BA Fly Creek vs Copper Spur

[LittleRock]

After 10 years, nearly 1,500 miles, and about 100 nights on the AT with my BA Fly Creek UL2, I was starting to experience some issues on my last trip. The seams were starting to fail, the zipper kept getting stuck, and a small amount of water was getting inside during heavy rain. I've loved this tent but wondering if a freestanding tent like the Copper Spur would be a better choice for my upcoming trips in NH and ME, especially given the many sites with wooden tent platforms. Any suggestions?

[Patrickjd9]

I've had a Copper Spur UL2 for four+ years and really like it. It has probably been used about 75 nights, but I expect to use it another several years. Used it on a tent platform in Massachusetts a couple of weeks ago. If you have access to the edges of the platform and an extra rope, they are workable even in a tent that isn't fully free-standing.

I'd buy another, but may look to go lighter by then. It will take a Dyneema/Cuben fiber tent to get lighter with the same volume, which may be beyond my retirement budget.

[Astro]

I used a Flycreek 1 for most of the AT. I now have a Tiger Wall and appreciate the side entry, and not much heavier. The Copper Spur is significantly heavier.

[T-Rx]

My wife and I hiked the AT with a Copper Spur and love the tent. I use a Tiger Wall when I go solo. The Copper Spur is a great tent and very sturdy but it does come with a few extra ounces to carry.

[HooKooDooKu]

I borrowed a FlyCreek and hated it because getting into it felt like getting into a sleeping bag. I bought a Copper Spur UL2 for a JMT solo thru hike and LOVED it.

[LazyLightning]

I used my Copper Spur UL2 for about 20 nights in 2017-2018 prepping for my thru hike, then hiked the entire AT with it (sleeping in my tent 174 nights on my thru hike) and then used it for a couple years after my thru hike before I bought the new 2020 or 2021 version.

The new version has a few nice upgrades but I think I like the old one better, I don't see myself using the extra door that props up for shade with a trekking pole much at all, and it adds 2 extra zippers and flaps to worry about. I haven't had any water issues yet but those extra zippers/flaps are right near your head and just seems unnecessary. They also made the stuff sack way to narrow for repacking easy so I use the old one.

My original tent was pretty beat up at the end, I had small holes taped all over the tent (not the fly) and the zippers on the fly were getting funny (tent zippers stayed good), they still worked but had to go back and forth to get them to catch. It still was not leaking but it was leaking in 2017 and when I started the trail. At Neal Gap I got some good seam sealer, sealed it from the outside the next night and it didn't leak again 200 nights later. I don't care what anyone says (most directions say inside) the outside is the best way to apply seam sealer... the inside is taped and if you don't seal from the outside the water will eventually penetrate through the sewing. I don't consider that to be anything wrong with the tent as taping the inside in standard practice and I would seam seal any tent I buy in the future.

[BradMT]

For solo, though I can understand the reason for wanting extra space, I can't see the reason for using the CSUL2 when the UL1 is so roomy given it's a 1P tent and weigh's less. My 2019 model (I like it better than the current) weigh's 2lbs 8oz's with a Tyvek footprint. The 2P is 11oz's heavier.

My wife and I use the 2P model and love it. We've used the BA Copper Spurs since they came out around 12 years ago. Personally, were I doing a thru of the AT I'd sooner use my Nemo Hornet 1P (Elite model). It's 12oz lighter than the 1P Copper Spur.

[LittleRock]

Thanks everyone! Yeah I was a little concerned about the extra weight with the Copper Spur. The cost is significantly more too. I'll try staking out my old Fly Creek with rocks on my back deck to get a sense of how well it would work on a tent platform.

One reason I liked the Fly Creek UL2 was it had the perfect amount of space for me and all my gear. Does the Copper Spur UL1 have enough room to hold your gear inside?

[BradMT]

Thanks everyone! Yeah I was a little concerned about the extra weight with the Copper Spur. The cost is significantly more too. I'll try staking out my old Fly Creek with rocks on my back deck to get a sense of how well it would work on a tent platform.

One reason I liked the Fly Creek UL2 was it had the perfect amount of space for me and all my gear. Does the Copper Spur UL1 have enough room to hold your gear inside?

Given it's nice sized vestibule, the Copper Spur HV UL1 is likely the largest, most spacious feeling of my four 1P tents (MSR Hubba Hubba 1P, TT Rainbow LI, Nemo Hornet Elite 1P). I have no problem with getting my gear in any of them. But I DO NOT take my pack in any tent. That always gets hung outside. Too many enticing odors for grizzlies. Even without grizzlies, I find no reason to keep a pack inside a tent.

[Crossup]

I'm a small to normal sized guy and after camping with a CS UL3 with my wife, solo trips with FC U2 and I now own 2 CS UL2, I dont see any reason to skimp on a few ounces(my body weight fluctuates more than the weight difference between an FC and CS) at the cost of several square feet of room. In my case that insures I wont be touching a wet inner with my bedding or equpment. It gives me room to layout my gear inside when its raining, that can include packing up under the rain fly. None of those would be possible in a one man tent for me(no doubt a 20 yo. contortionist can). Just for giggles I did a 10 day trip with my CS UL2 HOTEL, it was grand to have everything laid out yet safe from rain, dew and such. And the truth is I never noticed the extra pound plus of the Hotel. I would not use it again for non bike packing trips, but that tripped proved to me tent space it worth a modest weight penalty.

