Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs Westward 4 Tent: which is safer?
REI Co-op Westward 4 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
REI Co-op
Westward 4 Tent
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
Possiblewater-repellent coating chemistry (PFAS), separate full grade
PossibleVolatile organic compound (VOC) off-gassing from coatings
PossibleMicroplastic shedding from synthetic fabric
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 REI Co-op.
- We flag DWR coating chemistry (PFAS), separate full grade, Volatile organic compound (VOC) off-gassing from coatings and Microplastic shedding from synthetic fabric on the REI Co-op and not on the Big Agnes.
- The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the REI Co-op is Polyester 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, 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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