Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs Copper Spur UL2 Dome Tent: which is safer?
Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 Dome Tent is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
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
Our pick
Big Agnes
Copper Spur UL2 Dome Tent
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
Possiblewater-repellent coating composition (PFAS uncertainty)
PossibleNylon degradation under UV and heat
PossibleMildew and bacterial growth if stored wet
Where these two actually differ
- 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 Big Agnes.
- We flag DWR coating composition (PFAS uncertainty), Nylon degradation under UV and heat and Mildew and bacterial growth if stored wet on the Big Agnes and not on the Big Agnes.
- The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR (durable water repellent) coating, 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