Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs Splash Bivy Seconds: 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
Hyperlite Mountain Gear
Splash Bivy Seconds
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
Possiblewater-repellent coating degradation and leaching
PossibleMicroplastic shedding from ripstop fabric
ReportedLack of transparency on coating chemistry
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 Hyperlite Mountain Gear.
- We flag DWR coating degradation and leaching, Microplastic shedding from ripstop fabric and Lack of transparency on coating chemistry on the Hyperlite Mountain Gear and not on the Big Agnes.
- The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the Hyperlite Mountain Gear is Ripstop nylon with DWR finish (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 →
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