Compact Tents

5 Oohlala
[ I bought this tent predominantly for backpacking or car camping. There is a chance I could bike pack, but that was not part of the decision to get this tent. I chose this slightly heavier tent over the regular backpacking tent because I wanted the decreased packed length. This allows me to put it in my backpack horizontally, and I keep the entire tent+ poles together. I chose a one person to keep the weight and volume down. I also appreciated having the loop straps on the top of the fly. During the BWCA trip last week, I frequently had wet socks, wet pant legs, and what other things to dry out. It was also windy during the trip. Once, I did put clothing in a pine tree. My friend later told me he picked up my stuff from the ground. After that, I always put my wet stuff under the loops on the tent. I love it! I had been concerned about the darker color of this tent compared to the backpacking tent. However, the color in the pictures is misleading. When I 'm inside the tent, I ca n't call it cheerful on the daytime but it's not dark and dreary. I do n't think it will soak up heat of the sun anymore than any other non- white tent will. I do like that it blends in better with the environment. I did purchase the footprint that also extends into the vestibule space. I 've previously had a tent with this feature and found it helpful. However, my friend has a BA tent with a traditional vestibule and he put a piece of plastic in front of his tent door. In the BWCA, the areas that we pitched our tents were often dirt. I found I had a lot of dirt on the footprint which kept me from sitting on it, etc. Meanwhile, my friend just simply lifted up his plastic and shook it out. We did get rain, so it's possible my gear under the vestibule stayed dryer. That being said, I do question if I 'm in this similar situation if I could just fold the vestibule back on itself and under the tent. And a grassy or less dusty situation, the footprint extending into the vestibule would be great. Otherwise, this review will likely apply to both the backpacking and bikepacking versions of this tent. My 8- year- old LLB 1- person tent I labeled my coffin tent. I do not feel the same way about this BA 1- person tent!!! This tent is a little wider, and I definitely have more headroom. It has a vent above which was a key deciding factor for my purchasing this tent. I hate tent condensation in the morning! I have a normal width sleeping pad And I can straddle it on hands and knees to adjust it and blow it up a little bit more. I can kneel in the tent and bend over in a squat to further make adjustments. I am 5 ft 7 in. ALL of the wonderful storage pockets kept so much off of the floor of the tent that it gave my body more space to move around. This is wonderful no matter what size version of this tent you get. I had a light jacket, a hat, and a shirt in the big pocket on the roof. The zippers on the tent open and close beautifully. Nothing got stuck. With the zipper on the fly I was a bit more careful, but all I did was extend a finger first in the direction I was traveling and that kept any material from getting caught. I am still figuring out all of the toggles, especially on the right side( facing tent) of the fly. It is very nice to open the doors wide, even if I do n't use the awning feature. THE VESTIBULE is Wonderful!! The vestibule in my old coffin tent would n't fit my backpack. With this BA 1- person tent, My 65- L ULA Catalyst backpack, a bait holder bag, shoes, my pfd, and a sm dry bag fit under the vestibule AND I still had room to enter and exit the tent. The vestibule rocks!!! The only thing that I do n't like about the vestibule is that there is n't a second smaller one. I do n't know if any 1- person tent has two vestibules. However, while this does allow one to set up the tent in smaller spaces, you are very restricted which way your vestibule faces. For ex, you may have to choose between setting up the tent so the foot faces into prevailing winds for safety... or setting up so you can open the vestibule doors and have a beautiful view of the mountains or a lake versus woods and weeds two to three feet from your vestibule if you set up for wind management. Setting up the tent was easy. The first two times I put the ends of the crossbars in the fly, it was effortful and I was concerned that I would do damage to the fly. Afterward, the material loosened up and it became easier. Clipping the fly to the footprint when I 'm also using the tent body is just a little awkward because cord material gets in the way of the clips. Guying out is much easier, quicker with the new adjustment pieces. There are two pieces of velcro to attach to the tent poles at the head of the tent. In the stake bag, there are multiple Velcro pieces and I 've not been able to find out what those are for. I bought two MSR groundhog stakes for two reasons: BA should have provided 1 more stake and I wanted two longer stakes to better anchor the tent in higher wind. During our BWCA trip, we did get a little rain but we got high winds during that time frame. Under these circumstances and with my roof vent open, I did n't get rain inside the tent. Also, with what both my friend and I felt were straight line winds, no rain got in the tent from under the tent fly. That being said, since the fly edges tend to sit up a bit higher from the ground to allow more ventilation, there was a lot of dirt and wood matter splash up against the wall of the tent. Luckily, the solid part obtained body goes high enough that nothing got inside. The inner tent remained dry. Packing down the tent and putting it and the poles in the available bags is okay. The bags are just wide enough if you pack things well. The stakes and their bag came packed inside with the tent and fly. I am a little concerned about the stakes being pushed in the bag with all of this other delicate material. My friend got upset with me because he felt I was taking too long to tear down the tent. I kept the fly on the tent body and attended to fold it all up together keeping the mesh on the inside, then stuff it in the bag. My friend felt I should just stuff each one in separately. I 'm not sure what's best, I just want to protect this more delicate material. That being said, my biggest concern for the material was when I was packing away the tent. Having the footprint down certainly protected the floor of my tent from any damage. Pros: mostly everything! Roof vent, large, practical vestibule, material loops on exterior fly, large tent body entryway, VG zippers, vestibule doors open wide, lots of interior pocket storage, a 1- person without being too confined, usually adjustable guylines, quick setup, appears to handle high wind well, why is not too dark, reflective elements on the tent keep one from tripping, fly zipper also zips from the top down, well- made. Cons: I guess the tent/tent pole bags could be lighter and the bags just the tiniest bit larger dia. The daisy chain loops are very small and not terribly practical. BA should include the missing stake. I would like for BA to also sell the bikepacking and backpacking poles separately. I could see someone wanting to own both depending on what situation they would be using the tent. I would also like BA to advertise that the traditional footprint and the extended footprint will fit both bikepacking and backpacking tents. Otherwise, the rest of my review will apply

