Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 3 Season 1 Person Hiking Tent – Tested & Reviewed

Tim’s two-person tent is feeling pretty large these days, especially when no one wants to share with him. The one person, freestanding Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 from Wild Earth offered the chance to downsize, with some weight savings that should grab your attention.

My past is littered with gear that tried to do it all and last forever. The best example is probably my first longboard. Instead of buying a regular piece of maple on which I could cruise around my uni campus, I dove into the now defunct silverfishlongboarding.com forum and convinced myself that a CNC’d aluminium board was the go.

It wasn’t. It was sluggish, hard to turn, potentially dangerous for pedestrians… Anyway in my defence, I still have it and it’s going to make a damn-fine coffee table one day.

Look, the less said about the ‘Cindrich Screamer’ the better

Another was my Exped Venus Extreme II tent. Given the opportunity to get a tent at cost price through my brother, I quickly zeroed in on a bombproof 2.8kg snow tent. I had to seam seal it by hand to make it waterproof (as Australia is not Switzerland) and beg my mates to share with me, lest I huck nearly 3kg of sil-nylon for myself. I used it for summer hiking and car camping to get my money’s worth, but it often felt cramped and stuffy when not being used to wait out a blizzard.

Ready for a blizzard in the snow tent

These days I’m much less likely to overthink my way into the wrong bit of gear just so I’m ready for fringe cases. Some gram counting has helped and most of my kit is dialled. But like most people, I was still rocking the two person tent for those increasingly-rare times that someone wanted to share.

The Case for One Person Tents

Over the past few years my hiking life has changed and a few needs have emerged. Rather than communal dinners and shared tents, my mates and I have found it easier if everyone’s self-sufficient. BYO dinner, coffee, and a tent, and we’ll see you at the trailhead.

So it needed to be a one person tent.

Definitely one person, tick!

I’d also made the mistake of buying a hiking pole-based tension tent, forgetting that I also kayak and bikepack, and often need to set up on hard ground, in caves, or on tent platforms.

So I also wanted a freestanding tent.

And finally, a lot of wild campsites actually have pretty small areas of flat, clear ground. Two person tents are often HUGE in this regard (try setting one up in your loungeroom) and a smaller footprint would let me pitch it in more places.

So I wanted it to have a small footprint (and be heaps lighter, if possible).

I also wanted to use a tent model I was already pretty familiar with, to help me compare the actual benefits of a 1P model.

The Big Agnes name rose to the top. I’ve slept in the two person model, spoken at length with Jess about her three person one, and our mates at Wild Earth stock the whole range and were able to hook me up.

I’m going to review the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 like any other piece of gear on We Are Explorers with a special focus on how it tackles the 1P design and weight saving.

Quick Specifications:

Type: Modern Single Pole Backpacking Tent
Capacity: 1-person
Weight: 1.09kg (fly, inner, poles, pegs, and repair kit)
Trail Weight: 911g
Materials: Proprietary HyperBead fabric – PFAS free, solution-dyed double ripstop 15D nylon with 20D solution dyed ripstop. 
Dimensions: 224cm (L) x 97cm (W) x 97cm (H) (internal dimensions, external would be very slightly larger
Packed Size: 45 x 11cm 
Season: 3-season
Setup: Simple ‘single’ pole with colour coded ends
RRP: $770 AUD

Buy Now

It’s a pretty little tent, I even got a few compliments!

Performance

Weight

I reckon I heard angels sing when I picked up the Copper Spur UL1 for the first time. I’m running it somewhere between full weight and trail weight, which brought up 1kg dead on my scales. Not only is this very achievable to carry, it counts as a true ultralight tent, which is refreshing when so many brands are overusing the term at the moment (granted, Big Agnes uses the UL moniker in all sizes of this tent).

This lightness isn’t just because it’s a 1P either. The fabric is incredibly thin, the poles are DAC Featherlite NFL (the lightest technical aluminium pole available) and luxuries are few. In fact, there’s only one door. While I totally understand how this saves countless grams, it does mean you can’t utilise any storage with a small vestibule on that side, and if you’re a fan of pointing your tent toward a view you’ll have to think it through. Worth considering if grams aren’t your biggest concern.

