Here's a little theoretical exercise for everyone. Hey, it's January, cold, dreary, we're all bored, and pretty soon we gotta file our tax returns! We need a little fun, and this was about as little as I could dream up. smile

On that pre-Christmas trip, your old tent finally gave up the ghost; the poles bent, the door zipper busted, and the coating peeled off the fly in one big chunk. Luckily, your family has given up trying to buy you gifts, so you've got a few gift certificates to spend. So, you're standing in your favorite outfitter's store, trying to figure out which Big Agnes tent to buy. (You'll be using it by yourself, not sharing it with a partner or dog, for general 3-season camping.) Your choices are:

Model Weight Floor Area Vestibule area Height Door location $
Fly Creek UL1: 1/14 22 sq ft 5.5 sq ft 38" End entry $320
Copper Spur UL1: 2/6 22 sq ft 10.0 sq ft 37" Side entry $350
Slater UL1+: 2/4 28 sq ft 6.0 sq ft 40" End entry $340
Scout UL2: 1/9 34 sq ft None 43" End entry $280
Fishhook UL1: 2/10 22 sq ft 10.0 sq ft 38" Side entry $350

Weights are pounds/ounces. All are one-person tents, except the Scout which is a two-person. All are double-wall tents, except the Scout, which is a single-wall tent that uses your trekking poles as tent poles. The Fishhook introduces new technology in the form of a "zipperless" door. (All of these tents are shown on Big Agnes' website, if you're interested.)

Which tent would you choose, and why?

I thought this little exercise might be useful to new backpackers, giving them a feel for the process that more seasoned folks go through to balance livability, weather resistance, cost, and weight to come to a decision. I didn't choose BA tents for any particular reason other than they have a neat little "Compare" tool on their website, which made it easier to put together a selection.

Have at it!

Added: I apologize for the data display - I tried to make a matrix using spaces, but the submission process evidently deletes extraneous spaces.


Edited by Glenn Roberts (01/17/13 07:55 PM)
Edit Reason: Apology