Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs Outer Space III: 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
Exped
Outer Space III
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleAntimony in polyester (catalyst residue)
PossibleFormaldehyde resins (finish crosslinking)
LikelyMicrofiber shedding on washing
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 Exped.
- We flag Antimony in polyester (catalyst residue), Formaldehyde resins (finish crosslinking), Microfiber shedding on washing and Undisclosed DWR chemistry (PFAS or otherwise) on the Exped and not on the Big Agnes.
- The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the Exped is Polyester with DWR treatment (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