Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs Nemo Switch 2-Person Multi-Configuration Camping Tent and Shelter: which is safer?
Nemo Switch 2-Person Multi-Configuration Camping Tent and Shelter 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
Nemo Equipment
Nemo Switch 2-Person Multi-Configuration Camping Tent and Shelter
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
Possiblewater-repellent coating leachates (unspecified fluorinated or non-fluorinated compounds)
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 Nemo Equipment.
- We flag DWR coating leachates (unspecified fluorinated or non-fluorinated compounds) on the Nemo Equipment and not on the Big Agnes.
- The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the Nemo Equipment is polyester fabric with DWR waterproof treatment (coating 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