Big Agnes - Blacktail Hotel 3

We uses this as a family, when we do our four week cycle tours in summer: my wife and me share a MSR Freelite 3 and our three kids share a Blacktail Hotel 3. On rainy days we all five hang out together in the Hotel 3, eat and play games in there. It is a bid heavy, but quite robust. So I don't mind when the kids do their party in there or fight in there about whatever.

I would suggest: The Agnes Blacktail Hotel 3 person Tent. Looks like regular price is around $449 and REI has it on sale for $338. This give you the full vestibule with two doors great for dogs. This also allows you room for your gear inside the tent as well. I typically go bigger like a 4 person tent just to allow for the extra space. Carry weight is 7lbs 6oz but you can share the weight. Don’t forget the dogs should have their own doggy packs filled with their food. This takes some weight off you and the dogs really don’t even notice the pack.

Look for bikepacking tents- those intended for bicyclists. Shorter pole sections mean they fit inside bags better. I have the Big Agnes Hotel 3. Fits in my 18l side bag along with the rest of my sleeping/shelter stuff

I recently bought a Big Agnes blacktail hotel 3p and I was very impressed with the build. On our first camp with it at Big Sur, it rained all night and morning, and it performed flawlessly.

BA Blacktail hotel 3. The front vestibule area is ample space for your dogs or gear storage. It's a bit heavy at 3.5kgs but you can split that between two packs.

I got the non-bikepacking version for me and my GF and we like it but can confirm its heavy. Vestibule is nice in the PNW cause we can cook under it during the rain, but I also got a nice hammock tarp that we use when we dont need the vestibule since the vestibule fly+extra pole does add a decent amount of weight. Also we aren't any pro racer UL type people, just 3-4 weekend getaways a year.

My wife and I picked up the 3P big Agnes blacktail a few years ago. Decent room inside with a nice vestibule out front. Big enough for gear or even some lightweight chairs to sit underneath or cook. A 2P with a decent vestibule would work well for you too.

I've used a Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel for years now. I've grown up in the bush and it's by far the best tent I've ever used. Every year I buy a can of silicon sealing spray and spray it down on a good sunny non-windy day, never had a drop of rain. The best part is the huge vestibule. On super rainy days we can set up our camp chairs in there and cook with the stove no problem, the dogs sleep out there and it's a great place to dry stuff. My wife and I got the 3 person version for extra space as I've never found a 2 person tent that is actually comfortable for two people. If you are 2, get the 3 person. Not sure what the price on them is these days and if you're CAD or USD, but I've never seen or used a better tent. Otherwise, where I live, every camp has at least one MSR Hubba. They seem to be a big favorite but I've never used one, not a huge fan of MSR tents. The ultimate cheap resort is just some department store tent and cover it with the silicon spray. When I grew up I was in Beavers/Cubs/Scouts, and to avoid a bunch of shitty kids wrecking good tents, the troop would just buy really cheap Coleman tents and douse them in silicon spray. This always worked great also. Hope that helps!

I’ve got several tents and the one in your picture is one of them. Blackmail 3P I think. I’ve also got the copper spur. The black tail is a tank. I only use it for trips where there’s support, like ragbrai. I use the copper spur for overnight/easier riding trips. For actual bike packing / serious miles, I go with an ultra lite HMG mid-1. The black tail is cool and giant, but it’s a big heavy load too.

The Big Agnes Blacktail (or Blacktail Hotel) is cheaper (and heavier) than the Copper Spur.  My 3p Hotel has been a perfectly reasonable and durable backpacking tent.  The absurdly large vestibule is worth the weight penalty, IMO, as long as there's space to pitch.

Also agree, but take it up a notch to the ul3 Hotel so you have the "garage" to keep the gear in and maximize the space inside. I backpack with this tent and if it quit tomorrow I would buy another with the hotel, I love it and while a luxury for one (although I'm a big guy) it is still pretty perfect for two

Agree. We have a 3p that we use for motorcycle camping. It's great for that - we put our riding gear in the vestibule, which was really helpful on the rainy days that we always seem to find. But it's heavyish and the footprint of the tent + vestibule is very large. We've been to campsites with platforms were the tent+vestibule barely fit. We do like the utility of a large vestibule but we wish there was a way to pitch the tent + fly without it sometimes. Big Agnes has some models were a vestibule can be added. That might be the best of both worlds. We also have a Six Moons Design Lunar Solo 1p. Our first single wall. It's ultra light and small but susceptible to condensation.

For good tents I always shop the REI outlet website around major holidays because they always have a coupon for additional savings even off the outlet price. Scored a Big Agnus 3 man tent for a little over a hundred bucks with a retail just over 3 hundred. Good little tent. Honestly this is a great way to get new gear cheap. Before we bought a 23foot RV we use to buy most our gear that way.

