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Is The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4 A Top Quality Tent?

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Brandon

This tent hasn’t received much feedback over the years, so I thought I’d give my own Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4 Tent review, to give you a little insight as to how this tent performs in the wilderness.

I want to see if this tent is set out to be just as good as the company claims it to to be, or if you will be wasting your hard-earned money and time on it.

It is by no means on the cheaper side, which is all the more reasons to see exactly how it performs before diving in and handing over your cash.

Find out what this tent is like by reading my full review below 🙂

Functionality

half star

Waterproof

Strength

My Final Rating

half star

Provides a lot of pockets, features, storage areas – and in addition to that, it’s an ULTRALIGHT tent This is one of those tents that can handle some RAGING thunderstorms. There will be no rain getting inside of this tent. Period Stands like a house in strong winds! That’s no exaggeration either. However, the outside material catches dust and dirt quite easily I gave it 4 stars due to it having a lot of features. It can stand up against the elements in a cinch and works exactly as advertised

Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4 Tent With Rain Fly On

 The Good The Bad
  •  It can handle 70+ MPH gusts of wind and sustained winds of 45 MPH for long periods of time
  • It’s an ultralight tent, and has been found to be easy to pitch by many users – just as advertised
  • It contains a lot of storage pockets – 10 all up. While there’s 2 doors and 2 vestibule areas to hold your gear
  • The zippers function the way they’re suppose to and have been known to last a long time!
  • The rain fly is HUGE and works perfectly, as it comes right down to the ground. This makes the tent very waterproof
  • It’s packed with so many features – The vertical walls, 2 doors, all-mes roof and walls, and much more
  •  The durability might be an issue, so it’s recommended to buy the footprint to help protect your investment
  • The material of the tent is easily stained from mother nature (dirt, sand, etc). You will need to wash it regularly to keep it in tip top condition

Summary: This tent doesn’t have the strongest material and the footprint is sold separately, so it is more recommended for backpacking only – basically for outings where you want to go ultralight – because that is where it performs the best. It does keep you bone dry and it CAN withstand strong gusts of winds too.

price-button

Specifications


Product name: Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4 Tent
Cheapest Place To Buy: Amazon.com
Color: Terra Cotta/Silver
Size: 4-person
Rating: 3-season
Trail Weight: 5lb 5oz
Packaged Weight:
 5lb 12oz
Center Height:
 4.1 ft
Floor Size: 8 ft x 7.1 ft
Floor Area: 57 Sq. ft
Vestibule Area: 13.5 Sq. ft
Packed Size: 7 x 7 x 24 inches

Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4 Tent Packed In Carry Case

Product Overview


The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4 Tent has been described as extremely easy to pack, unpack, and pitch, due to the Featherlite DAC hub-style pole system.

For those of you who don’t know, UL stands for Ultralight.

It’s absolutely PACKED with features, allowing you have a better outdoor experience.

They have created this tent with vertical walls and a horizontal crosspiece. Basically, it provides much more livability than what traditional tents offer.

A family can sit up when inside this tent without hitting the roof or walls.

So they claim that it can sleep 4 people without a problem, meaning you won’t have to be lined up like sardines

Furthermore, they provide REFLECTIVE guy lines and a webbing system so you have much more visibility at nighttime, allowing you to see where your lines are so you don’t trip over them.

Make It Even Lighter?

Yes! You can pitch the poles and rain fly on its own.

Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4 Tent Without Body

Of course this is for more advanced campers who want to travel with the least amount of weight as possible.

However, the footprint is sold separately. But that doesn’t stop it from being a good idea if you want to leave the body behind.

Entry and Exit


This tent offers a door on each side of it, resulting in 2 doors total.

So there’s no need to climb over your camping partner in the middle of the night 😛

They aren’t your traditional “D-shaped” doors either, these are more “n” shaped, while providing an easy entry and exit, if I must say so myself.

Storage


Each door has their own vestibule area. So there is 2 large vestibules all up.

They are created to provide room so you have somewhere to place your gear (backpacks, boots, smelly/dirty laundry, etc).

