davesenesac
Trail Wise!
Our precious life is short within eternity, don't waste it!
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Post by davesenesac on May 26, 2018 18:48:52 GMT -8
My very light Big Agnes UL1 bought in 2010 thus used 7 seasons on 26 backpacking trips over 102 nights developed dozens of pin holes in the tub, leaks in the top fly seam, and both zipper pulls metal gone bad, unrepairable. Last few years I've successfully sealed most of the pin holes but time to retire it. Although I always use a cheap blue plastic tarp, just bringing granite sand dust into a tent is enough to start damaging the kind of thin tent tub material new ultralight tents use.
So after considerable web research, ordered a Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1 from REI and just picked it up today. Price of $380 was reduced on current holiday sale to $285. Also ordered and received a 3x7 foot Tyvek sheet for $11 that as recommended put through the washer. The UL suffix is ultralight as totally packed up the tent weighs 40 ounces. HV is high volume, the result of the cross member providing vertical walls. Youtube has several good reviews on this popular though expensive model beyond my few comments below.
Set it up outside and am impressed by the considerable volume inside. Easier to set up this new freestanding tent quickly versus my old UL1 that required staking. The zipper on the old tent was under considerable stress while the new tent side door design is not. My 66" body with head at the end leaves a nice 15" at the foot for more gear. With the good height at the foot end, have the option to sleep with head at either end. And even enough width room if need be, sleeping from the head end to fit in a cozy gal of my like size. One serious issue with the old tent was water coming up under the fly during windy rain storms. The new fly design gets closer to the ground and the tub is higher on the sides. So will have more to add after some use.    
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Post by paula53 on May 26, 2018 21:11:29 GMT -8
Dividend week I purchased that tent from REI. I set it up in the backyard and spent the night in it. It was a good fit. Three days ago we were supposed to have rain, so I pitched it again in my backyard to see how it would handle a rain shower. When I entered the tent, I noticed pinhole holes in the seam, at the bottom of the zipper, in the corner. The other corner had the fabric pulling away from the seam. I took my time setting it up both times, and used the ground cloth under it. I took it back to REI for an exchange. I hope the tent works out for you.
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davesenesac
Trail Wise!
Our precious life is short within eternity, don't waste it!
Posts: 1,710
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Post by davesenesac on May 27, 2018 8:59:13 GMT -8
Thanks Paula. Am looking forward to my own rainy weather test so will see. Obviously BA is a company serious about their product quality so i hope your experience was an anomaly and that BA learned from your input making such less likely in the future. Did you replace it with the same or a different tent? If you have that same model then I will make a point of keeping you informed if anything of interest in the future comes up.
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Post by paula53 on May 27, 2018 10:04:57 GMT -8
I exchanged it for an older 2 person UL Cooper Spur. Please keep me informed on how the tent holds up in the field. Maybe in a year or two I will try again with the smaller tent.
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davesenesac
Trail Wise!
Our precious life is short within eternity, don't waste it!
Posts: 1,710
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Post by davesenesac on May 27, 2018 10:44:54 GMT -8
I learned to be much more careful bringing dirt and debris from clothing and especially boots into the Fly Creek UL1 that has a similar lightweight coated nylon tub floor like the Copper Spur UL1 and no doubt other brand ultralights. Not at all like my decades old Moss Outland 6 pound winter tent that is still bombproof. When taking down the FC UL1 always picked it up, turning door down then shaking it to get debris to fall out. However with the new tent will go a step further by sweeping the floor during tent setup since small particles may not dislodge due to static charges or stickiness. May bring a TBD small sponge and microfabric cloth for that.
Trying to do so will be an issue during stormy conditions or when mosquitoes are chasing me inside. Am going to add a small section of blue plastic tarp for the vestibule large enough to sit on while taking boots and clothes off outside the door.
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Post by johntpenca on May 27, 2018 11:47:11 GMT -8
Looks like a nice tent and you can't argue with the weight. Happy trails!
