Help me pick a backpack tent

[Craig]

Looking for a new backpack style tent. This year I will be hunting solo but in the next year or so I'm sure my son will be sharing camp with me. Looking for something that will handle some bad weather if I'm set up above treeline at 11,000-12,000 feet if a summer storm comes through. I have been looking at lots of tents and kind of narrowed it down to a couple. Any other backpack tents you guys like?

PS. already had and sold a Kifaru tipi. Didn't like it and not doing floorless again.

Looking at both the 2 person or 3 person models

Hilleberg Anjan 3 or 2
or
Big Angus Copper Spur HV UL3 or UL2

[kselkhunter]

Both good quality tents. Hilleberg makes great all season tents and would be my recommendation if looking to withstand heavy winter storms, but you're looking at the 3 season versions. You'll save weight with the Big Agnes. 

I use the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL3, and it works well. 

I also use a MSR Hubba Hubba that I've owned for years, but usually take the Big Agnes these days for the weight savings.  Unless I'm doing a longer trip or rough weather trip, then I take the Seek Outside tipi (which I understand you're not looking for tipis, although I love the "nest" with floor in mine in the nasty weather).

[skagitsteel]

For tents that can handle some weather my vote is hillberg hands down. I run a nallo 2 gt, in bad weather it is worth every ounce. 

[spoonman]

I have the big agnus fly creek hv ul2 and it's awesome.  Super light 3 season with plenty of room .

[fillthefreezer]

these are really vastly different tents. one has great access (the copper spur) the other being a pretty decent space to weight to stormworthiness, but an absolute nightmare to crawl in and out of (in my opinion, some people dig tunnel tents).
another thing to look at is, do you care about freestanding?

[WI to WA]

I have the big agnus fly creek hv ul2 and it's awesome.  Super light 3 season with plenty of room .

 
I've had this tent above treeline in some sketchy weather.  As long as you are staked out properly, there should be no issues.  This fits all of my gear & me comfortably for a week.

[croix]

I think TarpTent is worth looking at for 3 season and occasional bad weather. Weight and cost are significant factors for me. If you're looking for really lite and don't care about cost then consider Hyper Lite Mountain Gear. If you're concerned about heavy weather and more of a 4 season option then take a look at KUIU. I think KUIU is the same caliber as Hilleberg. Buddy of mine has a KUIU and it is a SOLID tent.

-croix

[spoonman]

I have the big agnus fly creek hv ul2 and it's awesome.  Super light 3 season with plenty of room .

 
I've had this tent above treeline in some sketchy weather.  As long as you are staked out properly, there should be no issues.  This fits all of my gear & me comfortably for a week.

It's been great for me so far. Eastern Mountain Sports has them on sale right now for under 300

[jackelope]

If you're wanting room for you, your boy and your gear, you're going to need a 3 man tent.
I'd feel solid with the Copper Spur or the Fly Creek UL3. I think they're mostly the same except the Fly Creek is a front opening and the Copper Spur is a side entry. Just have to decide which way you prefer.
At 3.5 pounds...it's a great weight for a 3 man tent.

[Tim in Wa.]

I like those Hubba Hubbas,side entry with a vestibule you can set a small stove up in if you are hung up in bad weather

[X-Force]

Second for a look at Tarptent. Sewn in Seattle and priced competitive.I have no first hand experience with them but they have a bunch of options single wall/double wall free standing/trekking pole. Looked at tarptent for years but when it came to a new purchase I went floorless but if I were to go to a tent the TT Moment looks awesome.

I enjoyed the MSR Hubba Hubba.

[fireweed]

I have the big agnus fly creek hv ul2 and it's awesome.  Super light 3 season with plenty of room .

Love it for backpacking.  Hunting in rain with a backpack tent is no fun with either one.  Add a tarp for bad weather. 

[lord grizzly]

http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/duplex.shtml

single best purchase I've ever made on gear.

