Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs Halo 6P Tent: which is safer?

Marmot Halo 6P Tent is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

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

Our pick

Marmot Halo 6P Tent

Marmot

Halo 6P Tent

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 8/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Polyester fabric with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating

Confidence

45%

Possiblewater-repellent coating particulate and volatilization

PossiblePolyester fiber shedding and microfiber release

PossibleCoating degradation and chemical leachate into water or soil

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 Marmot.
  • We flag DWR coating particulate and volatilization, Polyester fiber shedding and microfiber release and Coating degradation and chemical leachate into water or soil on the Marmot and not on the Big Agnes.
  • The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the Marmot is Polyester fabric with durable water repellent (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