Review: Copper Spur HV UL3
When it comes to bikepacking tents, there aren't a whole lot out there. Fortunately, Big Agnes seems to have taken every detail into consideration with their Copper Spur HV UL3 Bikepack. The tent has bikepacking-specific features that make it incredibly useful to take on the singletrack, such as shortened poles and a stuff-sack designed to attach to your frame. Big Agnes’ expertise shines through in countless other design features making this tent a go-to for any backpacking adventure.
After first unboxing the Copper Spur, it was hard to imagine there was a full, 3-person tent inside the compact stuff-sack. “There must be something missing,” I thought. “Perhaps, the poles come separately? Wait, here they are. Maybe the stakes? Nope, they’re here too.” I meticulously unpacked the contents of the stuff-sack with one final skeptical thought: “Wow, this is going to be impossible to get back in there.” As I constructed the tent by myself, fairly easily thanks to the color-coded webbing, my doubtful thinking shifted to admiration.
Initially, I am impressed with how roomy the high-volume (hence: HV) design actually is. Not only does the tent fit three people comfortably, there is ample room to sit up and even move around a bit. Having two doors makes it convenient to go in and out with multiple people in the tent. However, it's not the big things that impress me most; it's Big Agnes' attention to the finer details. The tent has an abundance of compartments, big and small, for all the extra gear you might be hauling with you. Every nook and cranny seems to be rigged with something to enhance the tent's capabilities, be it a hook, loop, or storage sleeve.
Packing it all back in the compression stuff-sack came together better than expected. In fact, I even managed to get the footprint in, which originally came separately. The sack is equipped with daisy-chain webbing that can be strapped directly to your handlebars or elsewhere on your rig. The entire system is light, compact, and engineered with bikepacking in mind, making it a great option for big missions on the saddle. There's a good chance I'll find myself throwing it in my pack for other backpacking endeavors, too. Available online; $600.
