Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs Designs Nomad 6-Person 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
Sierra
Designs Nomad 6-Person Tent
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
ReportedPFAS in water-repellent coating (fluorinated water repellent)
PossibleVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) from water-repellent coating off-gassing
PossibleCoating degradation and microparticle shedding
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.
- We flag PFAS in DWR coating (fluorinated water repellent), Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from DWR off-gassing and Coating degradation and microparticle shedding on the Sierra and not on the Big Agnes.
- The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the Sierra is Polyester fabric with durable water repellent (DWR) treatment, 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 →
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