Big Agnes - Copper Spur HV UL2

If you can stretch the budget just a llittle or do some sales hunting, consider the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 OR MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 OR Durston X-Mid 2. [11 Best 2-Persons Tent for Camping and Backpacking](https://alaskanarrows.com/11-best-2-person-tent-camping-and-backpacking/) can help with the others. They're are all 3-season tents with better fabrics, stronger pole architecture, roomier vestibules and more thoughtful details (doors, vents, zips) than budget models. They'll be heavier and cost more than the Cloud-Up versions but they're way more durable and comfortable long term, take it from me, I've gone on countless trips with various types of tents so yeah! If $300 is a hard cap, watch for sales or used tents online, you'll find something!

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.

I've been using a Copper Spur HV UL2 since 2018, but as a solo tent. But I'm 6' tall and 230 pounds.

I picked up a sea to summit Telos 3 recently its a pretty awesome tent loaded with features. Runner up was a Big agnes copper spur Telos gave mely wife & I plenty of room for 2xl pads, and we could nearly stand up. It also felt much more durable than the BA, but this also means it was a tad bit heavier. It also has multiple setup options- half fly & a "hangout" mode.

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.

I got the BA and love it. Super light and easy to pack

Yeah that seems wild, my copper spur is 11 years old and it's 100% still fine

I thought so too. I received it. Has tags. The credit card charge shows as Cao Ky Duyen and not Simolary(business name). I wish the tag specifically said copper spur hv ul 2. Instead it says copper spur hv ul Then the various options they offer with a check mark next to 2 person and a check mark next to orange. I'm going to set it up now in the kitchen to verify it's the right one!

I can only recommend what I've got, which is a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3. Mine is extra long. I love it! I've also got the 2P variant, which can fit 2 comfortably, if slightly snugly, though I am 193 cm.

I just bought this tent online for 284.99 which included tax. That's us dollars though.

I thought about the UL3, but I'm always alone, so the 2 was fine for me. A big one person tent, then. Plenty of room for just one. And, you're right. They aren't cheap. I got mine on a light sale for $469.95 from $529.95. The best gear never is cheap, but I'm at the age (51) where I can buy the best of the best. So, I do. I don't buy new cars, though I could, or waste money on anything else, but I buy the best gear. That's what I spend my money on. The rest I save so when I hit retirement age, I'll just travel, hike, pack, climb, paddle, ski, bike, kite surf (something new I'm picking up), and whatever else I want without much concern because I'll be geared up for it. I went through enough cheap stuff in my 20's and 30's. I'm good with that.

Yeah that seems wild, my copper spur is 11 years old and it's 100% still fine

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.

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

If you are set on a 3 person tent given your requirements I would stay away from any of the super light weight dcf tent because of your desire for durability. I also don't think for your use case you are going to do better than the copper spur. If you are looking for more room you could even look at the xl version. Seeing that you are splitting the weight between two people I would not trade the convenience of a free standing tent for the small weight savings with the other semi freestanding tents.

There's a balance of not spending too much your first time and getting quality stuff that will last for years. The big 4 that will all last a long time A good backpack should be a priority as you will be carrying it on your hips (or shoulders if it isn't sized right). Then tent/pad. Big Agnus Copper Spur seems to be at the top of most people's list and while not cheap it isn't crazy expensive. Great if you can find on sale. Get a 2 person even if going solo most of the time as you can have a roomier tent w your pack inside when solo or use as a 2P tent when you go w a friend Pads depend on if you are a back or side sleeper (need a thicker pad like Sea 2 Summit or Nemo). Tons of choices and some budget options. A sleeping bag is critical but can become your most expensive item. I would start with a $200-300 one if you can that has a ISO Limit rating in the 20s if you plan on 3 seasons at altitude. If not then one with and ISO Limit rating in the 30s. Down will be lighter and pack smalller but if on a budget a synthetic bag will likely be cheaper. Good news is your bag will probably last you 20 years. You can use it car camping, rustic cabin camping or backpacking. Water filter is an easy choice these days with a cheap but super dependable and quality Sawyer Squeeze. Lots of stove options. Not the lightest but I like the Jet Boil for its simplicity and speed of heating up water and that it has the pot as part of it. I don't carry any other pot. Just a spoon and mug. Hiking poles if doing uneven terrain and or ups and downs Hiking shoes/boots is a whole other discussion. Most go with low top trail runners vs boots. A super useful web site is Halfway Anywhere. With one big caveat. These surveys are for longer through hikes where generally weight/quality is prioritized over cost. But you get to see a big list of what people used and their ratings. I have the below link set to the JMT (vs much longer AT or PCT) as the JMP is a little more geared toward typical [gear survey](https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/john-muir-trail-survey/) backpacking.

I second the Big Agnes Copperspur. It's a truly freestanding tent and spacious for the weight. Plus, BA customer service is great should you ever have problems.

We love our copper spur but it doesn't hold up well in strong wind - a pole snapped and it tore the fly. Unfortunately when we called Big Agnes we found that they don't support their own products - we were told that it wasn't possible to get a new fly, we had to wait until they located a return in their warehouse (or worse yet a repaired fly) and they would charge over $100 for it. The pole cost $40 I think (it was the smallest pole that holds the fly out). We purchased the pole but ended up repairing the fly ourselves. For years we used MSR tents, they replaced the fly and other parts for free several times, and we got years of use out of them. Although I love the tent, I will never purchase another Big Agnes product again - when you spend $500 on a tent you expect customer support, not the bs we went through TLDR - Nice tent but Big Agnes does not support their products, I will never buy from them again

I have hiked with: REI Half Dome. Too heavy but free standing and plenty of room for two. Probably 90 miles with it. A couple discontinued tents. About forty-fifty miles with them. A Big Agnes Copper Spur. The 2p gets feeling cramped for two after a while. About 1,200'miles on the AT with it. A triplex. Great tent, especially with the pole caps. Finished the AT and did a good part of the PCT with it. XMid Pro 2. It is smaller than the XMid 2 and gets to feeling crowded after a while-which is why they brought out the 2+. Great for one person though. Did more of the PCT and part of the Oregon Coast Trail with it. Off-set Trio. My wife and I will be back on the trail in a couple weeks with it. 43 square feet. It is a palace. Almost 2,000 miles with it, mostly on the CDT.

I have the UL2 and it's a great tent. It looks like the design of both is very similar, but the tiger wall is slightly lighter. WRT durability the fabric is quite thin so I always carry a footprint, but no durability issues with about 2 weeks total use time. All that being said if you have multiple little ones both of these tents are probably going to be quite cramped for you. Even if you only have one I regret going with the two person over the three when I take my girlfriend camping with me.

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.

Tough to choose light AND strong. Since the strength comes from the tent poles and lighter tends use less tent poles. I would say the strength would also come from how and where you pitch the tent. Pitching it slightly protected or if the wind will help a ton. Also pitching the vestibule into the wind will help with the aerodynamics. Don't just pitch the tent any which way. Think about how the wind will hit the tent. Check out Big Agnes... I've been in some blizzards with them... held the weight of the snow and kept Standing after heavy winds

The BA Copper Spur is available in 3, 4, & 5 person sizes. note that the regular 3P is tapered and will only fit (3) 20" or mummy pads. There is a 3XL that will fit (3) 25" pads. I have the 3 MTN Glow which has built in lights. Highly recommend the entire series

As someone who is 6' 10". I have the Xmid pro 2 and it's a game changer. I finally can fit without needing to curl up. I had the BA copper spur UL2 prior and it was ok but the xmid is another level.

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2

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!

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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.