Big Agnes - Copper Spur HV3 Expedition

BA CSs are awesome. I have an Expedition version for canoeing, but I wouldn’t call any version of it ultralight. For UL I’d recommend a single pole tent. More aerodynamic and you have an extra pole if one breaks ( which happened to me when I got caught in unexpected deep snow).

Be aware- the Copper Spur is tapered. The 2p cannot support two 25-in rectangular pads. I went for the 3p version and it’s great for two.

After one trip with another backpacker in a Copper Spur 2, I bought the 3 person size for two. I have had it seven years. I took it to Philmont, NM and all over Colorado. It handled wind and thunderstorms.

The 3p allows two of us to sort backpack items inside the tent during a storm. The 2p is too small for that. It is just enough for two 6 foot tall people to sleep. Yes the bottom is super thin. I always use a Gossamer Gear plastic tarp under the copper spur bottom. I could have bought the Big Agnes foot print.

It’s lighter to carry one tent than multiple and at the point I did this more one kid was too small to carry their own. also would have been too scared to sleep on their own. used a copper spur 3p with two kids. Bit of a squeeze these days I have a handmade tent similar to a soloplex and a The One. Could take both of them with oldest kid. With youngest probably still the copper spur.

I bought a Big Agnes Copper Spur 3-person this past summer. It packed down much smaller and was half the weight of my old REI Mutha Hubba. Had a few rainy nights and it was perfectly dry inside. And if you have trekking poles, you can create an awning with the door. It's not as light as some of the ultralight tents, but some of those really cut corners.

I recommend looking for a 2 or 3 person tent for the humans with a vestibule for the dogs and gear. We have the Big Agnes Copper Spur 3 person tent for the humans and the Hotel vestibule accessory for our dog.

Seconding that the Copper Spur is an awesome tent. I love how easy it is to set up and how it is essentially bomb proof. I use a 3 person version for trips with my wife and big dog. For solo trips, I think trying out one of the lighter trekking pole tents (you can use a substitute pole that is NOT a trekking pole too) is the way to go. There are tons of options nowadays so you can pretty much get whatever thing you want between a tarp and a full on tent.

I have the 3 person which fits my wife and I with gear nicely (we are both tall). Given the weight it was worth for comfort on multi-day hikes. Good tent. I think I paid $300ish for the 3 person years ago so they do go on sale.

Can’t go wrong with a Big Agnes and at that price I’d definitely scoop it up. Me personally I’d try to get a 3P. I just upgraded to a 3P from my REI half dome 2.5P tent that I’d used for over a decade. I wanted a little more room for me and my pup. Additionally I’m right at 6’ tall and I always struggled to keep my feet or head off the sidewalls when I was sleeping.

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.

I have the same two tents and I totally agree. I only keep my Copper Spur as a backup.

I love my Copper Spur!

They are great tents and you don’t have to use trekking poles for them. On the Copper Spur it’s optional. Otherwise it’s a normal vestibule.

The main tent that comes to mind as stronger, cheaper, and lighter that doesn't make large compromises to usability is the durston x-mid. And it still makes some compromises in that it isn't freestanding. For 3 season backpacking in Colorado/rocky mountain US the copper.spur is solid.

I love my copper spur! It’s very similar to the dragonfly.

I use a free standing because I normally need my hands free for kiddos (or even when I camp with the Boy Scouts) so no poles I like my BA copper spur

Tiger wall is semi free standing IIRC. Not sure if that matters to you, but worth noting. I have the copper spur and it's incredible. None of these are bad options though

Me too. I’m 6’1, 180, and it is just right. I do have the hotel fly, so my pack can sleep outside; it would be pretty cramped if I had to bring my 60L pack inside with me…

Also thumbs up on copper spur. Have 1P - Long enough to my 6'5" frame and can sit up in it. Paks nicely onto bike. Pricey though

I second the big agnes copper spur

Yea copper spur is top dog here

I've had the Copper Spur for about five years and recommend it. The fabric is so thin that I was worried about durability at first, but it hasn't failed me yet. Not a lot of vestibule space, though. Just enough for your shoes. The shock cord inside the tent poles went loose on me about a year ago, but they were easy to replace.

Honestly, it's plenty big for 2 adults. Two 25" mats fit easily and head room by the poles is great. Not that bad on the low sides either. My main problem in the mountains has always been finding a big enough spot to put it. The footprint under the fly is huge for a two-person. Often have to get creative to get a stormworthy pitch. Getting the perfect pitch can be tricky, but getting one that's good enough isn't usually too hard. As far as other options, the tarptent triple rainbow might be worth a look as well. I Believe the double rainbow can accommodate two wide mattresses, but it gets narrow towards the top. I've personally preferred the triple over the big Agnes because it uses more durable fabric. I had a copper spur for two seasons and had to patch the floor multiple times.

