Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs Cascade Tent: which is safer?
Big Agnes Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent is our pick, better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
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
Cascade Tent
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
Likelywater-repellent coating composition (unspecified, likely fluorinated)
PossibleMicroplastic shedding from coating degradation
PossibleVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) off-gassing (new tent)
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 .
- We flag DWR coating composition (unspecified, likely fluorinated), Microplastic shedding from coating degradation and Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) off-gassing (new tent) on the and not on the Big Agnes.
- The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the is Polyester/nylon with waterproof 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, which covers 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