brand new.
In light rain the seam around the vent in the rain fly started leaking.
Note: rain was not coming INTO the vent, it was dripping
out of the seams.
I called Big Agnes, they said I'd have to send it to them
and they'd test it. 3 week turn around time.
I asked if they could just send me some seam seeler.
They said no.
I live in a small town, thats hard to get around here.

I asked if I ordered some on the web, could they reimburse me. They again said no.

So my only option was to be out of a tent for 3weeks,
in the middle of summer.

Not the greatest customer service.

Comments about Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 Tent:

I used this tent on a backpacking trip on the Chattoga River in Georgia. The light weight and easy set up of this tent makes me sure I made a great purchase. The side door and large vestibule made for easy entry/exit and convenient storage. The placement of the vent on the rainfly allowed for no condensation to build up on a rainy humid trip.

Comments about Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 Tent:

Just took this on the Zion traverse, and it was perfect. Pricey but probably worth it. Plenty big for me (5'11" 190lbs) and other gear, and you can situp in it - nice if you have to change clothes. A little concerned about the durability - the material BA uses is amazingly light. Definitely use a ground cloth - their $50 one is ridiculously priced.

Comments about Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 Tent:

I have been using the seedhouse SL1 for a few years and it has worked out great. I decided that I wanted to get a one person tent that the door was on the side and not in the front. For me having the door on the side just makes it easier to get in and out of. So far I really like my Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 tent it is very roomy and the setup is so quick and easy.

Comments about Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 Tent:

I bought this tent for backpacking with lighter weight and smaller pack size. It has worked very well for that. Had it out in the snow with no condensation at all. Sets up very easy and fast.
My only complaint is the floor dimensions are not what they advertised to be. Actual interior floor length is 84 inches not 90. Width is also less at head and foot by 3-4 inches. I contacted Big Agnes about this and was told the floor dimensions are measured at the stakeout points and not the actual interior floor dimensions. Their cust. svc. rep said that is the industry standard. I expressed my strong disappointment in this false advertising. I was contacted by Bill Gamber of Big Agnes and he said he would look into this. I am waiting to hear back and will update my review when I do. I am happy with the tent and it is a roomier 1 person tent, but not the size they claim. Perhaps REI could work with the tent manufacturers to establish honest usable interior floor dimensions.

Comments about Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 Tent:

The 2013 Copper Spur UL1 has a bunch of well-thought-out features in a very lightweight tent. I researched several tents for a year before selecting this one.

One caveat: This is described as a "free-standing" tent. I have a free-standing dome tent and it can be set up, with rain fly, using zero stakes. The Copper Spur's mesh body can be set up without stakes, which is an advantage over others in this class. However the Copper Spur's fly requires some staking-out. Without stakes it drapes very loosely over the doorway and walls. It would keep dew out, but any breeze would rustle the loose nylon. The need for stakes is obvious from examining the photos of this tent. The front vestibule requires one stake and some line to pull it away from the door. With that and a stake on the back wall, the fly still hangs somewhat limply over the tent. To pull it taut requires also using the guy points provided -- at least the 2 on the ends. That's 4 to 8 stakes needed for a "free-standing" tent.

I don't mind the "lazy D" door design because a side-hinged door would still leave a lot of loose mesh. Either way, you have to roll and stow the door if you don't want it under foot in the dirt. At least the bottom-hinged door can be tucked inside the tent for quick entrances and exits.

The vestibule is large for a small tent. I don't keep my pack inside my tent, but I do enjoy having space to get out of the rain or dripping dew while I take off boots or put on outer wear. This vestibule looks large enough to cook in, carefully, as long as a door is partially open.

Some stake points are so close to the tent that the upward tension pulls them out or pulls the line off the stake. Consider carrying a larger stake for the vestibule, one that you can pound in.

The pole clips are quick on and off. The cross pole fits into well-designed pockets in the fly and works ok without using them. There are 3 stash pockets inside, and 6 points for attaching a wall loft (an overhead loft would take away all of your headroom) and one at the peak for a lantern.

With care, my ultralight gear has proven sturdy. I've used my Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2 for 3 seasons without a footprint, and the lightweight materials and zippers are the same as in the Copper Spur UL1. I've found that it's easy to avoid damage by taking some simple precautions. Clear the tent site of sharp objects, always use a mattress, take boots off inside, be patient with the zippers.

Comments about Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 Tent:

I've had this tent for around 3 years and have used it at least a dozen times. It's the older model with the small extra "door" that allows storing a few items in the back vestibule. I love that feature. I concider it a 1.5 tent because it's wide enough to sleep me and my medium sized dog. It weighs more than a non-freestanding tent but that was expected. I still prefer it over the single walled trekking pole type. The only feature that I don't like is the design of the door. I would prefer a door that is a true "D" style versus a upside down "D" door that when unzipped ends up on the floor of the tent.Hence the 4 star rating. Other than that I love this tent.

Comments about Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 Tent:

I love this tent. If I went backpacking with my local club, I'd have to arrange to share a tent with someone because my two person tent is so heavy. And it was killing my back. I'm 5ft 3, 120lbs, and wanted to cut my pack weight as much as possible, so I bought this tent. I LOVE this tent. So lightweight, easy and fast to set up, I don't have to remember how to set it up--it's so easy and color coded. I set it up once at home, then once in the dark in the middle of Shenandoah National Park and had no problem setting it up. I've slept with this thing in the rain, in cold-ish temps - 30's and 40's, and slept with the rainfly off to keep cooler in hot weather. I've camped at the beach, mountains, in my back yard. I love this tent and highly recommend it to solo backpackers looking to save weight without risking comfort. I also love that the door is on the side and not the front, I don't like drawling out of my sleeping bag to pee in the middle of the night, much easier to unzip and roll out. Great sized vestibules for storage. Love it. Would buy again.

Comments about Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 Tent:

I am not a camper, but needed a light tent to take on a 7-day bike trip. We rode bikes all day and camped every night in a new location. Weight savings and ease of set-up were my biggest needs. This was a great tent. It stood up fine to several nights in a driving rain and did not leak at all. Nor was condensation inside an issue. Also, after riding 70 miles each day on a bike, this tent was a snap to set up. There is not much room in the tent after you insert yourself and your sleeping mat. There is room for one narrow bag at the head of the tent. Since room inside is so scarce, I would have prefered if they had designed the vestibule with a little more coverage for your gear. The vestibule will cover only one bag and then small extras like shoes, bottles, etc. That is really my only complaint--I wish the vestibule covered more space, but all in all this is a great, super lightweight tent.