I own an almost brand new Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 tent.


It only weighs 3 freaking pounds. I've used it maybe 7 nights. And yet I find myself drooling over potential lighter shelter options on BPL.

Let me be clear. Those 7 nights last year were the first 7 nights I've backpacked in over 20 years and they were great. Yet, as I plan for a summer Colorado Trail thru, I still find myself thinking "if I cut half that weight I'll be so much happier"

I bought the tent last year before really discovering BPL. I thought it was incredibly light because it is by branded double-walled tent standards. But now I read about Tarptent and SMD and Zpacks and MLD and Lightheart .... and how light they are.... Somebody help me stop obsessing so I can just go outside and have some fun. I know the UL1 will be a great (if not ultralight) shelter for the CO Trail....

right????

Sorry Eric the there is no cure for ul backpacking obsession exept to lighten your pack as well as your wallet the copper spur will work well you could just try a tarp and lighten your load alot and your wallet less but no matter what there will always be something lighter just go on a trip to get a new shelter off your mind

I'm not in the best position to give advice; I admit I have this problem too!

But there's no need to get rid of your tent just yet. For one, UL backpacking is here to stay and technology usually doesn't go backwards. That is, you can wait a few years, and the SUL tent you buy in the future will be as good or better than the ones available today. Ultralight hiking is a sort of backward movement, though, if you look at where gear makers have taken things.

Also, 3lbs is pretty light already, and you'll probably sleep pretty comfortably in that Big Agnes. It doesn't require wonky trekking poles, either. You say you're new to BPL, so perhaps you could save 2lbs elsewhere, without spending $200+?

On the other hand, I just swapped backpacks plus $40 to save 2lbs... so if you think upgrading(?) the tent will make you a lot happier, do it!

Edited by zackcentury on 04/10/2011 22:40:16 MDT.

I'll take the other side of the argument, swapping your gear for newer/lighter/shinier stuff doesn't have to be expensive. You can likely sell your Big Agnes tent for most of what you paid for it, and this will give you the majority of the funds to buy whatever shelter you now desire. This shiny new tent could only be $50 away. Not always, but a lot of UL gear is cheaper than mainstream stuff (ie. packs) so in some cases you can sell your mainstream gear and buy UL stuff without spending any extra cash.

Crunch the numbers and see how much you think you can sell this for, and see how much your desired shelter costs. You may be able to chop 1-2 lbs off your packweight while spending 0 - $50. Plus getting new gear is super fun. When you switch tents once or twice then you might feel a little guilty. This is just a sign that you need to do it even more to get over that guilt. I've been through 6 tents in the past 2 years and now I barely feel a twinge of guilt when I spend a little more. If a tent I like more comes out, my new tent that I haven't even used yet would be posted in the Gear Swap section ASAP. Plus the more you switch, the less time their is for each tent to depreciate so you lose less money per tent :)

Edited by dandydan on 04/11/2011 00:20:29 MDT.

"if I cut half that weight I'll be so much happier"

Are you sure?

There will always be a lighter, better, tricked-out shelter than what you possess.

Then you will be back to the same condition you find yourself in now, although be it lighter.

I should have known that looking for help here would result in the wrong kind of support :-)

3 out of 4 responses telling me to accept the fate of a BPL member, essentially; each with their own brand of justification. Even William, try as he might to help me see the folly of my ways, ended his post with "although be it lighter."

I'm doomed.

But the idea of "swapping" gear sounds good. I'll give that a shot it a promising shelter comes up on the Gear Swap. And then if I like it, I'll put the Spur up for sale...

Thanks for the support?

Eric:

Send me that Copper Spur and I'll send you my Tarp Tent Sublite and a cuben tarp also. ;-) That way you lighten your load and you don't have to spend any more money.

Problem Solved!

That is a very kind offer, Kevin. However, I hope you will understand if I pass at this time :)

I'm leaning towards a lightly used Lunar Solo or a Hexamid (love to see a lightly used one of these too, but I know how unlikely that is). Either way, I won't be trading in my Copper Spur until I know I'm in love with whatever I try.