[Tbob]

I use the BA Copper Spur UL 2. I use it for myself, my dog and our gear. I love it.. Definitely need to be a little more "gentle" with it, but I'm loving it. Been using it almost 2 years now. Super quick set up and plenty of room for me, the dog and all my hunting gear including my pack and bow. Buy it at REI and if you don't like it within a year or so, just return it.. I like the copper spur as it has two side entry doors. Makes for easy in and out and can load or remove gear from the other side. Also has two good size vestibules for xtra gear or boots if need be..

[2MANY]

http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/duplex.shtml

single best purchase I've ever made on gear.

If I didn't pack with mules I would be doing this tent.
21 OZ??
are you kidding me?
Awesome.

[walleye1]

 I have the anjan 2 gt wish I went with the 3.  Cant go wrong with a hilleberg. I would also recommend the gt with the vestibule.

[lord grizzly]

http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/duplex.shtml

single best purchase I've ever made on gear.

If I didn't pack with mules I would be doing this tent.
21 OZ??
are you kidding me?
Awesome.

and its literally the roomiest tent I've ever packed with. the vestibule design is absolutely perfect and I've weathered some intense storms in it. both early and late season. you get what you pay for.

[2MANY]

Obviously the people who bought one agree with you as well.
I wish you many more healthy years using it.

[Craig]

Thanks everyone. Found a good sale and bought a copper spur UL3. Think that will work well for my needs and plenty of space for me and my son when we need it.

[Tbob]

You won't be disappointed! Just remember it's an UL tent. You'll want to be a little more gentle and careful with it.. Especially on the zippers and with smaller children.. Other than that, great choice!

[skagitsteel]

http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/duplex.shtml

single best purchase I've ever made on gear.

I have the same tent (triplex, 3 person version). It is an incredibly light roomy tent I have used for 3 years.  I love the tent for summer time but it is not designed for bad weather!  Not that it can't be done, I did a few days solo in 2015 and ended up with temps to 25 and a couple inches a snow.  It was after that trip I decided I also needed a hillberg.  Lightweight summer trips it's tough to beat, but not a good choice in high wind or cold temps.

[lord grizzly]

http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/duplex.shtml

single best purchase I've ever made on gear.

I have the same tent (triplex, 3 person version). It is an incredibly light roomy tent I have used for 3 years.  I love the tent for summer time but it is not designed for bad weather!  Not that it can't be done, I did a few days solo in 2015 and ended up with temps to 25 and a couple inches a snow.  It was after that trip I decided I also needed a hillberg.  Lightweight summer trips it's tough to beat, but not a good choice in high wind or cold temps.

interesting. I've found the opposite. may just be personal preference to what on needs in a tent for bad weather. I've had this tent in crazy winds, torrential down pours and snow just fine. I just wrap up in my quilt and roll over in the bad stuff. what did you find didn't work in weather?

[skagitsteel]

http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/duplex.shtml

single best purchase I've ever made on gear.

I have the same tent (triplex, 3 person version). It is an incredibly light roomy tent I have used for 3 years.  I love the tent for summer time but it is not designed for bad weather!  Not that it can't be done, I did a few days solo in 2015 and ended up with temps to 25 and a couple inches a snow.  It was after that trip I decided I also needed a hillberg.  Lightweight summer trips it's tough to beat, but not a good choice in high wind or cold temps.

interesting. I've found the opposite. may just be personal preference to what on needs in a tent for bad weather. I've had this tent in crazy winds, torrential down pours and snow just fine. I just wrap up in my quilt and roll over in the bad stuff. what did you find didn't work in weather?

