Copper Spur UL 1 Tent - 1 Person, 3 Season

Comments about Copper Spur UL 1 Tent - 1 Person, 3 Season:

I'm a landscape photographer, and love the high away places. Typically I'm camped above tree line in some pretty exposed locations. As my photography gears gets heavier and my age continues to increase (who knew?), I found myself trying to shed some weight from my backpacking gear. I was torn between the Copper Spur and a TarpTent Rainbow 1 (bought 'em both and compared).

If I was still in California mainly hiking in the Sierra Nevada, I probably would have given the TarpTent a try. But here in Colorado where the monsoon rains come all the time, I figured I should have something a bit more sturdy. Even though there was almost a pound difference, I returned the TarpTent (which was hard, it looked very well designed and thought out).The Copper Spur did NOT disappoint!

I tested it right away in the San Juans in three different locations. The first was Island Lake. Camped on tundra. No trees. LOTS of thunder/lighting and rain. This tent didn't budge, nor did I get any condensation completely buttoned down.

Second location was the Blue Lakes-- camped on the side of the knoll to the west of the upper lake. Once again completely exposed. LOTS of wind and CRAZY lighting storm! Lighting was crashing on the peaks all around. First time in my life I actually felt a bit "concerned" about my location. :) The wind came HARD from multiple directions, testing all sides of the tent and vestibule.I had forgotten to bring my Nook, and I was in the tent for hours and hours. As I sat there (yes, you can sit, I'm 6'0"), I tried to figure out which side was most vulnerable. Really, I couldn't see any weaknesses. The pole setup has each corner rock solid. Whatever side the wind comes from (including vestibule side, which it did), it seems like it would be fine.

Third location was in the Uncompahgre Wilderness. Hiked out of Engineer Pass, camped in a completely exposed area again. Stormed all day, all night. LOTS of rain and wind and HAIL. Hail slammed me extremely hard, and the tent stood strong. Couldn't see any damage afterward. This, though, was the only time I had a slight problem. The air vent is right above the head, and because of the sideways winds, water came up under the air vent and a couple drops hit my (Exped) air pillow, with the air vent CLOSED.

And YES, one of my only luxuries, the air pillow. I should've done it YEARS AGO!!! No more headaches the first night, no more clothes moving around and flattening in my stuff sack... SO WORTH IT!!

DOOR DESIGN - And I figured out the door design (why the full arch). With winds whipping from all directions multiple nights, I realized that I can set up my vestibule to have either side staked down (pretty typical). The door makes it so that it's easier to utilize either side of the vestibule, depending on which side is staked down. I didn't really have any problems with the door, just let it hang inside the tent. I've had other tents with other types of doors-- when you're 6'0", no matter how you slice it, flyin' creatures can get in when you open the door to exit or enter. No door will stop that unless you're 3'2" and way skinnier than I'll ever be.

CONS: just the air vent, but I'd venture to say ANY air vent might let in a drop or two with rain and hail being driven sideways into it for a prolonged period of time. Maybe a TINY circle of velcro at each end of the air vent would help, but really it was no big deal. I was FAR more happy that there was no condensation. I'll take the trade for a couple drops of water any day.

VESTIBULE - Okay, and maybe the vestibule is a bit small. I bring my pack inside, but I can see how a very large pack might be tough to squeeze comfortably into the vestibule.

"BOMBPROOF" - I read the term "bombproof" in a lot in reviews, but the term actually came to mind with lighting crashing all around at the upper blue lake. No matter which way the wind hit the tent, it was fine. No poles bent.

ROOMY - Very roomy, too. I brought my pack into the tent each night as well as 10 pounds of photo gear. Exped SynMat UL 7. Not a problem. By the way, kudos to the GraniteGear Blaze AC 60-- VERY surprising pack, very comfortable with substantial weight (photo gear 10lbs, gear, food and water 27+lbs) loved it and will keep it over my tried-and-true Aether 70!