What I like about these is that they are huge, so even if you have a lot of gear stored in them, it’s still easy to get in and out of the tent!

Furthermore, there are 8 mesh pockets located everywhere inside the tent (roof and walls!). These are good for keeping your more important items close by.

The (2) individual media pockets and cord ports are for your phone, music player, earphones, etc.

They are a lot smaller than the mesh pockets, but they also work incredibly well.

Ventilation


Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4 Tent Without Rain Fly

The full mesh walls has SPECIFICALLY been designed to keep the air circulating so there won’t be any condensation buildup. It allows you to get panoramic views of the outdoor world!

The roof of this tent consists of mesh material as well, giving you the ability to stargaze the clear night sky if you choose to do so.

If it gets too humid during the daytime, the 2 doors provide a very nice cross-breeze.

Weatherproofing


The ripstop nylon fly contains storm flaps, which are located over the zippers. This stops cold air/wind from coming in.

There are also taped seams to ensure no rain will leak through and into the tent.

When leaks start, they do not stop. This is why one leak alone can create a massive puddle in your tent and soak your bedding – or your gear if you kept it in there.

What I Like About The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4 Tent


For an ultralight tent, I’m surprised the rain fly is  so high quality!

Often times when you see an expensive, ultralight tent like this one, the rain fly is usually fragile, meaning it’s prone to rip easily.

That is simply not the case with this tent, I like that 🙂

Who Should Buy This Tent?


If you’re planning on going backpacking in conditions like heavy winds, or even harsh rainstorms, then this is for you – due to it being really lightweight.

But if you want to go CAMPING, meaning you are taking the car, you’re better of checking out this tent instead, since weight isn’t an issue when you go car camping.

Best Place To Buy?


The best place to purchase this tent is from Amazon.com.

If you shop online often, you probably already know that they offer the cheapest prices, fast deliveries, and even a 30-day return policy!

The 30-day return policy is like a money-back guarantee.

Within those 30 days, if you don’t like the tent, simply send it back for a full refund.

And if you experience a rip, puncture, or any other defect on the product, you can get a repair – no questions asked.

Check The Best Deals/Pricing Plans On Amazon!

Do I Recommend The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4 Tent?


Because it’s on the more expensive side of tents, I would only recommend it for backpacking.

Basically, it is best saved for backpacking outings, since you’ll want to protect your investment as much as possible.

I highly recommend using a separate tent for car camping if you have a spare tent to do it with!

If you’re STRICTLY looking for a tent for backpacking, then this one is definitely for you.

It is very lightweight, keeps you safe from the elements, and works wonders when you’re counting on it the most!

The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4 Tent deserves a BIG THUMBS UP! Highly recommended!

Alternative Tent


The Kelty Gunnison 4.3 Tent weighs a little more (8 lbs 15 oz packed weight).

It will still keep you bone dry in heavy rain and it won’t blow over in strong winds either.

This is more preferred if you aren’t going backpacking, simply because it is much cheaper and performs like a BOSS for car or motorcycle camping.

My Final Opinion


The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4 Tent has been created as a backpacking tent, so that’s what you should use it for.

Do NOT use it for car camping, UNLESS you don’t have a spare tent.

However, it is entirely up to you, as it performs extremely well for any outdoor adventure (not including in the snow).

All I’m trying to do here is help you save on your investment. simply by only using it when you NEED to, you are minimizing wear and tear and making it last longer.

Anyway, let’s wrap up this review.

Due to the large amount of weatherproofing abilities that this tent offers, and because it’s extremely lightweight – while the cons aren’t much of a big deal either, this tent is highly recommended!

Check Its Availability And Pricing Details Here

12 thoughts on “Is The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4 A Top Quality Tent?”

  1. Gaylene Nepia says:
    March 8, 2017 at 2:59 pm

    Hi Brandon,

    Thanks for the great review. This tent would be perfect for me – anything that is lightweight and easy to put up, suits me just fine. With all the features this tent has to offer, I would expect to pay a bit more so the price didn’t surprise me at all. And it’s a great looking tent. Thanks so much for the information 🙂

    Reply
    1. Brandon says:
      March 11, 2017 at 8:36 am

      Well you’ll love this one since it IS lightweight and really simple to set up. You are correct, Gaylene – don’t expect this tent to have a low price tag because you will definitely be let down. But that’s why it’s so light and contains so many great features. Cheers!

