Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs Double Rainbow by Tarptent: which is safer?
Big Agnes Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.
Our pick
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
Tarptent
Double Rainbow by Tarptent
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyPFAS in waterproof coating
PossibleCoating degradation and microparticle shedding
ReportedOff-gassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
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 Tarptent.
- We flag PFAS in waterproof coating, Coating degradation and microparticle shedding, Off-gassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and Mold and bacterial growth in storage on the Tarptent and not on the Big Agnes.
- The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the Tarptent is Ripstop nylon fabric with waterproof 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