The Fly Creek 2 Platinum is the lighter version of the
Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2, which weighs 3.6 ounces more. The Platinum uses a lighter floor and fly material and has all mesh walls instead of partial solid nylon walls.
Weight and Packed Size
The Platinum is the lightest tent included in our
Backpacking Tent Review. It narrowly beats the Terra Nova Solar Photon 2, its closest competitor, by two ounces, excluding stakes. The Platinum is the second most compact tent, beaten only by the Terra Nova Solar Photon 2. The models in our
Ultralight Tent Review are far lighter and more compact than either the Platinum or Solar Photon. If you're really after weight savings we recommend considering one of the shelters tested in that review.
Weather Resistance
The standard and platinum versions of the Fly Creek 2 offer excellent weather protection. Their slim design cuts through high winds well, especially when the rear end faces into the wind. Clips on both sides connect the inner tent to the outer tent, which helps to pull the inner tent walls out, increasing strength and interior space slightly. This is a common feature on tents with similar designs; the Mountain Hardwear SuperMega, Brooks Range Foray, and others do the same. Our testers primarily used the Fly Creek Platinum in the Sierra Nevada, enduring several large summer hail storms, and for a trip in Alaska's Brooks Range, where campsites often have little protection from high winds.
The Big Agnes Fly Creek 2 Platinum in the Brooks Range, Alaska. Note that the small vestibule barely covers one backpack.
Credit: OutdoorGearLab
Both versions of the Fly Creek use an excellent pole design that's surprisingly livable for its weight. Two of our six-foot-tall testers sleep comfortably inside. Two slim pockets store nighttime essentials and a tiny vestibule offers enough storage space to stash a pair of shoes and a wet rain jacket.
Durability
Like all ultralight double wall tents, the Fly Creek is not durable. It uses an ultralight ripstop nylon that's coated with silicone on the outside and polyurethane on the inside. Although the Platinum's material is high quality, fabrics coated with silicone on both sides are generally much stronger and more durable. This author can rip the Platinum's floor and fly fabric with his bare hands, something that's only possible with two of the 24 tents tested. The Platinum's material is weak compared to the silnyons and cuben fibers found on
ultralight tents.
The Fly Creek Platinum uses an ultralight fabric that is among the weakest found on any of the tents we've tested.
Credit: OutdoorGearLab
Lightweight bike touring and backpacking.
Value
The Platinum is a poor value (see our
Price versus Value Chart). Spending $230 (more than the standard Fly Creek) to save 3.6 ounces is a very expensive way to save weight. Even though this is the lightest double wall tent we've tested we believe the standard
Tarptent Double Rainbow and the
Terra Nova Solar Photon 22 are better values. If your objective is ultralight backpacking consider an
ultralight tent.
