The incredibly ridiculous Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 Carbon fell into my lap...

Let me tell you a tale. The wife and I are headed to Campo to start hiking in a couple weeks and decided to buy a Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2. $550 is a lot for a freestanding tent but fine. Well, REI sent us the Tiger Wall 2 CARBON. Customer service has offered an exchange or for us to keep this tent instead. A few things:

• I would (and SHOULD) be embarrassed to be seen sleeping in a $1000 tent
• Carbon tent poles make me very nervous
• The DCF used is super thin. It's going to need to be babied.

However, it seems like the universe wants us to give it a try- it certainly lightens our load and makes room in my pack. I can find zero field tests for this tent beyond a preview from Andrew Skurka that doesn't fill me with confidence.

What would you do? Try the Carbon or return it? I'm thinking we have to try this thing.

Frizz

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Originally Posted by Wuff

Let me tell you a tale. The wife and I are headed to Campo to start hiking in a couple weeks and decided to buy a Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2. $550 is a lot for a freestanding tent but fine. Well, REI sent us the Tiger Wall 2 CARBON. Customer service has offered an exchange or for us to keep this tent instead. A few things:

• I would (and SHOULD) be embarrassed to be seen sleeping in a $1000 tent
• Carbon tent poles make me very nervous
• The DCF used is super thin. It's going to need to be babied.

However, it seems like the universe wants us to give it a try- it certainly lightens our load and makes room in my pack. I can find zero field tests for this tent beyond a preview from Andrew Skurka that doesn't fill me with confidence.

What would you do? Try the Carbon or return it? I'm thinking we have to try this thing.

Frizz

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Seems like half of the product description was "This tent is kind of a fragile mess." I'd probably return it, and get the one you can trust. How much of the weight savings is false when you need to carry a footprint along?

i'd keep it...

use it...

see if it fails....

if it fails-----get new one from Big Agnes and tell them what went wrong.......

Hmmm. The Zpacks Duplex is lighter (<20 oz) and $400 cheaper. Plus it's pretty well established as a good long distance tent for thru-hikers. Similar interior sizes, 2 doors, etc. Sure, it's not freestanding, but even "freestanding" tents need to be staked, especially the really fragile ones.

That said, there's no real downside to trying the BA tent. If it gets wrecked, you can cowboy camp until it can be replaced.

I'd keep it - especially if it is lighter than the tent you originally ordered. I wish I could afford a lighter tent, so believe me, I'd keep it and baby that sucker and be satisfied as long as it didn't let the rain in. By the way, doesn't REI and Big Agnes give warranties? If it turns into a problem then return it.

The Big Agnes website says "These products are intended for only the most advanced user."

So if you feel you are the most advanced user then you may be permitted to use it. If you are very experienced but NOT advanced, well, you should never attempt to use this tent.

But remember, this tent will " . . . require careful use to decrease the possibility of damage." And aren't we all supremely careful during our backpacking trips? And I know Miss Nature will recognize it as something incredibly fragile and not unleash Her usual Hell Storms on the thing.

If you feel you are not at the vaunted Advanced Level---you could consider a step down with this---

Attachment 45079

Keep it!

If anything goes wrong REI/Big Agnes will take care of you.

Plus you should be able to give real world feedback on it

Sell it for $600 and get a zpacks duplex.

I wouldn’t worry about the carbon fiber. If it’s been engineered properly, it will perform very well. Think, Indy car front wings, America’s Cup sail mast, military aircraft, DCF is tough, easily repaired. Both REI and BA have excellent reputations for Customer Service. I own 3 BA Cooper Spur tents, 5 sleeping pads and find their design and quality to be well above average.
UL tents do require some care, as does any piece of high performance equipment, extra care with the zippers will go a long ways.
Zpacks is also a good option.

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Originally Posted by bigcranky

Hmmm. The Zpacks Duplex is lighter (<20 oz) and $400 cheaper. Plus it's pretty well established as a good long distance tent for thru-hikers. Similar interior sizes, 2 doors, etc. Sure, it's not freestanding, but even "freestanding" tents need to be staked, especially the really fragile ones.

That said, there's no real downside to trying the BA tent. If it gets wrecked, you can cowboy camp until it can be replaced.

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The Zpacks seems to have a lot of condensation complaints this year.

I disagree with the logic to keep it since REI/Big Agnes will take care of it if anything goes wrong.
You don't want to be out backpacking, worrying if you're tent is gonna fail...

Get the tent YOU want, not the one that fell in your lap.

No way
No how
Do you want a 0.34 cuben shelter for sustained use.

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Originally Posted by Ethesis

The Zpacks seems to have a lot of condensation complaints this year.

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It's a single wall tent. They get condensation under many different conditions. Part of dealing with it.

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Originally Posted by Hosh

I wouldn’t worry about the carbon fiber. If it’s been engineered properly, it will perform very well. Think, Indy car front wings, America’s Cup sail mast, military aircraft, DCF is tough, easily repaired. Both REI and BA have excellent reputations for Customer Service. I own 3 BA Cooper Spur tents, 5 sleeping pads and find their design and quality to be well above average.
UL tents do require some care, as does any piece of high performance equipment, extra care with the zippers will go a long ways.
Zpacks is also a good option.

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Sure - DCF and carbon fiber are each materials that allow for excellent strength when used properly. By any normal standard, however, Big Agnes has not done so in this case. .34 ounce DCF for the main tent body? ZPacks and Mountain Laurel Designs won't go there, and they have years of experience designing these products and testing them all over the world.

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Originally Posted by CalebJ

Sure - DCF and carbon fiber are each materials that allow for excellent strength when used properly. By any normal standard, however, Big Agnes has not done so in this case. .34 ounce DCF for the main tent body? ZPacks and Mountain Laurel Designs won't go there, and they have years of experience designing these products and testing them all over the world.

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This is akin to a runway "fashion design" or a "concept car"

Its not really something meant to be used, imo. Its a showcase to show limits of whats possible.

I have lightly used 0.34 stuffsaks that are falling apart.

You aint seen nothing yet. Fox is torching DCF. He's going to melt a TW next. :D Bring 3 D glasses. See the pretty colors.

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Originally Posted by MuddyWaters

This is akin to a runway "fashion design" or a "concept car"

Its not really something meant to be used, imo. Its a showcase to show limits of whats possible.

I have lightly used 0.34 stuffsaks that are falling apart.

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So take it to a trade show as a demonstration, then sell a realistic product. The last thing BA needs is the publicity of all their high dollar tents getting shredded in the real world.

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Originally Posted by CalebJ

So take it to a trade show as a demonstration, then sell a realistic product. The last thing BA needs is the publicity of all their high dollar tents getting shredded in the real world.

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Im guessing the person that would pay their $$$$ price for such a fragile tent..... wouldnt mind buying a new one now and then. I doubt they sell that many

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Originally Posted by bigcranky

It's a single wall tent. They get condensation under many different conditions. Part of dealing with it.

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I haven’t found it too much of an issue, camped next to ocean, lake, and river with mine; when there is condensation it runs down and out the vent screen; just need to keep sleeping bag away from tent wall.