I would recommend checking the rei outlet. Since this is a holiday weeekend they will have a members only coupon that can be applied to outlet prices. I bought a great Big Agnes 3 man tent normal price of 300 for about 120. If you are not picky on a specific model it is a great way to get quality gear on the cheap. If you are not a member it's cheap to join and lasts a lifetime.

I know I’ll get downvoted but I tend to agree with this. I own an x-mid so don’t at me universe. But I think durston is a bit over-hyped. There are lots of quality issues - especially with the x dome series - just peep the gear heads sub.  Durston makes good tents imo, not great ones. They seem to do a lot of r&d with paying customers which I’m not a huge fan of - especially if you’re paying tariffs.  My x mid is fine - suitable for certain trips, while my freestanding tent (big Agnes) is great. Both have great customer service imo. But I’ll take the Xmid when I really have to count ounces and I’ll take my big Agnes into the desert where a trekking pole tent would just be a nightmare to fiddle with - weight penalty be damned. 

I have a Big Agnes. Love the tent and love the brand.

Big Agnes, MSR, and Nemo are 3 of the best tent brands available. I ran the warranty desk for an outdoor gear company, and saw the least amount of warranty issues with those brands. They’re not inexpensive, but, you get what you pay for. I have a Big Agnes tent that’s at least 10 years old, we use it regularly and only have to hose the dirt off. It’s amazing. Nemo is awesome too, I know a lot of people with Nemo tents and they love them. I just got an MSR 3 person tent and absolutely love it. Definitely get a 2 person tent. The general rule is to take however many people will be sleeping in the tent, and add 1. So 1 person = 2 person tent, 2 ppl = 3 person tent and so on. A 2 person tent is more comfortable for having your gear inside the tent, changing your clothes, etc. If you don’t plan to go backpacking with it, I’d get a 3-4 person tent just for the space.

After dealing with a warranty issue with Durston I would rather deal with Big Agnes

Big Agnes warranty and customer service help is top-notch. I sent them an email earlier this week and they responded within minutes with a fix that allowed me not to send the tent in and repair it myself.

Try the REI re/supply. I got a Big Agnes tent that retails for $499 for $134. Also, REI sale is coming up in a few weeks and there will probably be a good deal on their own brand tents and others.

https://geartrade.ca/ they stock a bit of budget gear and they are not amazon. Also try thelasthunt.com, and https://www.sportchek.ca/en.html they can have some good gear in clearance. I really enjoy my big agnes tent and they are available in long, but they are pricy when not on sale.

Ive had my big agnes longer than any other tent ive owned so far! I think its at least ten years old.

Paria is a glorified dropshipping company. Durston and Big Agnes are good options, you don't need anything more niche honestly

Big Agnes ,Big house is comfy

I’ve had trouble with zippers on Big Agnes tents, but I’am in the sand often.

Big agnus, copper spur HV UL 1 or 2 person tent, pair it with a NeoAir pad, get the wide size

"I’m someone who only buys from reputable, high quality brands. I would get rid of this thing if I were you." And you're telling them to get rid of a Fjallraven tent, that they got for $200??!! Are you dumb? These are comparable to Hilleberg, which are in the $1,000's and probably some of the highest rated tents you could buy. Not to mention a lifetime warranty. You probably don't even know what a tunnel style tent is, so just stop talking. OP, you have a fantatstic tent that will probably last you many years if you take care of it. I'm talking decades. I have gear from them that is 10 years old and still looks brand new but have also had alterations done by them for free. I have a 3lb Big Agnes for reference and is paper thin, it holds up but if I found an Abisko for $200, I'd choose that in a heartbeat.

Both me and my partner love my Durston x-mid 2. Rock solid tent, fairly light weight, wasn’t ridiculously expensive, and decently roomy! Once you get the hang of setting it up it’s super easy and quick. My partner has a big Agnes, which is great, a little lighter but super tight for both of us.

I have a Nemo tent and two big Agnes. Love them both.

Completely disagreeing with this. This is a well known influencer site and list. So, it is merely a sales pitch. Lets check out the list: North Face Stormbreak. 200$ for a polyester tent in 2025! Half of the amazon junk would be more resistant to weather, and weighs half. It is an amazing tent, but only if we are in 2000s. Kelty, is it half covered in mesh, it is horrible in summer and it cannot stand winter. Then there is Hilleberg. Top of the top winter tent. If the list contains a Hilleberg I dont think there would even be a place for MSR in the list. The list then should be dominated by other Hillebergs. Also, where is the Zpacks, or Xmids? Where is mongar, or lanshan? Those are amazing <1 kilo tents .. some of which are on amazon. I agree, Amazon has a lot of junk. But also a lot of very high quality products not paying influencers. There are many better tent makers outside of this list and for many of the items in the list, they are indeed amazing products. However, for many I dont think their brand name justifies their price in 2025 anymore.