My only note about CS- the floor is tapered, not square. So are you sharing it and what shape/size are your sleeping mats?

Big Agnes Copper Spur. I’m 6’4 240 and I use the 3 man for backpacking with 1 other person and a dog and it’s great. The 2 man is a single or 1 person + 1 dog. If you’re going to use on a moto with any regularity get the bike packing one. It’s the same as the other except the poles are shorter and fit in panniers better.

Big agness copper spur is a great tent that has served me well. I like the looks of the durston x dome but haven’t tried one.

Family of 3 and we won tickets to the Kerrville Folkmusic Festival. We had a Big Agnes Copper Spur and a Coleman 4 person dome, but we wanted to be able to stand and get dressed, as well as have room for an air mattress and a cot, though we ditched the air mattress for 2 more cots, so we got a Coleman Evanston 6. Since then we bought a Coleman Weathermaster 8 as it has two rooms, but honestly it’s just about the perfect size to have plenty of room to even bring in the folding chairs if we need, which then makes it a little crowded. For the two of you I’d think a 6 person should be just enough to stand as long as nobody’s over maybe 6’ or so. If it’s raining or too windy and cold you should be able to squeeze in a couple of chairs and be happier. The Evanston has a screened porch which has been handy a few times.

I don't know how any of those name-brand tents made it into a "budget" list. You may be able to find older models of the BA tents on clearance right now, in which case they do actually approach "budget" status. From those, I would choose the Copper Spur for livability, but everyone's different. If you are open to trekking pole tents, look at the Lanshan tents. Lightweight, proven and actually a budget friendly option. Even some of the Amazon knockoffs can be okay for the price (and I'm not one to usually utter that sentence) - I have a $100 knockoff from a nothing brand on Amazon that I've actually gotten so much more than my money's worth out of over the years. Weighs a kilo. It's a gamble, though. With big brands at least you get warranty support.

Big Agnes Copper Spur is my choice. And I’m a Mountain Hardware fan but for tents I swear by Big Agnes’s, seam sealed from the factory and always kept me safe from the rain. I also don’t see any guy-outs on the ends of the MK3, I can imagine that might lead to some poor ventilation and sticker living. The half-dome is basically a heavier copy of the copper spur so of the two options go with half dome.

I use a 3-person tent by myself. I use it for car camping, but the ultimate goal for that tent is to backpack and share with my son. So if I carry the weight it will be for 2 people. I have a Big Agnes Copper Spur.

Used Big Agnes copper spur.

The Big Agnes Copper Spur is the best lightweight tent I’ve ever had by a country mile. It’s still better to stake it since the vestibule doors need to stay away from the body of the tent for full rain protection, but I’ve had that thing all over the most remote parts of the Colorado Rockies and it has always performed perfectly. I usually only bring two stakes for the vestibule doors on either side.

The Big Agnes Fly Creek uses the same material and was the highest rated tent on several of those Halfway Anywhere PCT surveys for a few years, it was my primary pre-UL tent and survives to this day like 8 years later as my loner, and it's the tent used by the professional guides at the local outdoor shop. It's plenty durably. The Copper Spur is similarly rated on those surveys. They're both covered by Big Agnes warranty. Yes, they're very durable. You would, however, save over a pound by switching to the TarpTent Hogback. When the Copper Creek isn't on sale, you'd also be saving literally hundreds of dollars with the Hogback, too ... which is nice.

I have the Xmid2 (cheapest one) and it's SO easy and fits both me and my husband great. I actually picked up a Copper Spur for another trip where I was afraid my XMid would be too big and found it such a pain to set up compared to the XMid.

After months of research, I chose the BA Copper Spur and went up a size. The extra weight will mean zero, and the extra space will mean so much as you move through various conditions and needs.

The extra space allows you to bring all or most of your gear inside, with an area for boots/shoes etc. The tent is very well constructed and quite robust, with high-end materials. Construction quality has been much better than expected

I have and it managed pouring rain and high winds without issue. The key is workarounds with wind direction and staking

In my experience I’ve found the copper spur to be a very upright & tall tent, whenever there is high wind the tent does get blown over and flattened out. I rather take my old vango or lanshan in windy conditions to be honest. Copper spur is a great tent though literally my only issue with it.

Right now REI is clearing out excellent Big Agnes 2P tents. They’re the best for the price. Light, tough, freestanding. Easy setup. No gimmicks.

I have a 1p REI tent and a 2p Big Agnes. I use the smaller one in colder conditions because it takes less space in my pack, which makes more room for extra insulation. When it’s warmer, I don’t need all the extra warmth at night so I can bring the bigger tent. My typical camping trip is 1-2 nights, and I try to keep my pack weight low, but I will always pack the bigger tent when I can.