Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs 6-Person Lighted Instant Cabin Tent with Full Rainfly: 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

Big Agnes

Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 2/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Nylon ripstop with water-repellent coating (type unspecified)

Confidence

55%

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

CORE Equipment 6-Person Lighted Instant Cabin Tent with Full Rainfly

Core Equipment

6-Person Lighted Instant Cabin Tent with Full Rainfly

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 4

Material

polyester tent fabric with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) rainfly coating

Confidence

42%

Possiblewater-repellent coating degradation and re-treatment chemical exposure

PossibleFormaldehyde or formaldehyde releasers in polyester finishes

PossibleVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) off-gassing from coating and adhesives

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 Core Equipment.
  • We flag DWR coating degradation and re-treatment chemical exposure, Formaldehyde or formaldehyde releasers in polyester finishes, Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) off-gassing from coating and adhesives and Microbial growth and mold in fabric if stored damp on the Core Equipment and not on the Big Agnes.
  • The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the Core Equipment is polyester tent fabric with DWR (durable water repellent) rainfly 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, 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 →

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