Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs Mountain Ultra Tent: which is safer?

TETON Sports Mountain Ultra 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

TETON Sports Mountain Ultra Tent

TETON Sports

Mountain Ultra Tent

PFAS grade

Bad 20/100

Overall grade

Bad 8/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Polyester fabric with waterproof coating (type unspecified)

Confidence

35%

PossibleWaterproof coating composition (unspecified)

PossibleMicroplastic shedding from coating degradation

PossibleOff-gassing of VOCs from new material

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 TETON Sports.
  • We flag Waterproof coating composition (unspecified), Microplastic shedding from coating degradation and Off-gassing of VOCs from new material on the TETON Sports and not on the Big Agnes.
  • The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the TETON Sports is Polyester fabric with waterproof 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 →

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