Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs Hubba HD 2-Person Backpacking Tent: which is safer?
MSR Hubba HD 2-Person Backpacking Tent is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
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
Our pick
MSR
Hubba HD 2-Person Backpacking Tent
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleVolatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from fabric finish
Possiblewater-repellent coating degradation and re-treatment hazards
PossibleNylon thermal degradation (melting/fume release)
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 MSR.
- We flag Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from fabric finish, DWR coating degradation and re-treatment hazards and Nylon thermal degradation (melting/fume release) on the MSR and not on the Big Agnes.
- The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the MSR is Nylon ripstop fabric with DWR (durable water repellent) 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