Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 XL Tent Review
Ultralight and ultra-luxurious don’t usually go hand in hand, but the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 XL ($700) comes impressively close. This extra-large, 3-person tent boasts a spacious floorplan, tall ceiling, and steep sidewalls—making it feel more like a backcountry cabin than a trimmed-down shelter. As expected from a Big Agnes tent, it also sets up intuitively and has plentiful pockets to help you stay organized. For hikers and campers who want to stretch out without tacking on too many extra ounces, it’s a worthy upgrade from the standard 2- or 3-person Copper Spur.
Design Type
Freestanding
Packaged weight
4 lb.
Floor Area
48 sq. ft.
Floor dimensions
96 x 72 in.
Peak height
45 in.
Capacities
1, 2, 2XL, 3, 3XL, 4, 5P
Pros
Cons
Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 XL
For this season's top models, see our guide to the Best Backpacking Tents.
I may be overly accustomed to ultralight 2-person tents where cuddling your tentmate is part of the deal, but the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 XL felt borderline luxurious. I shared the tent with one friend (we’re both 6 feet tall), and the interior felt downright spacious—with extra room at the head and foot for stashing clothes, camera gear, and other extras. The generous peak height and steep walls also gave us plenty of room to sit up and change without constantly bumping into the tent walls—or each other. That said, squeezing in a third person would definitely be cozy.
The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 XL measures 96 inches long, which makes no secret of where the “XL” moniker comes from (our version was branded as the more accurate “UL3 Long”). For comparison, most backpacking tents max out around 88 inches. It’s also 72 inches wide from head to toe, whereas the standard UL3 tapers from 70 to 62 inches (the UL4 is 86 in. wide). Add in a peak height of 45 inches—taller than most lightweight tents—and you’ve got a livable, roomy interior that genuinely feels like an upgrade from a standard 3-person tent. If you’re willing to carry the extra ounces, the UL3 XL is a spacious option for parties of two—or two and a small child—and passable for parties of three.
The Copper Spur UL3 XL clocks in at 4 pounds even—which sounds heavier than it feels. I was impressed by how light this tent felt for how much livable space it offers. My climbing partner and I used it as a basecamp tent while climbing in Cochamó, Chile for three weeks; while we weren’t hauling it around every day, the few times we did schlep it in and out of the valley with fully loaded packs, the tent was the least of our concerns. It packed easily into its included stuff sack and tucked into a corner of my backpacking pack. With a compression sack, you could easily get it even smaller.
The Copper Spur UL2 is a classic benchmark for a lightweight yet well-rounded backpacking tent, weighing in around 3 pounds. But if you’re traveling as a party of three, sharing space with a pup, or just want a little extra room, it’s worth stepping up to a 3-person tent. In this category, the UL3 XL threads the needle well. You can go lighter with the Nemo Hornet 3P (3 lb. 5 oz.), but you’ll sacrifice space—it’s 8 inches shorter and 10 inches narrower at the feet, with less headroom due to its sloped ceiling. The Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL3 is even lighter at 2 pounds 15 ounces but has an even tighter floor plan. On the flip side, the MSR Hubba Hubba LT 3 has a similarly roomy footprint (shorter but wider), but weighs significantly more at 4 pounds 13 ounces. All told, if you’re looking for a 3-person tent that strikes a smart balance between livability and weight, the Copper Spur UL3 XL is hard to beat.
I lived out of the Copper Spur UL3 XL for nearly three weeks in Chile’s Cochamó Valley—a notoriously wet and rainy temperate rainforest in northern Patagonia. I’ll admit I was skeptical that a tent this light would hold up, and so were some friends (“You’re taking that tent to Patagonia?”) But to my surprise, the Copper Spur handled the rain impressively well.
Big Agnes’ new Hyperbead fabric—which they claim is 6% lighter, 25% more waterproof, and 65% stronger than traditional materials—kept the rain out effectively. Multiple guy-out points helped maintain airflow, kept the fly off the tent body, and added structure in gusty winds. We sat through a full 24-hour downpour without a single drip making it inside. That said, we had to be careful in the mornings—after the wettest nights, even the inner side of the rainfly was damp to the touch, which is pretty standard in sustained wet weather. And while the tent felt a little humid on rainy nights, we never had any serious issues with condensation, thanks to high vents on the fly and a two-way slider on the vestibule door.
Big Agnes recommends pairing the Copper Spur with a footprint for added durability and protection (sold separately). We picked one up for the trip, and it attached easily via the color-coded grommets. But even our reinforced setup wasn’t totally foolproof in Cochamó’s soggy conditions. After several days of heavy rain, a bit of moisture crept in under my sleeping pad, although it was only in one spot and never enough to cause more than a mild annoyance. Cochamo’s notorious weather truly put the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 XL to the test, and it stood up to some seriously wet conditions better than expected.
The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 XL strikes a solid balance between ultralight design and dependable durability. It features a combination 15- and 20-denier floor, fly, and canopy—common numbers for ultralight tents and noticeably thinner than more robust backpacking tent models, which often use 68-denier materials for the floor alone. The floor and fly are made from Big Agnes’ new Hyperbead nylon, which the brand claims is lighter and stronger than standard materials—and my impression was that this might actually be true. We paired the tent with the matching footprint (sold separately), which adds a thicker 30-denier layer under the floor and offers some nice peace of mind when pitching on rocky ground. The high-quality aluminum poles also feel confidence-inspiring, and the UL3 XL gets a thicker pole diameter than the standard UL3 to support the larger structure.
