The Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL5 Tent is ultralight with 2 doors and 2 vestibules, supported with quality DAC aluminum poles, suitable for backpackers and hikers.
Key features & benefits
- Ultralight tent.
- 2 Vestibules & 2 doors.
- DAC aluminum poles.
- Many storage pouches.
What is in the name
So here is the largest tent in the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL series. The letters UL mean ultralight, and you will realize this from the numbers below. HV stands for ‘high volume’. With this they want to stress that the tent offers more volume than an ordinary dome.
Namely, there is a ridge pole that pulls the side walls up and make them vertical. On the other hand, the picture without fly below shows how the frame looks, so you see that the poles are a bit pre-bent for extra shoulder space. But this is still just a dome tent supported with two main X-crossed hubbed poles.
The tent has two very large doors, both visible in the picture. Below you see the floor plan and what the brand thinks of how to use the floor space. Observe that it is quite low so you do not have a stand-up height here.
The fly is a full-coverage type and it creates two vestibules shown in the picture below. It must be staked to be functional, so the tent is not freestanding. The floor plan above shows the difference between the vestibules area (gray) and the area covered with the awnings.
Note that here you have their proprietary tent corner construction with a unique TipLok Tent Buckle, the picture below. It includes three functions: secure pole-tip capture, rainfly attachment and tensioner, and stake-out loop, see the picture below.
So when you put the end of the pole in it, and then go to the other side to fix it there, the pole-tip will stay in place.
Materials
The poles & stakes: You have DAC Featherlite NFL pressfit pole system, with two main poles and one short ridge pole. If you are not familiar, this type is developed by DAC specially for tents that are supposed to be carried on the trail, so they are ultralight.
All is color-coded for an easy setup. There are 10 Big Agnes Dirt Dagger UL stakes 6 inches long included in the package.
The fabric: Both fly and bathtub style floor are the same silicone treated proprietary ultralight double ripstop mixed denier nylon. It features a solution-dyed ripstop grid with 1200 mm waterproof polyurethane coating.
The canopy is a breathable proprietary ultralight double ripstop mixed denier nylon, featuring a solution-dyed ripstop grid and polyester mesh.
Seams are sealed with a waterproof solvent-free polyurethane tape, No PVC or VOCs. Note that there are two colors available, you can see this in the pictures.
Other details
- Quick Stash door keeper pouches located on the tent body door.
- 8 Interior mesh pockets and 4 media pockets.
- Low vent features on vestibule doors.
- One fly vent.
- Pre-cut guylines and tensioners attached to fly.
- Velcro tabs connect fly to poles.
- Enhanced visibility at night with reflective guylines and webbing.
- Multiple interior loops for attaching some accessory elements like their gear lofts (Large Trapezoid, Trapezoid, Square, and Triangle), sold separately.
- Footprint available, sold separately, see the picture. It weighs 12 oz (340 g). This is a nylon ripstop with a 1200 mm waterproof polyurethane coating and equipped with TipLok Tent Buckles.
Please see more about this Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL series in the video:
Who is it for
Regarding the area, the tent is officially for 5 people. For this, you have the floored area of 65 ft² (6 m²), and this means 13 ft² (1.2 m²) per person. This is not much, but there are also two vestibules that add 34 ft² (3.2 m²).
For a tent built for the trail this is still good enough. But the tent is ultralight and even if used by 3 people only, it would be light enough if the participants share the weight. Realistically though, in view of its dimensions and the floor plan shown above, it would be best to reduce the number of people to 4 maximum.
Regarding seasons & climate, they describe it as a 3-season tent. So it depends on how much comfort you expect. With so much mesh on its canopy, it is not the best option in a cold environment. I see it best suited for a 2-season use.
On the other hand, it is ventilated and suitable for warm weather camping even if this is in an environment with lots of rain. Note also that it is low profile and aerodynamic so no doubt it will perform good even in windy places.
Regarding the weight, it is impressive with its 7 lb 5 oz (3.32 kg). I do not remember seeing any tent of this capacity that could come close. The packed size is less impressive but it is good enough (L x D) 24.5 x 9 inches (61 x 23 cm).
Regarding the price, this is not its best feature. The tent is very expensive so if you are on a budget better check elsewhere.
Fast fly variant
If you have the mentioned footprint, you can use it with the fly and poles in the fast fly variant shown in the picture. The weight in this case is 5 lb 9 oz (2.52 kg), so this is a super ultralight option.
Specifications
- Weight: 7 lb 5 oz (3.32 kg).
- Official capacity: 5 people.
- Dimensions: 150 x 108 in (380 x 274 cm).
- Inner area: 65 ft² (6 m²).
- Inner area per person: 13 ft² (1.2 m²).
- Vestibules area: 17 + 17 ft² (1.6 + 1.6 m²).
- Peak height: 60 in (152 cm).
- Packed size (L x D): 24.5 x 9 in (61 x 23 cm).
Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons
In summary, as of the moment of writing this text, this Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL5 Tent is probably the lightest 5 person tent on the market. It is compact enough that it can be carried on the trail. Two vestibules’ flaps allow for awnings with the help of trekking poles.
They use proprietary ultra strong and ultra fine fabric, and the poles are high quality from the leading manufacturer. This all is reflected in its price. Fully recommended if you can afford it. It is included in my list of best dome tents.
Below you can see how this tent stands against my standard rating criteria that I apply consistently to all the tents here in the site so that you can easily compare:
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL5 Tent
Pros
- Ultralight.
- Easy to use.
- Full protection.
Cons
- Small for 5 people.
- Expensive.
BEST PLACEs TO BUY:
For more tents of this shape please check in the category Dome Tents.
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