My main problem was the tent is so drafty, it just did not hold any heat in.  The other problem I had with it being a single wall is condensation. I did my best to close the doors minimze the wind blowing into the tent but had pretty significant condensation as a consequence.  I also found heavy monsoon like rain combined with direct wind from the sidecan cause some water to come back under the dripline and into the bathtub floor. I was able to use a small tarp to mitigatge the problem pretty easily.  I had it out one day where it rained around 3" in less than 24 hours with pretty heavy winds.  I was able to find a sheltered location, but no way would it have stood up to heavy winds on an exposed ridge.  The spot I was in was getting some 20 to 25 mph gusts and it was flapping around pretty good.   The other time I had it out in snow I just simply got cold and had pretty significant condensation.  It also sagged pretty bad and pulled a  stake out with a few inches of snow.  It was cold enough in the tent that all the condesation inside the tent was completely frozen, as well as my boots frozen solid.  None of those things would keep me from going if thats the only tent I had, my expereince in bad condtions was just so different in a hillberg that it made the z packs seem more inadequate for bad weather.  Kind of like not realizing how old your car is until you test drive a new one.

I really love that z packs tent, its so light and roomy I use it whenever I can, I just use it in conditions that it performs well in.  When I am early archery hunting in good weather or summer scouting it is my tent of choice.  It handles rain just fine as long as there isnt a stong wind from the side.  I choose to use it primarily in sheltered campsite loctions so that it aren't susceptible to high winds

I have been in the same conditions in my hillberg nallo Gt and the there is absolutely no comparison atleast for me in being comfortable in bad conditions.  the hillberg is absolutelty solid in 30mph winds, no flapping, sagging or pole bending.  the hillberg also is about 15 degrees warmer inside the tent.  If it gets down to 25 outside and I have everything closed up it is a balmy 40 degrees inside and I'm not adding any extra layers to stay comfortable, even in the cold I often have to shed layers in the middle of the night.  It also handles the snow and condensation really well.  Downside of the hillberg is a stiff weight penalty.  I am very weight conscious in what gear I pack, in bad weather it is worth it to me to pay the weight penalty of the hillberg every time.

[Skyvalhunter]

Sounds like you are willing to pay a lot of money for the name when you don't have to.

[lord grizzly]

Skagit, it isn't a super warm tent that's for sure. my 2 man does great in the wind, may be the difference from the 2 to 3. I've also pitched mine lower in real heavy rain that's made a none issue about rain dripping around the over hang at the bottom. I will admit there's been a few nights where I wish I hade a more traditional style foul weather shelter but then I think about the 10 mile hike it took to get where I'm laying, just grit my teeth, remember I'm not out there to be comfortable and go to sleep happy I'm dry and my quilt is warm.

[pygmy1985]

I like the Marmot Limelight 3 person.  It has vestibules on both sides. Weighs about 4 #.   Hilleberg makes great tents, just on the pricier side.

[Seahawk12]

What do you need in a tent?

Why pick a 3 man tent?

Are you looking for 4 season?

[pygmy1985]

I thought he mentioned maybe having son go along with him in next year or so. 2 p tents give you sleeping space only for 2. A 3 p tent gives more room to move about, wait out the storms.

[CoryTDF]

I have the BA Fly Creek HV UL2  and it is really more of a 1 man set up. I would say when buying one of ultralight tents you will want to size up. The 3 person tent only adds like 9 oz.

http://ireviewgear.com/cool-gear/big-agnes-fly-creek-hv-ul2-mtnglo-tent-review/

The MSR Freelight tents are also a great 3 season tent. I really like mine but again, if you need space I would size up.

http://ireviewgear.com/camp/msr-freelite-2-ultralight-tent-review/

[swanny]

You can get away with a 2man UL tent, just have to be aware of the actual interior volume they provide. Many cut weight by reducing interior volume (steep pitched and/or slanted roofs). The exo-skeleton designs of Hilleberg and EXPED are great for shoulder and 4-season use when you know high winds, heavy rains, and snow loads will be a factor. They also tend to have larger vestibules to give you room to get in take your boots off, cook, store gear, etc. The down side is weight, but sometimes the couple extra pounds is worth the protection they provide. Best bet is to try and check tents out prior to buying, crawl around, lay in them so you know what you are getting.