Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Bikepack 2-person tent review

Grey tent — The Copper Spur tent fits two people but packs down to a tiny 31cm by 14cm. *Image: Justin Foulkes*

RRP £619.95 – or try our deal-finder for the best prices...

Basics

Names after a Colorado mountain, Big Agnes was founded in 1999 and speciallises in outdoor clothing and camping equipment.

First impressions

This is an ultra-light two-door bikepacking or backpacking enhanced dome tent for people who don’t want to compromise on space and comfort but need reduced pack size and weight for longer-distance or multi-day trips.

Everything about this tent has been carefully designed to reduce weight and allow for flexible packing. Less waterproof than some but with an impressive inside space, it has two easy-exit side doors, each with its own roomy porch, and requires a crouch rather than a crawl to enter its spacious interior.

This tent comes in at a similar price point and offers similar accommodation size to the Heimplanet Fistral 2-Person and the MSR Hubba Hubba NX2. If reduced weight and bike packability are your most important factors, it would be a fantastic option but the lower waterproofing, thinner fabrics and larger mesh panels may reduce it a one-season option in the UK.

Wet tent flysheet — Rain beads nicely on the flysheet. Image: Justin Foulkes

How weatherproof is it?

The Copper Spur Bikepack’s free-standing design gives it stability against the wind but it won’t be as sturdy as a true geodesic tent. The lightweight flysheet is less waterproof than many heavier tents, and may be compromised in persistent, gusty weather. With a hydrostatic head of only 1200 mm, the floor is less waterproof and thinner than you might expect. However, the recommended optional footprint – a ground sheet pitched under the sleeping compartment – offers additional protection as well as floors for the porches.

Red tent peg — Ultralight aluminium pegs help keep pack weight down. Image: Justin Foulkes

How easy is it to pitch?

The full pitch option is inner first with a satisfyingly easy hub pole design as well as colour coordinated pole inserts and tensioning clips. One additional pole holds the roof wide for great two-person headroom.

You can also combine the flysheet with the optional footprint to create a super-light shelter. The flysheet doors can be propped open with walking poles. There are carefully thought-out reflective touches to help you pitch in the dark.

Grey 2-man tent — The doors in the flysheet can be rolled up (as above) or converted into small canopies supported with hiking poles. Image: Justin Foulkes

Is there a porch?

There are two well-proportioned porches both of which gain groundsheet cover if you include the optional footprint. Each porch has plenty of room for rucksacks or panniers, footwear and cooking equipment.

Bikepacking tent — The inner tent is well-ventilated to reduce condensation. Check out the massive internal pocket at the end – big enough for cycle helmets. *Image: Justin Foulkes*

What is the inner tent like?

This tent offers excellent liveability with good head height. Its gear stashing provision (including overhead space for two helmets) is the best I’ve seen in a two-person tent, and there’s enough floor space for two friendly people to relax and enjoy the clever venting system, accessory hanging points and earbud-cord routing.

What about packing away?

The Copper Spur Bikepack really wins on the specifics when it comes to pack flexibility. Its shorter-fold poles, compression straps and daisy-chain (looped) webbing mean it can be packed in different configurations, including across handlebars. The poles and canvas have tough individual bags that can either be joined together or stowed separately.

Value for money?

That high price buys you a very well designed and made tent, but cheaper options are available.

Best for...

Bikepacking or cycle touring, especially if you want to ditch the panniers and pack on your handlebars and frame but this kind of flexibility and weight will also appeal to multi-day hikers.

Facts at a glance: Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Bikepacking tent

Packed size: 32 cm x 14 cm (separate pole bag 32 cm x 6 cm)
Weight: 1.58 kg
Inner height: 102 cm
Suitable for: 2-season (manufacturer suggests 3-season)
Flysheet: Proprietary ultralight double ripstop mixed denier water-repellent silicone treated nylon, with solution-dyed ripstop grid and polyurethane coating
Waterproofing: Flysheet HH 1200 mm (groundsheet HH 1200 mm)
Poles: 4-way hub pole set with additional cross pole - DAC Featherlite NSL aluminium
Pitch: Freestanding, inner first (full pitch mode)

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Also consider...

MSR Hubba Hubba NX-2 backpacking tent for two

RRP £569.95

The Hubba Hubba has not one but two porches for kit and cookery.

Just a few grams heavier that the Copper Spur tent is MSR's Hubba Hubba NX-2. The internal layout is very similar, with two doors and two porches for cooking and stowing gear, and around the same (fairly generous) internal head height. It not quite as compact as the Copper Spur, at 46cm x 14cm, so might be better suited to carrying in large backpacks than small bikepacking panniers. It has slightly unexciting looks but is highly functional and practical, making it a perennially popular option for ultralight campers. Read more in our full-length review.

Still searching for the right tent? Then check out our more expert reviews in our round-up of the best 2-person tents.