Big Agnes · Camping Tents & Tarps
Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 mtnGLO Tent
Avoid until Big Agnes discloses its water-repellent coating formula.
The Copper Spur UL2 uses a water-repellent coating for weather protection, a category historically tied to PFAS use. Big Agnes provides no public disclosure of the specific chemistry or PFAS status.
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Material
Nylon ripstop fabric with water-repellent coating; mtnGLO glow-in-the-dark treatment
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 mtnGLO Tent is made of, ingredients and materials
The Copper Spur UL2 uses nylon ripstop fabric as its primary shell material, treated with a water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating and a luminescent mtnGLO glow-in-the-dark additive. Nylon ripstop itself is chemically stable under normal camping conditions, but the water-repellent coating finish on tent fabrics historically relied on long-chain PFAS (perfluorocarbons) for water resistance, though newer fluorine-free alternatives now exist. Big Agnes has not publicly disclosed the specific chemistry of their water-repellent coating or glow treatment, which is the core uncertainty for this product.
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
PFAS
Tent water-repellent coating finishes commonly use long-chain PFAS for water and stain resistance. Big Agnes has not disclosed whether the Copper Spur UL2 uses PFAS-based or PFAS-free water-repellent coating, making exposure possible but unconfirmed.
Source, ATSDR ↗Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from nylon and coatings
Nylon ripstop and applied coatings can off-gas VOCs, particularly in warm or poorly ventilated storage. Exposure risk is low under normal outdoor use but increases if tent is stored indoors in heat without ventilation.
Coating degradation and leaching over time
As water-repellent coating coatings degrade with age and washing, any PFAS or other chemical additives may leach into groundwater if the tent is discarded improperly. Proper end-of-life disposal (industrial recycling if available) reduces this risk.
No third-party safety certification
The product carries no independent chemical or sustainability certifications (bluesign, OEKO-TEX, etc.), limiting verification of claims and chemical safety independent of the manufacturer.
What’s reassuring
Photoluminescent additive (mtnGLO) composition
Big Agnes does not disclose the chemical composition of the mtnGLO glow-in-the-dark treatment. Modern photoluminescent additives (typically strontium aluminate) carry no established health hazard, but unverified formulations warrant caution.
The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Big Agnes (owned by Vista Outdoor) maintains no publicly available statement on PFAS use in their tent coatings or other products. The brand has not pursued third-party certifications such as bluesign or OEKO-TEX that would independently verify absence of harmful chemistries. Without disclosure, it is not possible to confirm whether this tent uses legacy PFAS-based water-repellent coating or has transitioned to PFAS-free alternatives.
How it compares in its category
Premium three-season backpacking tents span a wide transparency spectrum. Brands like Hyperlite Mountain Gear and some Zpacks models explicitly market PFAS-free water-repellent coating; others (including many conventional manufacturers) remain silent on coating chemistry. The Copper Spur UL2 sits in the mid-to-premium segment but offers no competitive advantage in chemical transparency, placing it at parity with less-disclosed competitors.
If you buy it
Store the tent dry and unfolded when not in use to minimize off-gassing in enclosed spaces; nylon can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) especially in heat. Avoid prolonged indoor storage in warm, poorly ventilated areas. Reapply water-repellent coating every 1-2 seasons using manufacturer-approved treatments; check Big Agnes documentation for specific product recommendations. If PFAS exposure is a concern for your household, contact Big Agnes directly to request water-repellent coating chemistry disclosure before purchase, or consider brands with transparent PFAS-free certifications.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 45% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Big Agnes has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
More camping tents & tarps grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.