Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs Pitchpine VST 1.5 Backpacking Tent: which is safer?
These two grade almost identically. Pick on price and preference; neither has a PFAS edge.
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
Big Agnes
Pitchpine VST 1.5 Backpacking Tent
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossiblePFAS in water-repellent coating water-repellent coating
PossibleVolatile organic compound (VOC) off-gassing
ReportedCoating degradation and loss of water repellency
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 PFAS in DWR water-repellent coating, Volatile organic compound (VOC) off-gassing and Coating degradation and loss of water repellency 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 Polyester ripstop with unspecified DWR 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