Big Agnes is renowned for crafting high-quality tents designed for diverse adventures, from backpacking expeditions to comfortable car camping. This review highlights five of their top tents for 2023, showcasing their range of features and suitability for various needs. Whether you're a seasoned mountaineer, a dedicated bikepacker, or a family seeking comfortable group camping, Big Agnes offers a tent to meet your requirements. We'll explore models emphasizing lightweight portability, spacious living areas, extreme weather resilience, and convenient features for effortless setup and enhanced organization.This comprehensive review delves into the specifics of each tent, examining their unique strengths and intended use cases. We’ll cover aspects like weight, packability, ventilation, weather resistance, and interior features. From the spacious Big House series perfect for car camping to the ultra-lightweight Copper Spur HV UL Bike Pack tents ideal for two-wheeled adventures, we analyze the best Big Agnes has to offer to help you choose the ideal tent for your next outdoor escapade.
Pros And Cons
- Improved materials and functionality
- Proprietary ultra-light nylon double rip-stop mixed denier fabric
- Vestibule-style awning
- Unique tip-lock tent buckle for simplified setup
- New 6-inch Dirt Dagger UL tent stakes (25% increase in strength-to-weight ratio)
- Short (12-inch) pole set
- Burly bike-packing ready water-resistant compression sack
- Integrated daisy chain webbing
- Webbing for dry helmet storage
- Daisy chain webbing loops on fly exterior
- Two doors and two vestibules (two and three-person models)
- Extended footprint creates a dry floor (sold separately)
- Maximized overhead vestibule areas for shared space and gear storage
- Wyoming Trail 2: Two-person sleeping area with oversized front vestibule and two awning doors
- Wyoming Trail 4: Two two-person sleeping areas with central vestibule
- Each sleeping area has two entries/exits
- Dual zipper doors with easy-grip pulls
- Quick stash door keepers
- Door fly vents
- Multiple door options
- Extra-large vestibule space
- Reflective guy lines and webbing
- Color-coded webbing and buckles
- Velcro tabs connecting fly to structure
- Multiple interior loops for attaching gear
- Two mesh ceiling pockets and four corner storage pockets
- Wyoming Trail 2: 19-inch short stick pole set with compression sack
- Wyoming Trail 2 and 4: Backpack-style carry bag
- Polyester taffeta fly and floor with waterproof coating
- Breathable polyester taffeta and mesh tent body
- Dirt Dagger UL tent stakes included
- Fast fly setup for standalone shelter use
- 57 sq ft (Big House 4) and 83 sq ft (Big House 6) of living space
- Two large, smooth-opening doors
- Windows with mesh-only or zipped polyester closure options
- Storm flaps on door zippers
- Quick stash door keepers
- Two removable corner bin pockets and multiple mesh pockets
- Multiple interior loops for attaching gear
- Oversized welcome mat
- 14 lightweight aluminum stakes
- Color-coded webbing and buckles for easy setup
- Pull securement points on rainfly interior
- Pre-cut guy lines and tensioners
- Reflective guidelines and webbing
- Backpack-style carry bag with adjustable straps and handles
- Can be used as a shelter with rainfly and webbing harness
- Full-featured tent with three doors (two side doors with vestibules, one head entry door with awning)
- Steep walls increase head and shoulder room
- Easily transitions from backpacking to car camping
- Trail weight of 3 lbs 15 oz (SL2) and 4 lbs 8 oz (SL3)
- Dual zipper side doors and vestibules with storm flaps
- Front entry drop-down door with awning-style vestibule
- Awning provides 10 sq ft of shade or rain protection
- 3D bin pocket
- Multiple interior loops for attaching gear
- Fly vent for increased airflow and reduced condensation
- Low vent feature on vestibule doors
- DAC poles and four-way DAC hub create vertical walls
- Pre-cut guy lines and tensioners
- Reflective guidelines and webbing
Read more: 5 Best Family Camping Tents for Your Next Adventure
Big Agnes Big House 4 & 6: Spacious Family Shelter
The Big Agnes Big House 4 and 6 offer impressive living space, with 57 and 83 square feet respectively. These tents feature large, smooth-opening doors with mesh and polyester closure options for ventilation and weather protection. Convenient features include storm flaps, quick-stash door keepers, and numerous interior pockets for gear organization.