Despite the tent’s light and almost delicate feel, I never doubted its durability in the field. I’m not particularly gentle on gear—I used three different tents on our Patagonia trip and put holes in two of them within days. But the Copper Spur came out unscathed. From the fabrics to the zippers to the pole structure, every component felt high-quality and held up to nearly three weeks of continuous use (and frequent packing and unpacking) without a single tear or failure. For an ultralight tent, that’s saying something.
Setting up the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 XL couldn’t be much easier, even under less-than-ideal conditions. My first pitch was solo, in the dark, at the end of a long day—and just as it started to rain. Still, setup was quick and intuitive thanks to the freestanding design and single-pole architecture. The four main arms connect via a central hub, and a short brow pole adds structure over the doors. Everything is color-coded—including the pole tips, webbing tabs, and rainfly buckles—making it hard to get wrong, even when you’re exhausted. Tear-down is just as smooth: The tent and fly roll up like a burrito around the poles and stake bag, and the included compression sack secures the bundle neatly with plastic buckles and straps. It’s a refreshingly simple system compared to the standard stuff-sack squeeze.
For an ultralight tent, the Copper Spur felt incredibly livable and well thought out. Inside, there’s a surprising amount of storage: beyond the standard corner pockets for a headlamp or phone, there are huge mesh dump pockets overhead at both ends. They span the full width of the tent and easily held clothes, books, snacks, and camera batteries without sagging—though if I overloaded the one above my head, it did get a little annoying when sitting up. Still, the amount of usable storage made a big difference in comfort during our three-week stay in Cochamó. The vestibules were also super spacious; I could stash my fully loaded 55-liter pack on one side and still have room to get in and out on the other. I liked the door keepers on both the tent body and rainfly (once I figured them out), and while the rainfly awning setup with trekking poles was a bit finicky, it worked well when it held. All in all, it’s one of the most user-friendly tents I’ve used, especially considering how light it is.
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PFAS-Free DWR
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Repair Services
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Resale and/or Recycling Services
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MSR Hubba Hubba LT 3 ($650): Mo’ Ounces, Mo’ Space
The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 XL may win on the scale, but the MSR Hubba Hubba LT 3 gives it a run for its money in overall livability and versatility. For 13 ounces more, it’s 3 inches wider throughout and cuts 6 inches off the Copper Spur's length, which won’t be much of a hangup for all but the tallest users. The big kicker, though, is its more robust pole structure, which creates taller walls at the head and foot ends for significantly more headroom throughout. This, plus the more square floorplan, allows you to choose between two sleeping options: Arrange three sleepers in the standard, lengthwise setup, or fit four sleepers head-to-foot with the doors. Yes, the Hubba Hubba adds a few ounces to your base weight, but if you're planning to regularly fill your tent with three adults—or two adults and two kids—those extra ounces buy you a lot of versatility. For more, read our review of the MSR Hubba Hubba LT 3.
Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL3 ($580): Ultralight or Bust
For a 3-person tent that’s truly “ultralight or bust,” check out Big Agnes’ Tiger Wall UL3. It weighs in at just 2 pounds 15 ounces—over a pound lighter than the Copper Spur UL3 XL—and pulls it off with slightly thinner materials (15D canopy) and a much more compromised living space. While the Copper Spur keeps things civilized for three with a 96 by 72-inch floor plan and 45-inch peak height, the Tiger Wall is only 88 inches long and tapers from 66 inches at the head to 60 inches at the foot. Its 42-inch peak height also slopes noticeably toward the sides, limiting usable headroom. And unlike the fully freestanding Copper Spur, the Tiger Wall is semi-freestanding and requires solid anchors to achieve a proper pitch, which can be challenging on rock slabs or snow. It’s a solid pick for ounce-counters, but most users will appreciate the Copper Spur’s added livability for the extra weight. For more, read our Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 review.
The extra-long, 3-person version of one of our favorite backpacking tents, the Copper Spur UL3 XL finds the delicate balance between ultralight and ultra-luxurious. It’s a great option for couples or those traveling with a small child or furry friend.
The Hubba Hubba LT 3 is our favorite high-capacity design, with a versatile layout that’s roomy for three and workable for a family of four. The tent is airy and features standout interior storage, but the thin fabrics and high price tag make it best for committed backpackers.
Interior Space
Weight & Packed Size
Weather Protection
Durability
Ease of Use
Sustainability
The popular semi-freestanding Tiger Wall is superlight and a decent value. We found the 2-person design is feathery enough for solo hiking, which might be its best use case: It’s a tight fit for two sleepers. We’d also rate the tent even higher if it were more durable.
Interior Space
Weight & Packed Size
Weather Protection
Durability
Ease of Use
Sustainability
Is the Copper Spur UL3 XL for You?
Generally speaking, the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 XL is one of those rare ultralight tents that doesn’t sacrifice creature comforts. It offers excellent interior space, smart storage, intuitive setup, and solid weather protection—all while staying impressively light and packable. Thru-hikers, weekend backpackers, and even basecamp-style car campers will appreciate how easily it disappears into a pack and how roomy it feels once pitched. If you’ve been burned before by tents that felt like glorified bivy sacks, this one will feel like a palace.
That said, the ultralight purists may find it too hefty, and the price tag is undeniably steep. If you’re counting every ounce or on a tight budget, there are more minimal—and more affordable—options out there. But if your goal is to minimize weight without giving up livability, especially for two people (or three in a pinch), the UL3 XL is one of the best all-around 3-season tents I’ve used. It’s a tent that makes long trips feel sustainable, short trips feel luxurious, and every setup feels like a win.
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