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Big Agnes Copper Spur tents have been bestsellers at Ultralight since their introduction in 2008 and with good reason. For 2022, the Copper Spur received some new updates and the TGO Challenge was a great opportunity to put them to the test.

The Copper Spur has evolved from the original design over the years with improvements and new features. Big Agnes works closely with Jake Lah, the legendary tent designer and founder of DAC whose poles are widely regarded as the best available. He helped to design the original Copper Spur and the last major change to the range was the adoption of the HV pole geometry in 2017. This added hubs to the pole set which significantly improved the internal space and liveability.

The latest updates build on the HV version with further improvements to the fabric, pole geometry, corner attachment hardware, vestibule opening and internal storage.

A bit more about these updates:

• The new fabric is a ripstop nylon which manages to be lighter than the previous version whilst at the same time being stronger.
• The pole set has been changed to create additional space inside the tent with the use of pre-bent poles for some sections.
• The hardware has been changed at the corners to the new TipLok Tent Buckle™, unique to Big Agnes. This combines the pegging point, pole fixing, fly attachment and tensioning making pitching faster and further reducing weight. It also adds greater stability to the structure.
• New internal storage on the inner tent including a mesh shelf and additional pockets.
• Awning style vestibule double zippered door (my personal favourite of the new features).
• First impression is that the Copper Spur HV UL1 has a compact pack size and feels light. The packed tent fits perfectly in the side ‘tent holster’ pocket on the Gossamer Gear Mariposa rucksack that I was using which made it extremely accessible when setting up camp.
  

  Originally, Big Agnes only made the Copper Spur in the Orange colour, the addition of Olive Green was essential for wild camping use in the UK. It blends in really well in most situations, especially on moorland but I’d still like them to make a darker green or brown version to be even more discrete and darker inside during summer nights.

Pitching

Pitching a tent for the first time can sometimes be challenging but the new TipLok buckles make pitching fast and simple. Peg out the corners and slot the pole ends through the key-hole in the buckle, it couldn’t be easier.

The inner quickly clips to the poles, connect the colour coded buckles on the fly sheet at one end, attach the Velcro tabs on the fly sheet to the poles for added stability and then clip down the other end and tension it up.

Some people avoid inner pitch tents because they worry about pitching in the rain. Pitching the new Copper Spur can be completed so fast that unless rain is torrential the inner is unlikely to get wet. If it did, the fabrics dry very quickly.

The other joy of this style of tent is that you can pitch the inner tent only on calm, dry Summer nights. Lying looking at the stars is truly amazing and you can do it without being eaten by midges!

Once pitched the tent is freestanding apart from the vestibule. On a couple of occasions (when it wasn’t windy) I decided to turn the tent around or move to another spot. It’s easy to just pick it up and place it somewhere else.

Liveability

The Copper Spur feels roomy for a compact 1-person tent. There is plenty of headroom inside the tent and the end walls are vertical so you don’t feel like the tent is close to your face or feet when lying down. Admittedly I’m not that tall but I’ve used other tents that feel far more claustrophobic inside.

I used a wide mat and still had room for kit in the tent with me. I like to keep as much as possible inside and just leave my pack and food in the vestibule.

The inner has a mix of mesh across the upper half and solid fabric lower down which increases ventilation whilst keeping you out of draughts when lying down.

There are so many features on the Copper Spur to make it easy to live with.

Loads of places to store stuff on the inner. I especially liked the new ‘mezzanine’ storage shelf, an ideal place for putting damp gear like socks to dry overnight. There are plenty of other pockets for stashing a headtorch, phone, glasses etc.

The inner door can be rolled back fully and secured with a loop and toggle but I never bothered with this and instead used the door keeper. The door keeper is a strip of material attached at each end and you can simply put the corner of the door in and pull it tight. I held the door out of the way quickly and effectively.

I absolutely loved the new awning style door opening. The door has 2 zips (one on each side) allowing you to either completely roll it back or use trekking poles to use it as an awning. It comes with a couple of guy lines for this purpose to set it up as a sun shade or more likely in the UK to provide shelter from the rain for cooking.

Overview

The Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1 is a superb all-rounder suitable for most 3-season camping. The same great features found on the one-person tent are replicated on the bigger versions so the same applies across the range.

I have found it an easy tent to live with and a perfect choice for the TGO Challenge. For me, the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV is still the tent to beat in this category and with improved storage, easy pitching and the cool vestibule awning it is better than ever.

Danny Pearson
Dan is a keen distance walker who loves to geek over the latest gear. In the last few years, Dan has completed a couple of TGO Challenge crossings of Scotland (with another planned for 2024), GR221 in Mallorca, Dales High Route and Hadrian’s Wall plus countless other self-planned routes. A keen mountain biker but finds he doesn’t bounce so well these days when the inevitable happens. Read more from Danny Pearson