Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3 Review

The Copper Spur HV UL3 offers a lot of versatility and is designed to accommodate three people. However, its light weight means it is still a reasonable load if split between two. This tent takes a top spot against other three-person options and even performs well relative to other 2-person tents.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

This tent has its comfort pros and cons. We love the two large doors on each side, which make entering and exiting the tent easy. Some of our testers find the dual-zipper configuration a little inconvenient because it requires two hands and a little more time to open and close, but this is a minor inconvenience. On the flip side, the (minor) benefit is that if you are lying down and realize you need to grab something from the vestibule, the zippers are already in the right position to open just a little bit to stick out your arm.

The gear storage pockets are a huge plus. There are two massive pockets, one overhead and an even larger one at the foot end, for storing a ton of gear. Small side pockets also help organize items that you might want to have close at hand. At 70 inches at the head, the Spur UL3 is just a nudge wider than other 3-person tents that we've tested in the past. With a 43-inch peak height, it falls in the middle, but it does bump the length up to 90 inches from the 2-person's 88 inches. The Spur also comes with pre-bent poles to maximize interior volume. All good so far.

The drawback is the taper — it's a much tighter 62 inches at the foot. For context, a standard sleeping pad is 20" inches wide, so three of them take up just about every bit of wall-to-wall space at the foot. This geometry serves to save weight and keep the tent feeling roomy without sacrificing the more crucial head-and-shoulder space. In the two-person version, it's a real asset (reducing overall weight without diminishing the feel of the interior volume).

However, you notice the narrower dimensions much more with three people, especially if that middle person is sleeping head-to-toe (also worth noting is that the privacy panel tapers and disappears entirely on the sidewalls of the tent at the foot). It is a cozy fit for three people.

Weather Resistance

We like the Copper Spur HV UL3 for its weather resistance. The stakes at the head and foot create some space between the tent body and the fly so that they don't touch in the rain. The vestibule is super adaptable. The fly doors can be opened up into awnings that are stabilized with a set of trekking poles (though depending on what time of day you roll into camp, you may or may not find it worth it to do that particular dance). There are also a lot of in-between configurations that the doors can take, allowing you to control the balance between ventilation and protection from wind and rain.

There is also enough of a bathtub floor that splashback above the waterproof PU-coated ripstop nylon is minimal. The tent comes with a guyline and tensioners already installed on the fly. Though there is nothing exceptional about them over other tent guylines, in practice, having them pre-attached is a huge benefit because you are much more likely to use them. We pitched ours in heavily forested areas, but there are a fair number of reports that the Copper Spur doesn't always hold its own in high winds. Though the fly is admirably waterproof, it does also seem to retain more water for a little longer than its ultralight counterparts.

Weight

This metric is where this tent makes its worth evident. Its dimensions are meant for three (or two plus a dog), but its sub-four-pound packed weight also makes it reasonable for two people to carry. If you are into the fast-fly approach and don't mind shelling out for the footprint, then you can cut the weight down even more to right around three pounds.

This tent is versatile exactly because of how lightweight it is. If you are on the fence between a two- or a three-person shelter, the Copper Spur HV UL3 can do the job either way without adding too much extra weight if it's just two of you. If you are considering roomier two-person options and could afford the (considerable) premium, we would recommend this version instead; it's wider and lighter than either of those other options (by a lot).

Durability

This tent has decent durability, but at the end of the day, you have to remember that it uses materials that are meant to reduce weight. The material is strong for its weight, but it is still susceptible to punctures.

The Spur is made of quality materials, and we had no major durability issues with it during testing. If you want to make it last, though, we recommend getting a relatively inexpensive piece of plastic contractor tarp, Tyvek wrap, or polycro to protect the bottom.

Ease of Set-Up

The Copper Spur HV UL3 is easy to set up, even for one person. It offers a fairly typical structure: two primary poles in the shape of an X connect at a metal hub at the apex, with each end of the poles fitting into a teardrop-shaped hole at the corner of the tent that secures it from sliding out.

A cross pole runs the tent's width to increase lateral space for sitting up. It comes with a color-coded fly clip and pole design, so you always know how to orient each of the pieces before attaching them.

Our only note of caution is that this tent also comes with generic-looking grey shovel stakes. They are effective and bend-resistant, but they don't come with any reflective or colorful cord attached, as many other stakes often do, so we recommend attaching some before you head out so you don't lose any in the duff.

Packed Size

The Spur HV UL3 packs down to 21 x 6 inches, which is smaller than some of our larger 2-person competitors. Split three ways, it averages out to just over a pound and a quarter per person. If the number in your party changes or you like to bring your pup, this is a great option.

Should You Buy the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3?

The value of this tent primarily depends on whether or not you are going to take advantage of its versatility. If you are looking for a roomy two-person option that can also fit a dog at your feet, there are some great tents in this review that won't cost you nearly as much. However, if you could see yourself using it equally as either a two- or three-person shelter, then this is a valuable tent to own. It's a great option for a couple that is equally likely to go for a weekend car camping trip as they are to hoof it into the backcountry.

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