PFAS in Camping Tents & Tarps, Which Brands Grade Best and Worst

Every camping tent and tarp we've reviewed so far in our database, spanning Skandika, Ozark Trail, and Big Agnes, currently carries the same model-based estimate, a "Bad" grade with a 20 out of 100 safety score. That means, based on available materials and data, none of the twelve products graded to date stands out as a lower-concern choice, and the honest headline here isn't "brand X wins," it's that durable water repellent (DWR) coatings and waterproof floor treatments across mainstream tent brands still show a consistent pattern of PFAS-related risk factors in our analysis.

That doesn't mean shoppers are stuck. It means the smartest move right now is to treat every tent purchase as a research project rather than a brand-loyalty decision, cross-check specific SKUs against our Camping Tents & Tarps finder, and use the broader product finder to compare categories where verified lower-concern options do exist. Below, we break down how each graded product stacks up, what the brands claim versus what's independently verified, and what to avoid until manufacturers disclose cleaner waterproofing chemistry.

Summary Comparison

Product	PFAS Grade	Verdict
Skandika Corsica 10 Camping Tent	Bad (20/100)	Avoid if lower concern is a priority
Skandika Hammerfest 6-Person Dome Tent	Bad (20/100)	Avoid if lower concern is a priority
Ozark Trail 10-Person Appalachian Cabin Tent	Bad (20/100)	Avoid if lower concern is a priority
Skandika Tent Nordisk Svalbard 1 SI	Bad (20/100)	Avoid if lower concern is a priority
Skandika Hilleberg Staika 2 Person Tent	Bad (20/100)	Avoid if lower concern is a priority
Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1	Bad (20/100)	Avoid if lower concern is a priority
Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL1	Bad (20/100)	Avoid if lower concern is a priority
Big Agnes Wyoming Trail 2 Person Tent	Bad (20/100)	Avoid if lower concern is a priority
Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2	Bad (20/100)	Avoid if lower concern is a priority
Ozark Trail 8-Person Clip & Camp Dome Tent	Bad (20/100)	Avoid if lower concern is a priority
Ozark Trail 8P Appalachian Tent	Bad (20/100)	Avoid if lower concern is a priority
Ozark Trail 10-Person Instant Cabin Tent	Bad (20/100)	Avoid if lower concern is a priority

Skandika, Budget European Dome and Tunnel Tents

Skandika's lineup, from the family-sized Corsica 10 to the Hammerfest 6-person dome and the ultralight-adjacent Svalbard 1 SI and Hilleberg Staika 2, relies heavily on polyester flysheets with factory-applied DWR finishes and taped or sealed seams. These finishes are the industry's default method for shedding rain, and historically many of them have used fluoropolymer or fluorotelomer chemistry to achieve that water-beading effect.

Brand claims, Skandika markets its tents on waterproofing performance (often citing hydrostatic head ratings in the 4,000mm to 6,000mm range) but its public materials disclosures around PFAS content are limited. We found no third-party lab verification confirming PFAS-free construction across this range.

Pros, Affordable, widely available, strong water column ratings for family camping.

Cons, Based on available materials and data, all four Skandika models we've graded land in the Bad tier, with no documented PFAS-free alternative fabric noted in brand disclosures.

Ozark Trail, Big-Box Value Tents

Ozark Trail's 10-Person Appalachian 4-Season Cabin Tent 8-Person Clip & Camp Dome Tent 8P Appalachian Tent, and 10-Person Instant Cabin Tent are sold primarily through Walmart at low price points, using polyester rainflys and polyethylene groundsheets.

Brand claims, Ozark Trail's product listings emphasize waterproof ratings and "won't leak" style marketing language, but the brand does not publish a PFAS ingredient disclosure or a third-party chemical audit for these specific tents that we could locate.

Pros, Very low cost per square foot of shelter, easy setup (especially the instant cabin models), good for occasional car camping.

Cons, All four Ozark Trail models graded here score Bad (20/100), our model-based estimate from materials and public disclosure, not a lab test. Budget waterproofing at this price point has historically leaned on cheaper fluorochemical treatments rather than newer non-fluorinated alternatives.

Big Agnes, Premium Backpacking Tents

Big Agnes positions itself as a technical, ultralight backpacking brand, and its Copper Spur UL1 Tiger Wall UL1 Wyoming Trail 2, and Copper Spur UL2 use high-denier ripstop nylon and silicone- or polyurethane-coated flies designed to shave ounces without sacrificing weatherproofing.

Brand claims, Big Agnes has publicly discussed moving toward more sustainable material sourcing and has referenced reducing harmful chemistries in some product lines, but we found no independently verified, product-specific PFAS-free certification for these exact tent models in the sources we reviewed.

Pros, Exceptional weight-to-space ratio, higher-end fabric technology, strong reputation among thru-hikers.

Cons, Despite the premium positioning, these four Big Agnes tents still land in the Bad tier in our grading, a reminder that price and brand prestige don't automatically correlate with lower PFAS-related concern based on the disclosures available to us.

What to Avoid

• Vague "waterproof" marketing with no ingredient list. If a brand won't say what's in its DWR coating, treat that as a red flag rather than an oversight.
• Older-generation DWR without a stated chemistry type. Long-chain fluorocarbon (C8) treatments are more strongly associated with persistent environmental accumulation than newer C6 or non-fluorinated finishes, though association is not the same as proof of individual harm.