Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs High Side 1-Person Tent: which is safer?
Sierra Designs High Side 1-Person 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
Sierra Designs
High Side 1-Person Tent
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossiblePFAS in waterproof coating (water-repellent coating finish)
PossibleCoating degradation and nylon fiber exposure
PossibleVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) from fabric finishing
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 Sierra Designs.
- We flag PFAS in waterproof coating (DWR finish), Coating degradation and nylon fiber exposure, Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from fabric finishing and Seam sealing adhesive or tape off-gassing on the Sierra Designs and not on the Big Agnes.
- The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the Sierra Designs is Nylon ripstop with unspecified waterproof 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