How to Choose a Backpacking Tent

Made for pedal-powered overnights, this Big Agnes tent is ultralight and a breeze to setup. A compression sack makes it easy to attach to your bike when it's time to get back on the road or trail.
Imported.
View the Big Agnes Fly Creek Product LineView all Big Agnes Backpacking Tents| Best Use | Bikepacking |
|---|---|
| Sleeping Capacity | 1-person |
| Weight | 2 lbs. 6 oz. |
| Packaged Weight | 2 lbs. 6 oz. |
| Packed Size | 14 x 6.5 x 5 inches |
| Floor Dimensions | 86 x 38/28 (L x W head/foot) inches |
| Floor Area | 19 square feet |
| Vestibule Area | 5 square feet |
| Peak Height | 40 inches |
| Number of Doors | 1 door |
| Number of Poles | 1 |
| Pole Material | DAC Featherlite NSL |
| Pole Diameter | 8.5 millimeters |
| Canopy Fabric | Solution-dyed breathable nylon and polyester mesh |
| Floor Fabric | Solution-dyed, water-repellent, silicone-treated ripstop nylon with a 1,200 mm waterproof polyurethane coating |
| Rainfly Fabric | Solution-dyed, water-repellent, silicone-treated ripstop nylon with a 1,200 mm waterproof polyurethane coating |
| Footprint Included | No |
| Design Type | Semifreestanding |
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I bought this tent with the intended use of bikepacking. I will say that the shortened poles allowed it to fit very nice on my handlebars. And the daisy chains on the stuff sack were great for running some voile straps through to secure them to the bike. Inside the tent, it is small and minimal. I haven't used the fly yet. The helmet storage is kinda silly. First I just hang my helmet on my bike, and second getting the helmet into the storage I feel like I might rip the mesh on the tent. So I just put other stuff there. Overall I am very happy with this tent. This tent is probably not for everyone. Really for minimal travel, small space, and functionality.
First of all, Big Agnes is a hreat company that stands by their products. I upgraded to this tent from a warranty claim on a Seedhouse 1. This tent is a great lightweight minimalist setup. I go ultralight and this fits the bill, could probably cram it into a Nalgene, short poles are also beneficial for bikepacking (easily fits between the drops). Setup is easy enough. There are a lot of internal pockets (love that). The downside, I am 6'2" and this tent is pretty small, I can lay in it easily enough but with a restless night im hitting the walls. I can maybe sit up fully in it, it's close. I consider it to be a luxury bivy. I can fit myself and maybe 2 dry bags inside, and I leave the rest in the vestibule. BUT I knew what I was getting into and most of the time the weight overcomes the sacrifices.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Simple set up first time without using directions. Compact & light..perfect for solo travel. #sweepstakes
Love this tent. Lightweight + easy setup. I use it for backpacking as well as bikepacking!
These are advertised as bikepacking tents, but for anyone who is considering this for other recreational activities solely based on the appeal of its packable size...it is absolutely worth it! Like backpacking and bikepacking, motorcycle touring and adventure requires you to keep your pack as light as possible. I primarily travel solo, so the one "man" version of this tent worked perfectly. I've used it in the rain, as well as some pretty intense west Texas winds, with no issues. If you prefer to have a bit more room to move around in your tent, the Copper Spur or the two man version of the Fly Creek may be a better option. Best of all...this tent actually fits back in it's bag! I even store the footprint in the bag with it. I can fit this tent, my sleeping bag, q-core deluxe pad, and pillow in a 20L dry sack. Love it!
I recently completed the Colorado Trail on my bike and this was my tent of choice. I mounted it to my handlebars. See pics. It is an incredible piece of gear. It's easy to set up (although I there are few extra hooks on the rain fly that I couldn't figure out how to use (BA, can you help?). It's very strong and sturdy, and the vestibule was great for my shoes, helmet, and pack at night. I didn't feel cramped at all. There are great internal pockets for storage, and enough room for various other pieces of gear on either side of my sleep system. The only thing I would improve is the bar mounting system. I had to add a spare strap to keep it from rotating down onto my brake hoses/cables. I ride a 2019 Specialized Stumpjumper. I feel mounting this to a bar could be better than it was. But it did work and I'm still giving it 5 stars.
There are many aspects of this tent that I like. It is light and well constructed. The one thing that drives me crazy though is the three strap design on the bag. This doesn't allow you to center the bag on handlebars. Yes you can offset it. However I believe four straps would be much nicer and allow you to center the stem and have two straps on each side. This would likely distribute the load across the bars better too.
Love this tent! For warmer temps I leave the fly at home and roll up my Big Agnes pad and tent in my handlebar bar bag. The short sticks fit great in my frame bag. I know the bag is ready for handlebar attachment by itself, but sometimes I like to customize my load depending on the terrain.
Lots of well thought out small features like the short stik poleset and internal shelf for clothing. Paired with the correct footprint set up is a breeze. Super roomy especially for a 1 person tent. Only complaint would be that ventilation could be improved. Otherwise love this tent.
Great light weight tent. Wonderful warranty (Big Agnes replaced my old tent without any issues). I love how easy it is to assemble and how easy it is to pack. The perfect backpacking tent.