My first Big Agnes tent was the Flying Diamond 6 purchased in 2012. A bomb-proof tent when fully staked out, it has kept us cozy and dry through years of 3-season camping. It’s spacious anyway, and with me and my daughters being pretty small stock, it feels like our portable apartment in the wilderness.
After nearly a decade of use, I really don’t have any complaints. It’s heavy, and it can take some time to set up, but this is a car-camping family tent. The carrying sack picked up a rip somewhere along the way, and that’s only gotten bigger. The stakes are lame, but those are replaced easily enough.
After such a positive experience with Big Agnes, I knew that they would be my first pick when in the market for a new backpacking tent.
That moment came in January 2019 when planning for a three-day trip in the Santa Cruz mountains. After checking out my favorite review site, Outdoor Gear Labs, it was reassuring to see that Big Agnes tents took up three of the top ten spots.
The Tigerwall UL2 was not the highest rated of those three, but it was the lightest and weight was my top consideration. A lot of tents get better marks for being more comfortable or for being easier to access, and a lot of this is dimensional: roomier inside or bigger doorways.
As mentioned above, I am a small person. A tight fit for others might be absolutely palatial for me. I picked up the tent.
It’s not perfect, but it has not disappointed. It packs super small and light. Separating out the cross pole and stakes, the rain fly and tent will fit, along with my sleeping bag into the lower compartment of my backpack leaving the entire main compartment available for my food, clothing, and cookset.
The zippers and the angles required to pull them are a little weird and I have snagged the fabric on a few occasions trying to get the doors open or closed. Those doors are wonderful by the way, one on each side which means your buddy doesn’t have to crawl over you to get out of the tent. A big plus!
Staked out in the wind, this tent performs flawlessly with plenty of room for me and all but my biggest friends. The Outdoor Gear Lab review mentions that there may be some issues with the water-proofing. I haven’t had the chance to get this thing out in the rain, but I’m looking forward to an opportunity to test that out.
You don’t get a tent this light except that you have really thin fabric, so this is not the most durable tent on the market. Best if you pitch it over a tarp or similar ground cover to protect the floor.
I’ve been super happy with the tent. Having shelter that packs so small and light completely opens up the possibility of extended backcountry adventures without weighing me down.
We’re offering this tent as the Grand Prize in D&T Steps, our 8-week Virtual Adventure Series scheduled to start August 20, 2020.
We would love to hear about the adventures the winner has with this gem of a tent!
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