You can quickly find yourself always noticing the grass is greener on the other side. Make sure you know what you are getting into before jumping. ;-)

Eric,

You are corect about cutting half the weight. Don't let anyone talk you out of that idea. When you're humping your pack going on 4 days in the southern 1/2 of the CT at 12,000 and sucking wind you'll be glad of every ounce you cut.

Ex. I weighed two of my cook pots, one 3 1/2 cup pot and one 3 cup pot. The new 3 cup pot was 3 ounces lighter. Guess which one I'll be taking on the CT come July?

Yeah, on one or two items I go a bit heavier for comfort's sake. My old Thermarest Lite mattress is 15 oz. but I want a good night's sleep. And my TT Moment solo tent is 29 oz. but it's fast to set up, has a vestibule for my pack and emergency cooking and is VERY wind worthy. Those two items may be a bit "weighty" by UL standards but are truly good by Lightweight standards.

Ya gotta decide what's important (on the trail & in camp) and strike the balance.

Edited by Danepacker on 04/11/2011 17:05:49 MDT.

You snagged me with that thread title.
Of all the sub 3# tents of its type, the CS1 has by far the largest floor area.
David Ure will say the floor area isn't everything - no, but it's room to assume a position other than your final one (unless you choose cremation, of course). CS was a good purchase decision, IMO.
A lot depends on whether you use TWO trekking poles. If not, then the CS1 sounds even better.
A lot depends on whether you are a smaller person, and could be comfortable in one of the European superlight 2-wall tents ($$$!)
There are real tradeoffs for saving more weight. You will be a lot dryer in the CS than in the single walls. There, I said it, and the screen didn't turn blue. If you had time, you could find plenty of information about condensation in the single walls on the web. Just talk to a couple friends who have used one - they will tell you the truth.
Applaud your decision not to part with the CS till you have tried something lighter and find it adequate for your needs. Hope that includes at least one good all night rainstorm.
Does that qualify as support?

Face it. You're going to have that nagging sense of discontent until you explore one of the really UL options. Nagging...nagging...nagging... Who wants to live like that? Shop and Swap. That is the answer.

Nagging...nagging...

I feel your pain. Right now, I have a 2lb Tarptent, 3.5lb double wall, and a 20oz poncho tarp bug net combo. I would love to have a sub 1.5lb shelter system but am having trouble finding one that suits me well. Rotating seems like the only option but can get pricey.

Edited by radio_guy on 04/11/2011 22:47:34 MDT.

My Tatonka Tarp Pyramid is about 3lbs, and I don't think I'll find anything quite as versatile, so until I make a standing height, sub 3lbs tipi, I'll stick with it.

"Its not just about weight!"

Good Lord, Man! This is BPL.

What good is it if it can't be measured in grams and tenths of a gram?

--B.G.--

Everyone makes a few mistakes in the process of finding out what works best for them. It's nice to have a gear swap that takes away some of the penalty for these mistakes. Not many here would argue that you could find a suitably comfortable setup for far less than 3 lb.

It only becomes an inane obsession when you have an ultralight gearlist that works well for you but you can't be happy with it because "shiny" new UL stuff keeps coming out.

My advice- find out what works best for you, repurpose the older stuff, then go hike. No need to become a gear Whore. (No offense to any gear Whores out there).

"David Ure will say the floor area isn't everything"

Thanks for thinking of me.

What I have said is that it is far more important to consider overall volume than simply looking at floor dimensions. It is why A-frame configurations always feel cramped.

Hi,

As other users have said treat its a numbers game, I treat my gear as a commodity the same as I would treat a car or a bike.

If I can get a better item on sale or second hand then it takes the sting out of upgrade cost.

All the best,

Stephen

"My advice- find out what works best for you, repurpose the older stuff, then go hike. No need to become a gear Whore. (No offense to any gear Whores out there)."

Offense taken....... ;-)

My apologies, Doug. I couldn't possibly have been referring to you- anyone who lists "cuben" as their interest on an online dating site must have a far more meaningful relationship with their gear.