Inside, you'll find removable corner bin pockets, mesh pockets, and multiple interior loops for hanging lights or gear lofts. The oversized welcome mat is a thoughtful touch for keeping the tent clean. Setup is easy with color-coded webbing, lightweight aluminum stakes, and reflective guy lines for nighttime visibility.
The Big House tents also offer a unique shelter mode using the rainfly and included webbing harness, perfect for picnics or shade. Optional accessories like a footprint and vestibule provide even more versatility and protection. Overall, the Big House is an excellent choice for three-season car camping, offering comfort, space, and convenient features.
Big Agnes Salt Creek SL: Versatile Backpacking and Car Camping Tent
The Salt Creek SL is a lightweight, full-featured tent ideal for both backpacking and car camping. Its three doors (two side doors with vestibules and one head entry door with awning) offer exceptional versatility and access. The steep walls provide ample head and shoulder room, enhancing comfort.
Key features include dual zipper side doors, two vestibules with storm flaps, and a front entry drop-down door with an awning-style vestibule. This setup provides excellent ventilation, storage, and multiple entry/exit points. The awning offers 10 square feet of additional shade or rain protection.
Inside, you’ll find a 3D bin pocket, multiple interior loops, and DAC poles creating vertical walls. The pre-cut guy lines, reflective guidelines, and low-profile vents further enhance convenience and usability. This tent is a top contender for those who demand versatility and comfort in a lightweight package.
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL Bike Pack: Ultralight Bikepacking Tent
The Copper Spur HV UL Bike Pack tent series is designed for bikepacking adventures. The tents feature improved materials and functionality, including proprietary ultra-light nylon fabric for extra strength and puncture resistance. A new three-person size has been added, maintaining the optimized stuff sack design for easy two-wheeled transport.
The tent features a vestibule-style awning with a unique tip-lock tent buckle for simplified setup. It also includes new 6-inch Dirt Dagger UL tent stakes with a 25% increase in strength-to-weight ratio. Integrated features such as webbing for helmet storage and daisy chain webbing loops on the fly for drying gear showcase its bikepacking-centric design.
These tents are exceptionally lightweight, durable, and designed for easy packing and transport on a bike. The two and three-person models offer two doors and two vestibules, providing ample space and access for multiple users. An optional extended footprint provides additional ground cover. For serious bikepackers, this is a highly recommended tent.
Big Agnes Guard Station 8: Extreme Weather Expedition Shelter
The Guard Station 8 is a robust, dome-style expedition shelter built to withstand extreme conditions. Its single-wall polyester material with a thick, UV-resistant coating and heavy-duty components provide durable shelter for large groups or gear storage. The dome shape minimizes snow and wind loads.
The DAC exoskeleton pull system maximizes strength, while the Hive tenacity materials ensure the shelter’s resilience in harsh environments. The Dominico undyed polyester ripstop fly offers superior strength and UV resistance. Ventilation is ensured through six windows, two ceiling vents, and multiple interior loops for hanging gear.
This tent is ideal for high-altitude mountaineering, medical support, or as a command center in challenging conditions. The Guard Station 8 is an investment for those who require the utmost durability and reliability in extreme weather.
Big Agnes Wyoming Trail 2 & 4: Spacious Family Camping Tents
The Wyoming Trail 2 and 4 tents prioritize spaciousness and shared common areas. The Wyoming Trail 2 offers a two-person sleeping area with a large front vestibule, perfect for gear storage. The Wyoming Trail 4 expands on this design with two two-person sleeping areas flanking a central vestibule.
Both tents boast convenient features such as dual zipper doors, easy-grip zipper pulls, quick-stash door keepers, and multiple vents for optimal airflow. Reflective guy lines and color-coded webbing ensure easy setup even at night. The interior features mesh ceiling pockets and corner storage pockets for enhanced organization.
The Wyoming Trail tents excel in comfort, space, and ease of use. They are perfect for families or groups, offering both individual sleeping areas and a shared common space. The included compression sack and daisy chain webbing further improve portability. The fast-fly setup is a great addition, offering a simple method for creating a quick shelter.