SETUP - EASY. I'd never owned this tent, and had to set up 3 times as storms were bearing down on me. No problem at all, solo. If you're willing to pay for the ground cloth, you can set up in the rain if you set up rain fly first. I did not want to pay for the ground cloth.

POLES/PACKED - poles are a bit odd trying to fold up because it's one big pole system. Not sure if I like that or not. I guess for fast pitch, I would say it's beneficial, which is the point, really.

COST - steep. I bought this with discounts, which made the difference. For the weight, I think it's priced a tad too high. But... I have an amazing tent, so maybe price ain't so bad. Still, if my 15 year old Kelty Windfoil UltraLight 2-person tent was 1 pound lighter, I'd buy it again in a heartbeat. The ONLY (very small) twinge of regret I have is when I think about the price of it. Something to consider. But hey, it's been a while and that final fifty clams that had me sweatin' is long forgotten.

FREESTANDING - What really does that mean? Sure, in my LIVING ROOM that's nice. But in the elements, you gotta stake down. Nice thing about this tent is that there really weren't a ton of stake points needed to keep it standing strong in high winds. I used the included stakes and guys, that's it.

TOUGHER THAN I THOUGHT - Didn't use a ground cloth, but I was on tundra each time. I'll probably get some cheap stuff [like Gossamer Gear Polycryo Ground Cloth] and make one just in case I'm headed for rougher terrain. It seems like the floor should shred, seems thin. But no problems at this point. Rock solid.

OVERALL - worth it IF you are committed to backpacking and you know you'll be doing it for several years. It is definitely an investment. I'd love it if it was $50 cheaper and 6-8 ounces lighter. But I understand the compromise between weight and structure and ROOM. Again, hours and hours and hours in the tent, never felt claustrophobic. But I also like spelunking, so who knows. If you're still reading and not asleep, hope the info helps.

Comments about Copper Spur UL 1 Tent - 1 Person, 3 Season:

I have only used this tent on one trip with no rain so I am not able to comment on the effectiveness of the fly to keep things dry. If the fly is as good as the rest of the tent, then I would rate it 5 stars--I just don't know enough yet to give that rating. I backpack in the mountains of West Texas with my son's Boy Scout troop and was looking for a tent that is reasonably light but has some room and is stout enough to hold up to our rugged and extreme West Texas conditions. I used the tent in early December in the mountains near Ft. Davis. We camped at just under 6,000 and the wind blew steady at 25-30 with routine gusts over 45. I staked the tent corners and the "head" and "foot" fly guys. I did not stake the corner guys--the ground was just too rocky to get all the stakes in. The tent (which is completely free-standing) stretched drum tight and there was no annoying flapping despite the strong winds. The aluminum backbone held up well with no swaying and no tendancy to bend. I am about 6 ft tall and weigh about 185 lbs. I use the long Thermarest Neo Air and this is the first solo tent that I have found that actually is long enough and wide enough at the feet for a long sleeping pad. I liked the ability to sit up comfortably which made changing clothes in the tent much easier. The temps dropped down to just above freezing each night. There is a handy flap on the fly that can be opened for extra ventilation or closed for more warmth. The fly covers the mesh ceiling and walls nicely so, with the vent closed, I got almost no cold drafts and stayed plenty warm in a 20 degree bag. I saw no indications of condensation. The vestibule large enough for a 65L pack and there was enough room in the tent to keep my boots inside with me near my shoulders--there are lots of nasty critters in West Texas that love to make boots left in vestibules their home--so the abiliyt to keep some "stuff" in the tent is important for my uses. I did not buy the footprint but made my own by cutting down a blue tarp. All in, tarp included, carry wieght is about an ounce under 3 lbs., which I think is a great trade off not to feel like I'm sleeping in a coffin. I am anxious to try the tent in the high country in Colorado or New Mexico.

Comments about Copper Spur UL 1 Tent - 1 Person, 3 Season:

What a great tent! Not the lightest on the market but if just under 3 lbs. is too heavy its time to hit the gym. Roomy and plenty comfortable! This tent wont let you down. Easy to set up and a breeze to take down. BA is the way to go.