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Post by High Sierra Fan on May 27, 2018 12:54:18 GMT -8
I’ve used the CS UL 1 for two seasons in the Sierra during bug time when my Mountain Laurel Designs Solomid doesn’t offer an advantage on weight given the innernet. Solid tent, nice build quality and no discernible damage from use. Maybe a month all told, mostly above treeline with the occasional hailstorm and snow.
When a full tent is needed the HV interior improved living volume is attractive. I’ve ordered (REI Anniversary sale) an HV 3 for that reason.
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Post by Lamebeaver on May 27, 2018 14:17:08 GMT -8
Big Agnes makes good stuff.
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on May 27, 2018 15:17:06 GMT -8
I like that new zipper design. The curved zippers inevitably have a lot of strain on them, and wear the sliders badly. I do tend to assume I'll have to replace the slider every few years.
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reuben
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Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
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Post by reuben on May 27, 2018 15:24:10 GMT -8
Maybe I'm missing something, but looking at the specs and pics Dave has posted, my Double Rainbow weighs the same, has a greater floor area (50" wide for the full length as opposed to 38" tapering to 28"), two vestibules as opposed to one, and costs $289 all of the time, not just when it's on sale for $100 less than normal. Headroom appears to be about the same, with Dave's canted to one end and mine in the middle.
Am I missing something, or is my DR that much better? Or a bit of both?
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Post by johntpenca on May 27, 2018 16:57:16 GMT -8
Your DR sags when it rains. Now crawl back in your hole or find another parade to rain on.  |
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Post by k9education on May 28, 2018 17:31:33 GMT -8
Maybe I'm missing something, but looking at the specs and pics Dave has posted, my Double Rainbow weighs the same, has a greater floor area (50" wide for the full length as opposed to 38" tapering to 28"), two vestibules as opposed to one, and costs $289 all of the time, not just when it's on sale for $100 less than normal. Headroom appears to be about the same, with Dave's canted to one end and mine in the middle. Am I missing something, or is my DR that much better? Or a bit of both? Looks like a good tent for the money, but the similar floor dimensions are a bit misleading. The DR is much more sloped than the CS, so it will feel considerably smaller. I also see in reading reviews that the DR has some issues with excess condensation. Neither of these are major issues, but they happen to catch my attention because they are the 2 specific issues that lead me to trade in my former tent for my current one despite nothing else being wrong with the former. Now if we were talking a $100 difference and a tight budget, these issues would be livable. However, we are talking about 2 tents that cost almost exactly the same. Since the DR only appears to be available from the manufacturer, I'm betting it's probably full price all or nearly all the time whereas the Big Agnes probably goes on sale regularly. It doesn't really make any difference what the regular price is. I paid $340 for my MSR Pappa Hubba NX and at the time was comparing it to other tents in that price range, not it's regular $600 price. |
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reuben
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Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
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Post by reuben on Jun 5, 2018 14:21:55 GMT -8
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davesenesac
Trail Wise!
Our precious life is short within eternity, don't waste it!
Posts: 1,710
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Post by davesenesac on Jun 25, 2018 9:22:27 GMT -8
Several nights in now including 4 night backpack into Desolation Wilderness I came out from Friday. Quite satisfied in all ways so far though have not had to deal with wet weather yet. Set up and take down is quick and smooth. Side door zipper is well designed for quickly opening to toss in gear, while not allowing time for bugs to get in. The top mesh was well chosen for seeing through. I chose the light olive green color that blends in well with these mountain landscapes.
The below image from last Thursday at about 7800 feet in an area well away from trails that no one else had ever camped within at least 200 yards of with lots of loose irregular metamorphic rock everywhere. This spot was atop a crude dead dried needle and cone pile I smoothed out beneath a shading lodgepole pine. Most of my base camp spots are sighted for mid day shade when I am most likely at camp for lunch and a nap while photographic light is too harsh.
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Hungry Jack
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Living and dying in 3/4 time...
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Post by Hungry Jack on Jun 25, 2018 19:45:28 GMT -8
I’ve only used my CS 3 on trips in the Comanche and Rawah Wilderness, but it performed very well in a nasty rain/hail storm. The kit only weighs a bit more than 5 lbs and it’s plenty large for 2 big guys. BA products are well designed and well made.
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