The entire fly can roll up on the vestibule side, if you need to get this shot in a different direction

Packed Size

The Copper Spur UL1 packs up small, which is great because you can’t really split it with anyone. At only 11cm it can fit in a bottle pocket or strapped somewhere, but my preference is inside the bag due to the thin material.

Also, a moment for the bag! It easily fits the tent and has a side opening with two compression straps. Honestly I think it’s the best tent bag I’ve ever used.

The side-entry bag is a dream to use

Weather Resistance

One thing I immediately liked when I pitched the Copper Spur UL1 was how taught the fabric was. It’s relatively easy to get high tension on the fabric which means minimal dreaded wind noise. The sides are steep which helps water roll off the HyperBead fly and extend to the ground, minimising splashback or entry points for wind.

Impressive tension helps minimise wind noise and water buildup

HyperBead is silicon-treated nylon with a polyurethane coating that’s PFAS free. So far it hasn’t let a drop in. Seam sealing from the factory comes as standard too – this is becoming more common but still counts as a tick to me!

It’s worth noting that the UL1 is quite tall and narrow, more so than a squarer two person tent. This is an asset if you point it into the wind but if that changes, it offers a broad side to catch the breeze. I had no trouble with this as I used the guy lines to give the tent extra support, and I’d recommend bringing enough pegs to use them in case the weather picks up.

Steep walls are great for shedding water but avoid angling the broad side into the wind

The tent floor has a 1500mm waterproof rating which is not high. Not when Mont’s Moondance is boasting 25,000+. Knowing this, I’ve put more thought into where I’m pitching, where heavy rain may run or pool, and have bought the optional groundsheet which adds another 1500mm and another layer of protection for the very thin base.

Durability

I’m not rough with the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1. Unpacking it felt like preparing prize silks for a winter ball, one that I dare not snag. But like, of course? It’s a shelter that weighs less than a kilogram of feathers. I think the fabric gets a pass in this situation – just take care of it and patch it when needed. I’d say avoid pitching under trees when it’s windy, but that’s a good safety tip regardless.

The other aspects of the tent haven’t let me down. The poles are similarly dainty and I always make sure to seat them properly on the hubs (this is the most common failure point) but all the clips and zips have been flawless. I’m expecting many, many more nights alone in this thing.

DAC poles are top tier and have been bomber so far – just don’t force anything

Design

The Copper Spur UL1 riffs on the very common single pole design that’s common in two person tents these days. It’s a single pole with two hubs (one much higher than the other) and a spreader pole to increase headroom. Poles are colour coded, as is the fly, making it very easy to set up correctly first try.

Grey pole ends = grey tabs. Simple as

Speaking of colours, I reckon the orange is absolutely bangin’. If you’re not into it, it looks like the bikepack edition is available in dark grey.

Storage

The large door uses the common ‘D’ shape with two zips that meet in the corner. This saves weight and your zips always end up in the same place, but it does make it a little more laborious to reach out like a gremlin and grab something from the vestibule. As I’ve said before, I do wonder if a second door, even one just made to access your gear, could use space on the other side of the tent.

The vestibule assumes you’re packing pretty light

One feature I love is the huge dump pocket in the dead space above your legs. You can chuck a whole down jacket in there if you want. There are two other pockets above your head, which are great for a light, and attachment points to hang things. All great additions in such a light tent.

This pocket is hecking massive, I love it for storing clothes

Ventilation

Airflow is solid and mostly provided by a big vent above the head. If you need more air, you can utilise a second zip on the fly or activate awning mode. Using hiking poles you can make a baby veranda. Honestly I dunno who does this but it’s cool, I mostly used the feature to fully roll up the fly and enjoy the view.

Big vent doesn’t need to be collapsed to pack the tent up, so it’s permanently open

If you like it really breezy, the footprint can work with the fly in a ‘Fast Fly’ configuration that doesn’t use the internal tent at all. Welcome, bugs!

Footprint

Less of a review point and more of a comment on the one person size. It takes up considerably less space than a two person tent. Using the Copper Spur UL2 as a comparison, the UL1 has 0.8m² less interior floor space, and the same is saved by removing a vestibule. This along with the narrower width has allowed me to pitch it in places a two person tent simply won’t fit.

