Big Agnes Copperspur UL2 Tent Review (by an outdoor guide)

The Big Agnes Copperspur is one of the most popular tents on the market for backpacking, bikepacking and more and for good reason! Check out the pros and cons of the Copperspur:

Why this blog? Hey there! My name is Maddy and I’ve worked as an outdoor guide since 2018. Today, I split my time between life as a travel and adventure writer and women’s trip leader, which means I get plenty of time on trail year-round to test out gear. I’ve had the Copperspur for over a year now and taken it all over, from backpacking in the desert to car camping, to on a handful of overnight sea kayaking trips I’ve been guiding. Here are my thoughts!

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Big Agnes Copperspur UL2 Review:

Okay so you’ve probably seen the Copperspur pretty much all over. Online, it looks like almost every influencer uses a Copperspur, and you truly can’t google “best backpacking tents” without seeing the Copperspur up front and center. I was a Fly Creek purist for many (eight) years before snagging a Copperspur here’s what’s up:

A quick look at the Copperspur UL2 stats:

• 3 seasons
• 2-person
• 2 lbs. 10 oz. min weight
• 40 inch height
• freestanding
• lifetime warranty

Pros and Cons of the Copperspur UL2:

The Copperspur is an awesome ultralight, free-standing tent that is great for backpackers. You can fairly comfortably fit two people in, especially with the double door exit. It’s packable, sturdy and holds up well in weather. The biggest downside of the Copperspur is it is a nearly $600 tent.

Now pretty much any ultralight tent is going to be in this price range, but if you’re looking for a good backpacking tent you definietly don’t need to spend this much. The REI Trailmade 1 is $175, about a pound heavier, but fundamentally serves a similar purpose.

Bottom line: I would recommend the Copperspur for an intermediate backpacker looking for a freestanding tent with a couple hundred dollars to spend. I would not recommend the Copperspur for beginners or anyone unsure if they like the sport.

If you are looking for a beginner backpacking tent, get the REI Trailmade 1.

Free Standing Tents vs not Free Standing

A freestanding tent is a tent that will stand on its own without being staked out. If you have a tent like the Fly Creek or a trekking pole tent, it can be challenging to literally get your tent to stand up in sand or on rocks, whereas a free standing tent can fully-function without additional support.

Likely, you want a freestanding tent if you plan on camping on sand or rock shelves. A good example of this is on paddling trips like kayaking or canoeing, where a lot of the landings and campsites are beaches or rocks. This is the primary reason I wanted the Copperspur. As much as I love the Fly Creek, it was a huge pain to set up at a lot of the campsites in the area I work as a kayak guide.

On the other hand, freestanding tents use more tent poles and are heavier. A lot of backpacking routes have perfectly good dirt campsites that are easy to stake out a tent in, making those tents lighter and just as effective.

READ: How to Choose a Tent

My experience with the Copperspur:

I’ve used the Copperspur around 25 nights over the past year, and on three especially notable occasions:

The first was a backpacking trip in Canyonlands National Park, it’s maiden voyage, when it got pretty dang chilly overnight. Overall, I right off the bat appreciated the extra space in the tent compared to the Fly Creek, and didn’t at all notice the extra weight. This trip is featured in the photos above.

The second notable trip was a four day sea kayaking trip in the Apostle Islands with some friends. On the second to last night, we’d spread out our tents on the beach without rainflies only to get nailed with a storm around 10 pm. This storm sounded like a freight train coming in and was easily the gnarliest storm I’ve camped through. We took some damage.

Our clothing line blew over, my tarp tore, and my friends tent soaked through in the rain. The Copperspur stood bone dry on the inside and totally unscathed, and my friend moved into my tent for the night.

The third notable night in the Big Agnes Copperspur was when I was hosting a women’s rock climbing event and it just downpoured all weekend. It was still super fun, but it was definietly damp out. Once again, the inside of the Copperspur stayed totally dry for the entirety of the trip.

Overall thoughts on the Big Agnes Copperspur:

I’m a fan of Big Agnes in general — I’ve had my Fly Creek for nearly 10 years of heavy use and repaired it twice, and overall I just think they really do make a product that’s both well-designed and lasts a long time. They also have a lifetime warranty (some terms and conditions obviously, don’t light your tent on fire) and stand by their products.

I think the Copperspur absolutely lives up to the hype and if you’re looking for a free-standing backpacking tent and can afford it, you really can’t make a better choice.

read also…

• check out the best sleeping pads on the market
• choosing a sleeping bag might be more complicated than you think; check out this guide here
• check out this camping packing list (printable pdf)

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