Restful sleep is essential to putting on the miles day after day. Ever noticed how it takes a while to get used to falling asleep in a new place? That definitely happens to me. But one thing I have observed during my bicycle tours is that even though the tent I’m sleeping in is in a new place each night, the tent itself doesn’t change. Having that consistent environment makes up for new locations each night. So, for me, this makes the tent is one of the most important purchases for a bicycle tour.
I did a lot of research before deciding on the Copper Spur UL 2 tent for our touring tent.
First off, the pros:
- Two “rainbow” doors, one on each side. This means that we each had a side to enter and exit the tent, and weren’t crawling over each other to get in and out. This turned out to be even better than I thought it would.
- The one person tent only has one door and vestibule.
- The tent, rainfly, and poles weigh in at 1400 g. and the 2014 version coming in 125 g. lighter. This tent is truly lightweight.
- Easy to set up and take down (even with just one person). At the end of the day, this tent went up quickly with either one or two of us setting it up.
- Head space.
- Matt is 6’2” and I’m 5’6” and there was plenty of headroom for both of us to sit up in the tent. Previous lightweight tents that we’ve had skimped on headspace to save weight, but the Copper Spur left more than enough room for comfort.
- Adequate ventilation.
- Nothing is worse than waking up to bedding that is saturated with condensation. We found no problems with this tent throughout our entire tour.
- Durable.
- Stood up to 60+mph winds on our most recent tour.
Cons:
- Footprint
- Does not provide protection against thorns
- Not included with the tent/needs to be purchased separately
- Color
- The bright orange doesn’t lend very well to stealth camping.
What’s changed on the 2014 model: The 2014 model is very similar to last year’s model, only slightly lighter. We have not had a chance to try the new version out.
We highly recommend this tent for bicycle touring. The Big Agnes Copper Spur comes in a single person as well as three-man and four -man versions. The single might be a bit small for a larger (taller) person, so keep that in mind. What are some things you look for in a tent? Let us know in the comments below!
Disclaimer: This review contains my personal opinions. I have not received any compensation by the manufacturer for this review. This review is for informational purposes only. If you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we will receive a small commission.