[BradMT]

I'm a small to normal sized guy and after camping with a CS UL3 with my wife, solo trips with FC U2 and I now own 2 CS UL2, I dont see any reason to skimp on a few ounces(my body weight fluctuates more than the weight difference between an FC and CS) at the cost of several square feet of room. In my case that insures I wont be touching a wet inner with my bedding or equpment. It gives me room to layout my gear inside when its raining, that can include packing up under the rain fly. None of those would be possible in a one man tent for me(no doubt a 20 yo. contortionist can). Just for giggles I did a 10 day trip with my CS UL2 HOTEL, it was grand to have everything laid out yet safe from rain, dew and such. And the truth is I never noticed the extra pound plus of the Hotel. I would not use it again for non bike packing trips, but that tripped proved to me tent space it worth a modest weight penalty.

Sounds like you've never used the CS UL1...

[Crossup]

Correct, 15 minutes with the CS UL1 in REI was all I needed to know it was not for me. I'm not a minimalist hiker, I like my comfort and I'm willing to do the work, hell, I've never hiked with less than 40lbs in the backpack(for 10 days).

As for not taking your bag into your tent, maybe I have it wrong but everyone I know who has had a mouse chew up their pack had their(no food)pack outside. I've always kept mine inside and had no issues while those around me did. That was good enough for me.

I stopped worrying about bears being able to sniff out my bag from residual smells after several situations where I was camping alone and then found there were bears actively foraging right there. My first bear encounter was at Canaan Valley WV, we had bears going thru peoples coolers, one got to my cooler 6' from our tent, I scared him off.
More bears at Snowshoe, including all but hitting one on a bike trail. Since then many bears on the AT especially around Blackburn.
So I dont worry about bears tracking me down from 10 miles away, they did not do that when they were within 100' at night.

Sounds like you've never used the CS UL1...

[LazyLightning]

Yea I never thought about my pack in my tent attracting bears or animals, matter of fact I suspected the opposite with how bad it smells of sweat and body odor (mine definitely needs a washing). Man 40lbs for 10 days, that's ultra light to me. I'm probably pushing 60 out for 10 days but I like my comfort and food, I bring enough food so I can eat anytime my stomach starts making noises. Room in the tent is everything to me to, it will be very appreciated when hiding out from storms.

[Crossup]

Same here, I always come home with food. 3 trips ago I somehow confused my provisions with what was staying home and I ended up bringing both.So after 10 days I come home with 2 weeks of food, lol. So sometimes I'm closer to 50lbs and have been well into the 50s when I find an apple or pear tree on the trail- have to stock up you know. I think you can have too much food but not too much tent room.

Yea I never thought about my pack in my tent attracting bears or animals, matter of fact I suspected the opposite with how bad it smells of sweat and body odor (mine definitely needs a washing). Man 40lbs for 10 days, that's ultra light to me. I'm probably pushing 60 out for 10 days but I like my comfort and food, I bring enough food so I can eat anytime my stomach starts making noises. Room in the tent is everything to me to, it will be very appreciated when hiding out from storms.

[camper10469]

email BA and tell them the problems you are having... they will more than likely give you full credit towards another tent.

Ive got the coper spur for the last 6 years and love it. SIde entrance is prefered over crawl in tunnels.

One gripe with these one man tents is the one door which limits the direction you can pitch it. Ive had several instances where the site I was at had a slight slope... the only way to put it up so my head is on the high side was not facing the lake for the view or I was facing a rock wall or near a large tree. If I had a second door, Id be able to use the other side. Or if the tent wasnt made with a distinct head and foot... that would be a nice feature.

One more thing about this type of tent... the screen door falls down when unzipped. That forces you to crawl over it, and sometimes it falls into a wet spot or on dirt. Ive solved this by cutting my ground cloth to have a front porch that I can roll up once im in.

There have also been times when bed time the weather is beatuful but it rains during the night. With the vestabule open, you have to open the door wide open to zip the vestabule fly. Im not sure if anyone has ever been in a place where daddy long legs just wait for you to open the door. Once open they rush in like a tidal wave. So you fall asleep and in the pitch black you feel something crawling over your face... AHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ***! nice way to get up from a deep sleep being consumed by aliens probling your eyeballs nose n ears.

The remedy?... put up a tarp over the tent in case it rains!PS IMG_3183.jpg

[Patrickjd9]

One gripe with these one man tents is the one door which limits the direction you can pitch it. Ive had several instances where the site I was at had a slight slope... the only way to put it up so my head is on the high side was not facing the lake for the view or I was facing a rock wall or near a large tree. If I had a second door, Id be able to use the other side.

I had a site like that in Massachusetts last month. With only one door, I would had to have slept with my head in the narrow end of the tent.