Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 Review

The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 is among the lightest tents in our entire lineup, and it's even a three person model. This is an ideal option for gram-counting backpackers who place weight at the top of their priorities list and don't mind spending more to get a top-of-the-line tent.

Comfort

As is often the case with backpacking tents and advertised capacity, the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 is on the tighter side for a group of three. However, at 41 square feet of interior space, this is very comfortable for two people, with extra room for additional equipment. After months testing this tent, we ultimately found this to be an above average model in this metric besides the space considerations for three campers.

If you're going to camp as a team of three, sleeping head to toe will make your camping experience much better inside the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3. This is a common solution to tents with a tighter fit, and the Copper Spur UL 3 is no different, giving more room for your shoulders and head.

One of our absolute favorite aspects of this tent was its ventilation, which greatly improved comfort. Big Agnes included a unique opening in the fly that can be propped open with a built-in support, and we found substantially less condensation from our breath, even with three campers.

Weather Resistance

Relative to its weight, the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 offers great weather resistance. While it isn't our top scorer, it's above average in our review's lineup. If you aren't deliberately backpacking into large storms, the UL3's protection from the elements might be all you need.

The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 uses a proprietary fabric combination called HyperBead™ which includes 15 denier nylon and 20 denier ripstop in the rain fly and the tent body's floor. We found it to keep up with storms on the lighter side, and with properly deployed guy lines, the UL3 was a worthy adversary against winds. As has become somewhat standard, Big Agnes also didn't intentionally include any PFAS chemicals with their water proofing, which have been linked to numerous health issues with prolonged exposure. Throughout our testing seasons, we found the UL3 to boast consistent performance in this metric, though we were very deliberate in cleaning and properly caring for the tent.

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Space to Weight Ratio

This is one of the higher performing metrics for the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3, as one of the lightest 3-person models we've yet tested in the backpacking tents category. Many tents with a 3 camper capacity on the market are nearly double the weight of the UL3, and while this isn't the most spacious tent out there, it certainly can handle at least a couple nights with you and two other backpackers.

Including all stakes and guy lines, this tent weighs just 3.81 pounds, which is even lighter than many 2-person tents on the market. It doesn't offer the highest square foot per pound, at 10.76 square ft/pound, but it's well above average. As we've shared previously, this isn't the right tent if you're planning to spend weeks with two other campers, as we would recommend going with a four-person model that affords a bit more interior comfort, but this is a great model for a few nights. If you don't mind slightly more weight per person, the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 is also ideal as a more spacious two person model.

Ease of Use

As is the case with many tents from Big Agnes, this is a fairly user-friendly model that's quick to set up and easy to use. We are big fans of free-standing designs and the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 is a textbook example of why: they require minimal effort to pop up, and they're easy to move around if needing to fine tune exactly where you want your tent.

The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 uses a two door and two vestibule design, which is crucial for a tent's ease of use, and the pockets included are generously sized for things you need to access more quickly, such as headlamps, sunglasses, or a camp spoon. While the vestibules aren't the largest we've seen, they offer enough space for shoes and backpacks in the small to mid-sized range. If you're on a longer trip with larger backpacks and more gear, we found the vestibules to be better suited for two people, with each backpacker getting a vestibule to themselves. We also appreciated the construction of the aforementioned ventilation flap in the fly- with the prop bar being very user friendly.

Construction Quality

The build quality of the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 is excellent when considering its weight. However, it is crucial that you're more gentle with this tent, as it's relatively more delicate than some of the heavier tents in the review's lineup.

With 15-20 denier fabrics, the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 isn't a tent you can just throw around gravel-laden dirt or set up carelessly on top of sharp rocks, especially when compared to the competition that uses fabrics two or three times thicker. We did find the nylon and ripstop fabric combo to work well across our testing seasons, but our entire review team paid extra attention to prospective campsites when setting up the UL3. The poles and pole attachment points held up very well, even after some blustery camping trips, and the waterproofing performed consistently. If you're someone who doesn't mind being more careful with camping equipment, the weight savings of the UL3 might be worth some reduced durability, but if you don't want to be quite as cautious, you might want to look for a heavier weight model.

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Should You Buy the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3?

This is a phenomenal option if you're wanting a lightweight tent that can handle a crew of three, or want more room for a two-person trip. The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 isn't the most rugged tent out there, but that's the case with any tent on the lighter side.

What Other Backpacking Tents Should You Consider?