Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs Sierra Leone III Tent: which is safer?
These two grade almost identically. Pick on price and preference; neither has a PFAS edge.
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
Salewa
Sierra Leone III Tent
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleFormaldehyde-based resin finishes in polyester
ReportedUndisclosed water-repellent coating chemical composition (non-PFAS note)
PossibleAzo dyes in colored fabrics
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 Salewa.
- We flag Formaldehyde-based resin finishes in polyester, Undisclosed DWR chemical composition (non-PFAS note) and Azo dyes in colored fabrics on the Salewa and not on the Big Agnes.
- The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the Salewa 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, 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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