5 Kai K
[ Lightweight, sturdy, easy to put up…this is a great little one person tent. My only complaint is that Big Agnes should include the footprint because the test is quite delicate and requires one.

5 Danno
[ First: Th tent is n't nearly as dark- colored as the picture indicates- it's light grey and white. Very easy to set up and comfortable inside. Vestibule is roomy. The shorter pole segments make a big, positive difference when packing a bike! The bag is great if you want the Molle straps, otherwise I do n't see the advantage( and it does n't fit the best with my handlebar bag system.

5
I bought a Fly Creek UL1 fifteen years or so ago, when it was new to the market and a revolutionary change in tent design. In the spring of 2024, I took it to Taiwan for a five week trip camping in the mountains, forests, and beaches there. I camped for a couple of nights just outside Taipingshan forest park, doing long day hikes in the park. A few days later, I was camped on the beach, and noticed sand and dampness on the floor of the inside of the tent. There were lots of little holes in the fabric, from gravel or something sharp. Totally my fault. When I got home, I wrote to Big Agnes to see if repair was an option. It was not. Replacing the floor was not cost effective or really sensible for a tent that old and that used. They offered me a discount on a new Copper Spur UL1, and I jumped at the opportunity. The side door and bigger vestibule is an upgrade, and so is the more vertical wall, created by the little cross piece at the apex of the tent. The materials are really light, but seem quite tough. I have had it out in big rain in the White Mountains in New Hampshire, kayak camping in the Merchant Islands in Maine, and in a solid wind on Mount Olympus in Greece. The tent is very small, but holds its own in a wide variety of weather conditions. It is easy to set up- actually free standing, as opposed to the Fly Creek, which needs a couple of stakes to stay put. I go back and forth between tent and hammock. When there is a chance for no trees, or I am uncertain about what will be available, I bring the little Copper Spur, and I have not been disappointed. It is very light but not stupid light, and packs down small. All thumbs up for the product, and especially for the service from Big Agnes. I 'll be back for another if this one ever wears out.

5 Pappy
I own the 2019 version and I absolutely love this tent! I got too old for my bivvy and wanted a tent that I could sit up in and with more space. I also wanted something lightweight that could easily fit on either my mountain bike or gravel bike. I put it in my Salsa Anything fork cage with the poles packed inside.( The poles can be packed separately in the included pole sack.) It packs nearly as small as my bivvy and for me, the extra weight is worth the comfort tradeoff. This tent is lightweight, easy to set up, sturdy against wind and rain. It also has lots of convenient storage nets and pockets inside and I love the vestibule space.( I noted `` flimsy construction '' as a con, but that's just the nature of a ultra lightweight tent. I 've used mine a LOT over the last 6 years and it has stood the test of time.)