How to Choose a Backpacking Tent

Made for 2-wheeled overnights, this Big Agnes tent is built for on- and off-road adventure. It packs down small and is easy to attach to your bike. The solution-dyed fabric is resistant to UV fade.

Imported.
View the Big Agnes Tiger Wall Product LineView all Big Agnes Backpacking Tents| Best Use | Bikepacking |
|---|---|
| Sleeping Capacity | 2-person |
| Weight | 2 lbs. 15 oz. |
| Packaged Weight | 2 lbs. 15 oz. |
| Packed Size | 6.5 x 13 inches |
| Floor Dimensions | 86 x 52/42 (L x W head/foot) inches |
| Floor Area | 28 square feet |
| Vestibule Area | 8 + 8 square feet |
| Peak Height | 39 inches |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors |
| Number of Poles | 2 |
| Pole Material | DAC Featherlite NSL |
| Pole Diameter | 8.5 millimeters |
| Canopy Fabric | Solution-dyed ripstop 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 Structure | Semifreestanding |
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Picked up this new tent for some kayak camping trips. Since the poles are so short, it fits very nicely in my kayak with the rest of my gear, sets up easily and is quite light. Highly recommend the 2p as a one person b/c it is a little tight inside and I like to have my gear inside instead of in the vestibule. the footprint was a nice add to keep the sand out on my recent kayak paddle to the outer banks. Intuitive color match buckles. I do wish it was a bit more freestanding as the sand set up was a little more challenging with the few sand stakes I brought with me. Looking forward to trying this out bike packing next.
I've used this tent for both bikepacking and backpacking this summer and overall I am a huge fan. I've used it solo as well as with a buddy and it does its job. Lightweight, compact and easy to set up. However, after my first 3 day overnight, I did find a few tears in the floor of the tent. Since then I purchased the footprint and haven't had any additional wear and tear. I would not use this tent without the footprint. The footprint doesn't add too much weight or bulk, but it is additional $ and maybe annoying to carry for some. But overall, its a great value and I would purchase again...I just wish the floor was a little more durable!
I've used this tent for about 30 nights bikepacking and it's still looks good as new. The double vestibule style is great for two people, especially when you spend a lot of nights or long evenings in the tent. In rain it has been great, but you do have to be careful where you pitch it in very strong wind - it's not as strong as a tunnel tent or 4-season (as you'd expect). I have had one occasion where the tent was collapsed (but popped back up) by the wind, but using all guylines and re-tensioning helped. In gale winds it's best to have a windbreak if you can find one. Otherwise, no complains - it's comfortable, easy to pitch, well made and light.
Four year update: Still hands down my favorite piece of gear. Has survived several thru-hikes through the Sierras, the Tahoe Rim Trail, the JMT, solo adventures, and adventures with my partner who is 6' 2". I added the ExPad Duo for our joint adventures and it fits like a glove. I'll be replacing with this exact tent if anything gets damaged, but so far consisten success! 2021: I have never been more excited for a piece of equipment than the Tiger Wall Big Agnes. I am preparing for the PCT and as a solo hiker, I will need a shelter that is compact, lightweight, easy to set up and break down. The bikepack may be my new favorite shape. The entire kit, including footprint, fits in multiple configurations. Excited to try this on the TRT this summer to see its full protential.
First off, this thing is light and the harness for strapping to your bike is minimal yet strong. I really enjoy the neutral color pallet which will blend into the environment well. There are numerous storage areas which is more than ample for two people. Perfect as a comfortable one “man“ setup. Two people will fit but you have to pay attention to your sleeping pad selection when using it with two people. The foot box tapers a little bit so you won't be squeezing most rectangular pads or wide ones when sleeping with two individuals. I am super excited to continue the use of this ten throughout the season and plan to test its coziness with my significant other this June!
This tent packs super small! This is a huge plus (and the reason I bought it) for anyone looking to ride off road on a motorcycle since out luggage tends to be modular. Every motorcyclist I have camped with has been very jealous. The tent is super easy to set up and take down, and you have plenty of room for you and your gear. Also, all the zippers feel great. I have used it camping on beaches in Baja, up mountains, and out in the desert during windy nights and it has always been super comfortable. The only downside is the stakes are short (so it make camping on sand a bit of a pain) and bend super easily.
This is my first ultralight tent, and I was sorta scared of the delicate-looking material when I first took it out. Fortunately, other than an encounter with a rambunctious farm pup looking for cuddles the first night I used it (he ended up making an easily-patchable tear on the door when he pawed at it to come inside), this tent has proven to be much hardier than I expected. I took it on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route the summer of '21, and lived out of it for a couple of months. Since packed size isn't much different between solo and 2p styles, I went for the 2p, since I like to sprawl out anyway. The times I've shared it with my partner (both of us pretty medium-to-large-sized folks), I've felt it was a bit cramped...I do use a wide sleeping pad, though. Another bonus of the 2p is that there is room to huddle under the rainfly with your bike if you get caught in a downpour--and this set works wonderfully that way! Be sure to use guy lines and whatever extra stakes or tethers you have available when it's super windy--otherwise it will definitely feel like it's gonna come crashing in on ya. Overall it treated me well, and I used the included strap system more than I thought I would. It's a really really great tent!
This is a very lightweight bike packing tent. It is very easy and quick to set up. It comes in a bag designed to attach to handlebars, which I don't think will work well because the straps are very short. The design is very good, with good storage inside the tent for small items. The tent also has places to put a helmet and clothes on the outside of the tent, which, honestly, don't seem that useful. The tent is very light which is a bonus, but I do worry about its durability, and I guess time will tell. In short, this is a well-designed tent that would be great for backpacking and bike packing where weight and space are a major factor. This is not a good car camping tent as it prioritizes lightweight over durability.
I believe this is about the lightest traditional style tent geared towards bikepacking that you are going to find- almost to a fault. The only thing I found about this tent is that it is so lightweight that I feel like you are on the threshold of too light. Durability can be an issue. I've used this tent so far for a combined total of about 3 weeks and I have had to use some gear tape on a couple of spots due to abrasion. Aside from that- which it could be argued that I was not careful enough with ultralight gear- the tent has been amazing. The shorter poles, the handlebar bag, the gear storage pockets. I have been in some serious downpours in this tent and stayed cozy and dry. Not sure what the other reviewer was experiencing, but I have been super impressed with this tent.
This is a good tent in a lot of ways. It packs small and easy given tent poles are only 15inches long. The stuff sack and tent stakes are very compact and come attached together so can not forget the tent stakes. I like how the footprint completely covers the tent floor space and the vestibule so easy to keep tent clean and dry. The weakness is that the venting is inadequate in this region (South), the material while quality seems thin again for the dew we get so when wet, you must be cautious with the zipper and finally, inexplicably there is no tension adjustment on any of the guidelines. At the end, for me, interior space is a bit small as I bring my gear in due to wetness and as critters like to carry stuff off. I am going to look at selling my 2man and purchase the 3man or the Copperspur bike pack 3man.