Chaos Tent vs Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent: which is safer?
Big Agnes Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
ALPS Mountaineering
Chaos Tent
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
Possiblewater-repellent coating integrity and degradation
LikelyMold and mildew growth if stored wet
PossibleChemical odor or volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Our pick
Big Agnes
Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFluorinated water-repellent coating residues (PFOA/PFCs in historical treatments)
PossibleMold and bacterial growth in stored damp fabric
ReportedHeat sensitivity of water-repellent coating-coated nylon near fire or stove
Where these two actually differ
- We flag DWR coating integrity and degradation, Mold and mildew growth if stored wet and Chemical odor or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the ALPS Mountaineering and not on the Big Agnes.
- We flag Fluorinated DWR coating residues (PFOA/PFCs in historical treatments), Mold and bacterial growth in stored damp fabric and Heat sensitivity of DWR-coated nylon near fire or stove on the Big Agnes and not on the ALPS Mountaineering.
- The ALPS Mountaineering is Polyester fabric with DWR (durable water repellent) coating, type unspecified where the Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified), which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.
Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More camping tents & tarps: see the full ranking