      -Brandon

      Reply
  2. Veronica McCarthy says:
    March 8, 2017 at 3:26 pm

    I love the look of this tent and your review hit all the details I needed to know. I really love the glowing lead lines. I can’t say how many times I have tripped over one of them in the middle of the night but it has been a lot! What a great idea!! But since I have a big family, (6 kids) and I never know how many kids/grandkids will be coming with me, I usually need a bigger tent. Which tent would you recommend for a large family? Thanks, Veronica

    Reply
    1. Brandon says:
      March 11, 2017 at 8:48 am

      Hello Veronica,

      Guy lines can get really annoying, especially when you have kids (well we know how clumsy they are), and it takes multiple trips BEFORE they start considering them a hazard – and by that time, there’s already minimal damage to the tent.

      Because you have to remember, multiple yanks on the lines aren’t good for the tent – and if it keeps happening, you might permanently damage it.

      Of course, the CORE 6 Instant Tent fits 6 people. But if you want to fit 6 people – comfortably, you’re better off going with the CORE 12.

      Hope you find a tent to fit your needs.
      Cheers!

      -Brandon

      Reply
  3. Damien says:
    March 10, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    Thanks for your thorough review on this tent. I’m not sure if it’s the same one I was looking at in store though. I think I might buy it online because it appears to be cheaper. Thanks for pointing me in that direction.

    All the best!

    Reply
    1. Brandon says:
      March 12, 2017 at 8:50 am

      Hey Damien,

      Amazon provide cheaper options and great bonuses to make online shopping that much easier, which is why I can’t stress enough how great Amazon is. But it is completely up to you on where you want to purchase your tent.

      Cheers,
      Brandon

      Reply
  4. Rose says:
    March 10, 2017 at 11:58 pm

    Great informative article on this style tent. I think it would be a great back packers tent or even those people that ride around on their bike and need a light tent.
    When we went travelling around NZ we saw lots of those kinds of tents being used by bike riders and they pitch them up in the forest. The last thing you need is carrying around a heavy tent when storage is tight and you don’t need it to last forever.

    it’s good that you explained about needing the bottom, cause sometimes you just assume it comes with those things automatically.

    I like your website,,, keep up the great work.
    Rose

    Reply
    1. Brandon says:
      March 12, 2017 at 8:54 am

      You are correct, Rose. It has actually been designed for backpackers, but it will still definitely work for campers or people that ride on their bike, too.

      I am actually from New Zealand have has seen these people – many times before. Although I haven’t seen anyone with this exact tent yet.

      Oh and thank you very much for your comment 🙂

      Reply
  5. Owain says:
    March 11, 2017 at 5:07 am

    I commend you on a thorough review of this tent. I was looking for a tent for me, my wife and two kids. Although from this description I can see that it is not for us. However, I’ll be sharing this with my two brothers who would appreciate this type of tent. They very much like walking so I feel that this tent would be ideal for them.

    Thanks,
    Owain

    Reply
    1. Brandon says:
      March 11, 2017 at 8:25 am

      Great, Owain! It is more recommended for backpacking due to it being so lightweight. But if you’re looking to go car camping, it still does a great job. However, there are cheaper alternatives since weight isn’t an issue when you go car camping.

      Thanks for stopping by.

      -Brandon

      Reply
  6. Adam says:
    March 12, 2017 at 7:47 pm

    Hi Brandon,

    Wow an ability to withstand 70 MPH gusts that’s impressive. Many trees can’t even handle that, and I also impressed by the size of the floor space, and yet it can pack up relatively small. Very well written mate, thanks for the info.

    Cheers,
    Adam.

    Reply
    1. Brandon says:
      March 13, 2017 at 9:10 am

      I know right! It is really STURDY, especially for a tent. Well you know where to come if you ever need a decent tent 🙂

      Reply

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