Blacktail 2 Backpacking Tent vs Ultralight 1 Person Tent: 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
Zpacks
Ultralight 1 Person Tent
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
LikelyMicroplastics shedding from Cuben laminate degradation
PossiblePolyester and polyethylene film off-gassing
ReportedCoating durability and seam integrity over time
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 Microplastics shedding from Cuben laminate degradation, Polyester and polyethylene film off-gassing, Coating durability and seam integrity over time and Repair difficulty and adhesive toxicity on the Zpacks and not on the Big Agnes.
- The Big Agnes is Nylon ripstop with DWR coating (type unspecified) where the Zpacks is Cuben Fiber (proprietary laminate film), 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