Ok let me pitch on the list then: This is an incoherent list: contains tents with different sizes and persons count, so it is creating more confusion than being helpful. Apart from that several of the tents there have well known problems: \- Hilleberg is a winter tent; if you rely on this list and buy it for a summer holiday you will die. \- Elixir does not use seam sealing and instead use a sealing technique mostly seen in cotton fabric tents, and it is known that it leaks. So late autumn it is a dangerous tent. \- North Face Stormbreak is a very old, reliable tent, but uses polyester, so it weighs around 3 kilos. You can easily find a tent with the same specs, much better material for half the price and would weigh around 2 kilos. \- Rei and Nemo tents in the list are all dome tents, which are literally replicas of each other (i would even say knock offs of Big Agnes there with inferior build quality). Many of them are half covered with fabric instead of mesh in their inners, which is terrible for summer. Always go for as much mesh as possible for summer. For early autumn, late spring they are probably good. But definitely master of none. I dont know how they are in a "best" list \- Kelty again is an old reliable tent, but has pole sleeves, so setting it up is a chore. It is covered with fabric again, so not so good for summer, would be good for mountain weather in the summer though. Still, material is outdated and setting it up is much slower than current lines of tents. \- Hillebergs are top of the top, and big agnes clearly earns its place in the list. \- MSR tents there are both very light options, but nothing special there. Personally i would carry 500 grams more instead of paying premium to a tent design that is so common. It is a very good alternative for ultralighters. \- There are other tent types, such as inflatables, such as popup tents, such as summer tents. The list contains none. So, if you are trying to find a tent to buy .. ditch this list and check out other sources. It is incoherent, it misses out a lot of different alternatives and it doesnt factor in criteria such as who? how? where? when? how many people? duration? conditions? It is basically the sunday paper of tent recommendations. A potpourri of cool images.

Buy once - cry once Don't skimp on shelter. A good tent (like the big Agnes) will last you a lifetime. Kelty is a decent second option (but usually heavier) and Coleman is more likely to tear or break a pole (I have one for family car camping and it broke a pote...repaired the pole but still swapped for TNF Wawona 4) It only takes one failure to make you wish you'd just spent the extra $. Buy the Big Agnes and move on.

Yeah there are good tents. I’m partial to Big Agnes myself, and own a couple. If you only plan to camp a few times a year, look at the REI Co-Op options, or Sierra Designs hit a good price/quality budget, or something similar. Don’t be afraid to look at lightly used too. 

I have two Big Agnes tents and really do like them a lot. I've probably owned too many tents in my time camping, but I've been impressed with them. But you do pay a bit more for them. I've used friends REI tents and they're great for the price and a casual camper. As you said as well, TNF makes a killer tent too. Lots of good options, it's all about finding the one that fits your needs and budget.

We love everything about our Big Agnes tents.

Coleman is for very occasional car camping. If you go to rainy locations, make sure the fly is full length, not just a little umbrella over the top. Kelty is a mid level brand that has some department store type stuff and some very good products. I look to the poles to see which is which. If they are fiberglass, it is low quality, and DAC or Easton Aluminum are very good. Kelty makes both ranges. Big Agnes tends to make top tier stuff. The problem is that the occasional campers might not store it properly and any tent will mildew and disintegrate if it is put away wet. When you pay top dollar, you need to do your part and care for it.

I have a big Agnes tent and it's held for over a decade. I have no problem recommending them

Always go a size up! A '6-person' is ideal for a family of 4 to actually have space. Don't underestimate the value of good headroom and a big vestibule for shoes/gear, especially with kids. We use a Big Agnes and it's been fantastic.

Nature hike kicks ass. Had the one from 5 years ago and it had been so good that it's a high recommendation to budget traveling tent and intro to light tents. It made it through tornado weather multiple times (3 season one) This was the chosen tent until saved enough to afford that same big Agnes one you mentioned and use this one now. Was Totally worth the money for the old old one back then before investing and LOVING the lightweight and strength of big Agnes now. Waited till it went 30% off sale at REI this past year. No experience with it, and I bet the new new model of nature hike is good. It's up to you how much you can actually break the bank. Both are great depending on what you can spend. If you have the money, get big Agnes. If you're punching pennies, get nature hike and keep your eye out for sales on big Agnes or work overtime to get it.

My only comment on Big Agnes in my experience is that the tents are fragile because they are so ultralight. I’ve had my Copper Spur poles snap twice. BA is great with repairing stuff but it’s not great when you’re in the back country and you’ve got to hold everything together with duck tape just to make it through the rest of the trip. My MSR on the other hand, while a little heavier, seems a lot more substantial while still being a light weight backpacking tent.