An example of a campsite the UL1 squeezed into rather nicely

Comfort

But how’s it feel to actually live in it? That’s the million dollar question and to be honest, kinda tight! The tent’s internal floor tapers from 97cm to 71, which is still enough to fit a ‘wide’ sleeping mat (64cm) but doesn’t leave much room for anything else.

Up near your head there’s a bit more space for essentials, including side pockets, and at 224cm long there’s gonna be space at your feet or head, but the rest of your kit has to live outside. This is fine as the vestibule is nearly a metre squared, but if the weather is really setting in you might want the gear as centred and close to your tent as possible. 

She’s narrow, with an asymmetric design

Unfortunately, this is exactly where you stand to get out for a quick wee at 2am, so it takes a bit of planning. Maybe I’ve just gone softer after years of using a two person tent.

I don’t quite understand why it’s so long though. Surely even a 200cm tall human would prefer a bit more space on the side where it’s easier to access. More width would make the tent more stable or add to the vestibule too, so it’s a bit curious.

A spreader bar increases headroom and makes the vestibule way nicer to use

As for headroom, it’s grand. I can comfortably sit fully up to prepare my battle station/cocoon for the night ahead. Most importantly perhaps, I’ve slept well in the UL1 and it’s adapted to crisp Blue Mountains nights and warm ones on the coast.

But the vestibule side always sat lower as it takes a different amount of force to the non-vestibule side

Sustainability

Big Agnes hails from Steamboat Springs (cute) in Colorado. All three of their facilities are on 100% renewable power (using offsets)  They have a supplier code of conduct and restricted substances list publicly available, something you don’t often see.

Their new HyperBead fabric stays waterproof without nasty PFAS, and the solution dyeing process uses less energy and water. Likewise the poles utilise DAC’s proprietary Green Anodizing coloring which avoids harsh acids. There are many more recycled products across their sustainability page and it’s clear that Big Agnes is making an effort to push forward lower-impact production. There’s even a section of the site dedicated to the most sustainable gear and a reuse circularity program.

The next step will be a complete transparency report (including specific goals) that ties these strands together and a clearer 3rd party accreditation like B Corp. I’d love to see more about social impact too – their website says ‘We partner with over 20 organizations that help protect our public lands, support sustainable practices, and lead in equality and inclusivity.’ but the link takes me to a page with no further info. I only bring it up because of how often I see stuff like this.

Big Agnes actually had more sustainability stuff going on than I expected – love to see it

Price

This one’s the kicker. It’s the reason so many people opt for a two person tent to begin with. Technical, super light tents like this are on the wrong side of $500. The Copper Spur UL1 is $770, which is $160 cheaper than the UL2 and it saves just under 300g in the process. They’re both freestanding, so that’s no contest, and the UL2 counters a decent gripe by having a second door.

Paying more for lighter stuff goes against our instincts, but a lot of work goes into saving grams

But it is bigger, both its footprint and its packability, and 300g is actually quite a lot if your base weight is in the lightweight range – between 5 and 9kg. The big question I’d ask is how often will you really use that two person capability? If you snore like me, the answer is ‘not at all’.

As for the price itself, compared to something like Zorali’s $500 Summit Seeker the Copper Spur UL1 feels expensive. But you’re getting the cutting edge of weight savings while enjoying the convenience of pockets, a freestanding design, and not carrying bloody trekking poles to set it up. As Peter Garett would say, ‘You’ve got the best of both worlds’.

Final Thoughts

It’s been a steep learning curve downsizing myself into a smaller tent – it’s so easy to just spread out in luxury when you don’t have to share. That being said, it’s also been satisfying. The Copper Spur UL1 offers just enough comfort and practicality whilst taking my pack weight to an all time low, and I can throw it up almost anywhere.

There’s a distinct feeling of purpose when I use it and the level of protection it offers is astounding for something so small and light. It’s an old adage that you’ll fill any pack you bring, no matter the size, and the UL1 feels like it maintains that philosophy. Just enough space for everything you need and nothing you don’t. And yes, I need the chair.