Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs Plex Solo Tent 1P UL Backpacking Shelter: which is safer?
Zpacks Plex Solo Tent 1P UL Backpacking Shelter 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
Zpacks
Plex Solo Tent 1P UL Backpacking Shelter
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleWaterproof coating chemistry (fluorinated water-repellent coating, presumed but undisclosed)
PossibleCoating off-gassing under heat or UV stress
PossibleMicroplastics from fabric wear and weathering
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 Zpacks.
- We flag Waterproof coating chemistry (fluorinated DWR, presumed but undisclosed), Coating off-gassing under heat or UV stress and Microplastics from fabric wear and weathering on the Zpacks and not on the Big Agnes.
- The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the Zpacks is Dyneema polyethylene fabric with proprietary 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