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Backpacking Tents
Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 Review: The Roomiest Freestanding UL 2P Tent at Its Weight
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Is the Copper Spur UL2 a tent for two? CleverHiker says two regular pads fit comfortably. OutdoorGearLab says it's a bit tight for two, and spacious for one. Same 29 square feet. I spent longer on that disagreement than on anything else in this review.
My call, once. Buy it if you want a freestanding tent near 3 lb with two doors and room to sit up, for one person with space or two who don't mind sleeping shoulder to shoulder. Skip it if you camp exposed in hard wind, or if a 15-denier floor worries you. I give it 8.5 out of 10.
By Brooke5 min read
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What is it, and how does it pitch?
Big Agnes says the Copper Spur has been its most popular ultralight tent since it launched in 2008. This generation uses Big Agnes's HyperBead fabric, which the maker says is 6% lighter, 25% more waterproof and 50% stronger than traditional fabrics, without added water-repellent chemicals. Those are Big Agnes's own numbers. I couldn't find an independent test of the 25%. OutdoorGearLab's days-long rain, below, is the closest thing to a field check I found.
It's freestanding: Big Agnes says there's no need to stake out the corners for a full pitch. CleverHiker calls setup one of the tent's biggest strengths, with color-coded attachment points, and says one person can get the body standing in a couple of minutes once they know the layout.
CleverHiker adds a detail I like: with the optional footprint, you can pitch the fly before the inner in bad weather, which keeps the sleeping area dry. Big Agnes calls this Fast Fly, and lists it at 2 lb 2 oz.
Is it big enough for two?
Big Agnes lists the floor at 88 x 52 in at the head, tapering to 42 at the foot, 29 square feet, with a 40 in head height. OutdoorGearLab's 6-foot tester could easily sit up. There are two doors and two vestibules, 9 square feet each.
Now the disagreement. CleverHiker says two regular-width pads fit comfortably, and that the pole design pulls the upper walls outward, so it feels broader at shoulder level than the floor numbers suggest. OutdoorGearLab says it's spacious for one and a bit tight for two: shoulder to shoulder worked, but not everyone will like it, and the taper makes head-to-toe awkward.
My read: both are right, for different sleepers. Two regular pads, yes. Two wide pads, OutdoorGearLab says they overlap a bit. If you want more room, Big Agnes sells a UL2 XL. Run the sum on the two doors, though: 9 square feet of vestibule per person is room for a pack each, outside the tent, and OutdoorGearLab says most tents in this weight class have one door.
Storage is generous. Big Agnes lists an oversized 3D bin pocket off the floor, plus ceiling and side pockets and interior loops for lights. OutdoorGearLab says the pockets help keep things off the floor when the pads overlap. I like a tent with a place for everything. It matters more in 29 square feet than in 40.
How does it handle rain and wind?
Well, for its weight. One limit. I'll be plain about it. CleverHiker says that pitched taut and properly guyed, it has kept them dry through serious backcountry thunderstorms and wind. OutdoorGearLab says it kept them dry through more storms than most featherweight tents and handled windy nights, especially with the guy lines tensioned.
The limit, in OutdoorGearLab's words: when the rain was measured in days rather than hours, some moisture began to seep in. One storm, fine. Two or 3 days of rain, watch the fly. Because the inner is mesh, water that gets through the fly drips through. It also says the thin poles needed more guy-line tension than heavier tents, and bent slightly on one particularly windy night.
OutdoorGearLab finds the thin fly breathable, which helps with condensation. Big Agnes lists a low vent on the vestibule doors and a high vent on the fly. So for most three-season trips it's fine. For days of rain or exposed, windy camps, CleverHiker points to the SlingFin Portal 2, which is slightly heavier and has a clear advantage in high wind.
How tough is 15-denier?
OutdoorGearLab says the tent body, floor and rainfly are all 15-denier nylon, substantially thinner than many tents it tested. That's where the weight goes, and where the care comes in.
Both reviewers give the same advice. OutdoorGearLab says to be mindful of sharp sticks when choosing a site, or invest in a footprint. CleverHiker recommends clearing abrasive debris before pitching, using a footprint or groundsheet on rough sites, and carrying a small patch kit on longer trips. Big Agnes itself recommends its footprint to extend the floor's life, sold separately.
Thin fabric. Careful site. That's the deal. CleverHiker's one other con is that the rainfly zippers can snag. Big Agnes notes double sliders on the vestibule zippers, for venting from the top or the bottom.
Big Agnes includes a limited warranty against manufacturing or material defects. Read the terms on its site.
Who should buy it, and what else to look at?
CleverHiker names it the best backpacking tent overall, 4.8 out of 5, for the best balance of livability and low weight. Owners on Big Agnes's site give it 4.6 from 73 reviews; Amazon shows 4.3 from 13 ratings as of October 16, 2026.
Here's the weight sum. Big Agnes lists a 2 lb 10 oz trail weight and 3 lb total. That's 6 oz between them. I couldn't find Big Agnes's exact list of what the 6 oz is, so I use the 3 lb, the heavier and safer figure. Split between two people, the full 3 lb is 1.5 lb each. Carried solo, it's all yours, for 29 square feet of room.
Alternatives from CleverHiker: the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2, lighter and smaller packed, semi-freestanding, with thinner materials that need more care. The SlingFin Portal 2, for weather margin. The NEMO Dagger OSMO 2, roomier and sturdier, at a noticeably higher packed weight.
The price band ran $590-610 on October 16, 2026, with Big Agnes's own price in it.
Pros
- Freestanding, 2 lb 10 oz trail weight and 3 lb total (Big Agnes)
- Two doors, two 9 sq ft vestibules, 40 in head height
- Kept reviewers dry through storms when pitched taut and guyed
- CleverHiker's best tent overall, 4.8 of 5
Cons
- 15-denier nylon throughout, per OutdoorGearLab; a footprint helps on rough ground
- Some moisture seeped in when rain lasted days, per OutdoorGearLab
- Thin poles need guy-line tension in wind; bent slightly on one windy night
- A bit tight for two by OutdoorGearLab's account; rainfly zippers can snag (CleverHiker)
Key Specifications
- Floor
- 88 x 52/42 in, 29 sq ft (Big Agnes)
- Fabric
- HyperBead nylon, 15-denier (OutdoorGearLab)
- Weight
- 2 lb 10 oz trail, 3 lb total (Big Agnes)
- Head height
- 40 in
- Freestanding
- Yes
- Doors and vestibules
- 2 doors, 9 + 9 sq ft
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