Big Agnes - Tiger Wall 3 Carbon

Tiger wall. It’s lighter than the copper spur.

Hmm not sure what you mean. There’s the platinum that would maybe be slightly more see through but not by much. But that one has less mesh than the regular yellow one. I have the regular version, used it for a thru hike of the at and most of the Arizona trail. Great tent, no complaints, have also used BA tents a ton.

Yeah that’s something I like a lot about big Agnes tents. No rainfly=bug free cowboy camping. I used the fly creek for two pct thru hikes, tiger wall for the azt and at.

Regarding Hyperbead vs OSMO, there’s some big differences but basically Hyperbead claims to be permanently waterproof so if you camp a ton, like 30+ nights a year this might be very useful. OSMO has a very high quality waterproofing and should last many years (probably 10+ for the average camper, but likely less if you camp a ton) but it’s big advantage is that it doesn’t sag or absorb water. Hyperbead is made from nylon so I suspect they’ll be some stretch and water retention. If you’ve ever packed away a soggy tent, this is a pretty easy choice. Both brands should be storm worthy enough assuming you use the 4 season tent in really nasty weather. You do have to be more cautious with the Hornet, it has the lightest materials and there is only a single pole on one end so it’s the least wind resistant. The Tiger Wall has essentially the same design so that applies as well. Personally I feel the extra weight of full free standing tents is worth it for the peace of mind in windy conditions. Plus the option of not needing stakes on blue bell days is nice. With a dog always use caution, these are lightweight tents and should be treated with the same care you’d take with an Airmat. Keep a barrier between the claws and the tent and you’ll be fine. You height won’t be an issue. As you’ve heard the NEMO warranty is the best in the industry. I’m not sure what you mean in your last question about the Hornet body panel. Do you mean the fly scoop? The Dragonfly has this as well. Total non issue for me and a big plus in warm weather. If you hate that design, the new generation coming out next year doesn’t have scoops. Personally if you can get a sale now I wouldn’t wait, the updates are similar to what they did on the Dagger, slightly more head space and no more fly scoops.

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.

Big Agnes Tiger Wall. Get the 3 person if either of you are over 5’7”. My husband and I are both 5’7”-ish and barely fit inside the Tiger Wall 2. I love it though, it has 2 doors, is easy enough to set up and pretty comfortable for an ultralight backpacking tent. I do NOT recommend the Fly Creek, at all. I had one for a good section of my thru hike and it was so uncomfortable to climb in and out of. I hate that overall design.

We have the Tiger Wall and while it FEELS really delicate, we haven't had any issues so far. My only complaints is that it's a bit fussy to get the fly taut and you have to be very careful not to zip the fabric of the fly into the zipper when you're opening or closing the vestibule. Despite having done it MANY TIMES now I have yet to rip the material.

The best bang for your buck when it comes to livable space, size and amount of pockets, ease of setup and teardown, and quality is the **Big Agnes Tiger Wall**, followed closely by the **Big Agnes Copper Spur**. I've tried literally dozens of tents and cannot recommend those enough. They are spendy, but when it comes to a freestanding tent that's durable and reliable, these things are really, really tough to beat. I see them all the time on thru-hikes like thet Colorado Trail, CDT, and PCT where rain / random mountain weather is common. A close second is the semi-freestanding **MSR Freelite 2 or 3**. It's also a solid, bombproof tent that's lightweight. My only real complaint about it is the cutout on one end effectively makes one narrow end a single-wall, which can condensate and get soaked in long periods of rain. But, it also dries fast, and ventilation is so effective it's rarely ever been an issue for me. Final recommendation if you want a non-freestanding tent is the **Six Moons Designs Lunar Duo.** Trekking pole tent that's budget-friendly, comfy, and just big enough for two people. Much more limited headspace compared to the above, but vestibules are large enough that I've never had an issue. Good luck!

I would recommend the Tiger Wall personally. The previously mentioned resource is nice but it is kind of overselling the copper spur a bit. What it says is mostly true but in those categories where the Copper Spur wins it is by a marginal amount and not worth the extra weight on a thru hike. I also had a friend on the PCT last year who used the Tiger Wall and really liked it.

Looking at the poles will tell you quite a bit about sturdiness. The Freelite 1 uses DAC NFL 8.7mm poles with a forked design. So one end of the tent has essentially 2 archs of 8.7mm while the other end has a single arch of 8.7mm. That would be comparable in sturdiness to other tents that also use a forked arch of 8.7mm, such as Big Agnes Fly Creek and Tiger Wall, and Nemo Hornet. Tents that use essentially dual arches of 8.7mm at both ends are going to be sturdier, like X-Dome 1+ but also BA Copper Spur, MSR Hubba, and many others. Easton Carbon 3.9 is very similar to DAC 8.7 mm in sturdiness. Then both brands of tent pole makers make numerous stiffer options but with higher weights that would likely put the tent over your 1 kg goal.

My go to two person tent is a three person. I highly recommend Big Agnes tigerwall or copper spur. Kinda pricy but sometimes they go on sale.

I actually have both and have used them with my two kids (slightly older Copper Spur 3). Two kids, 13 and 16, and me on 20 inch wide pads. They both worked fine (used the Copper Spur when they were younger). The newer Tiger Wall felt a bit more spacious.

Tiger Wall is the GOAT tent. Light, 3 season but can be taken to below freezing, strong AF. I would note that if you are buying a 2 person tent, buy the 3 person tigerwall, not the 2