Tents

Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 XL Tent | Review

A spacious, lightweight tent for backpackers seeking comfort and durability.

The Copper Spur series from Big Agnes has been hugely popular amongst backpackers for a numbers of years, with plenty of praise for its roomy, high-ceilinged interior, excellent feature-set and its lightweight design and packability. As of 2025, the entire line has been updated, with Big Agnes adding their newly developed HyperBead fabric technology. This, they say is 6% lighter, 25% more waterproof, and 50% stronger than traditional materials and ultimately reduces the weight of their tents while enhancing their durability and weather resistance.

The Top Line

This XL version of the two-person Copper Spur UL2 XL offers a heck of a lot of space, but without much of a weight penalty, weighing just 1.45kg altogether. That’s all thanks to the extremely high-spec materials deployed here. To me, it’s about as luxurious as a two-person backpacking tent can get.

Buy The Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 UL XL Tent: £600 at Ellis-brigham.com

The Context of Our Review
A confession. At the time of writing, I’ve only used this for one campout during our Outdoor 100 Test Trip in Eryri, North Wales. That being said, I really liked what I saw from this and I’ve decided it fits the bill for a month-long European backpacking trip I’ve got coming up with my partner. We want something that’s lightweight, roomy, reliable, easy to pitch on hard ground and usable with just the inner. As this ticks all those boxes, it’ll be coming with us and I’ll update this review following that month away.

Key Features

Design

This pitches inner first, meaning it can be used without the flysheet on warm and dry nights. Big Agnes do also sell a footprint that lets you pitch the tent without the inner – tarp style. It’s a freestanding tent, so it’s great for using on very hard or sandy ground.

High-Spec Materials

The materials this uses are all top notch, with a waterproof silicone and polyurethane coated flysheet and ground mat, 15D polyester mesh, DAC Featherlite NFL poles and ultralight aluminium stakes. There’s also that HyerBead fabric technology too.

Dual Porches

There’s a large porch on either side of the Copper Spur. UL2 XL Each can be propped up with tent stakes to create large awnings for sheltered space to relax and cook.

Storage

Mesh pockets are in abundance on the inside, giving loads of places to stash away gear and keep things organised.

Venting

There’s one large vent at the top of the tent which can be propped open or closed. The doors on the fly also have two-way zippers and the option to prop them up too, of course.

Our team using the tent in the Rhinogydd mountains. Photos: Dave Macfarlane

Pitching

I found this easy and intuitive to pitch the first time I tried it. The colour coding for the poles and pole sockets helps there – they make the process almost foolproof. I’ve also found that it’s very easy to ensure the flysheet is perfectly taut. For me, it takes about 5 minutes to have the Copper Spur up and ready to sleep in.

Buy The Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 UL XL Tent: £600 at Ellis-brigham.com

Durability

The Copper Spur UL uses impressively lightweight materials, and while the fabric feels thin to the touch, it still has a reassuringly tough and high-quality finish. The new HyperBead fabric brings noticeable improvements in waterproofing and tear resistance, which should give it the edge over previous versions. Paired with DAC poles and reinforced stress points, it’s a tent that should handle regular backpacking trips with ease. To me, it’s well-suited to three-season long-distance treks, weekend wild camps, and summer adventures where pack weight and reliable performance both matter.

As the materials are all high-spec, I’d just recommend treating the tent with a little care. If you’re camping with kids, maybe just make sure to brief them not to hang off things! I’ve allowed my dog inside the tent and haven’t had any punctures, but there’s still a risk it could happen if my dog got a bit too overexcited.

Liveability

This is where the Copper Spur UL2 XL really shines. The extra interior space, combined with steep walls and a high ceiling, makes it feel far less claustrophobic than most two-person backpacking tents. There’s enough room to sit up comfortably – not just in the middle of the tent but throughout it – and to spread out your gear without feeling cramped.

There’s easily room for two standard rectangular sleeping mats to fit inside it. You could even fit two of Big Agnes’s luxurious Campmeister Deluxe mats alongside each other. I’m 5 foot 10 and even on a very thickly padded sleeping mat, I get plenty of clearance over my head.

You can fully open up the porch or, in windy conditions, open up a side that isn’t exposed.

Packed Size

The burrito-style stuff sack is also made from lightweight materials. I found it very easy to pack the tent away into this, even when the tent was wet. You can roll it up and stash it, but I found just stuffing it all in worked just fine. All packed up, the Copper Spur 2 UL XL is about the size of a small yoga mat or a 2-litre bottle, so it will easily fit into or onto a backpacking pack.

Verdict

So far, I’ve been impressed by what the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 XL offers and I’m looking forward to an extended stay in it. From what I’ve seen, it should be just about the perfect tent for my month-long trip. OK, it’s at the top end in terms of pricing, but it’s definitely a premium product with high performance levels. As I said, I’ll be back here for a full update after putting it to the sword further.