Crazy Light Tent: Big Agnes Fly Creek HV2 Platinum
For most of my life as a backpacker I’ve been a solo traveler, as attached to my 1 person tent as a hitchhiker to their towel. When Nate began joining me for trips, I had to say goodbye to my beloved cozy coffin and make the jump to more spacious accommodations. Our priorities for the upgrade included minimizing weight and maximizing packability while retaining enough space for us to be comfortable in there together. We found all that in our Fly Creek.
Tech Specs*:
The lightest, free-standing, Big Agnes double wall tent
3 Seasons
Packed Weight 2 lbs
Trail Weight 1lb 10oz
Fast Fly Weight 1lb
Packed Size 4.5”x 15.5”
Why I love it
I mean, come on, this tent is so light! The Fly Creek packs down so small that it is easy to squeeze into my backpack, even with a bear canister in there, so there’s no more tent hanging on the outside of my backpack. It also stands up great in cold, rain storms, and moderate wind… I’m definitely a fan!
I’ll be honest. We bought the tent in a pinch in New Zealand after United lost Nate’s backpack and most of our camping equipment in transit. We didn’t have a ton of options to choose from, but even if we had, I’d pick the Fly Creek every time. It weighs less than my 1 person tent and has ample space for me + all my gear if I’m alone. If there are two of us, there’s just enough room for us to cozy up with a few essentials while stashing our packs in the vestibule.
Even though this tent only has one door, it’s a nice big “garage door” style door that makes it easy to pop in and out. I love tying back the fly at night to create a giant window for star gazing.
Drawbacks
As much as I love this tent, there are a few things that you should consider if you’re thinking about purchasing one. The ceiling is high enough for one person to sit up comfortably, but due to its narrow footprint, two people sitting up at once (changing, for example) is hard to accommodate comfortably. We usually do this awkward dance where one person hangs outside the tent while the other one gets ready and then we switch. During a few unfortunately-timed rain storms, we’ve also mastered the art of balling up in the low-ceilinged bottom of the tent while the other person gets ready up in the taller top portion.
Additionally, if you get really strong crosswinds (I’m talking crazy wind), the y-shaped pole configuration can make the tent prone to collapsing sideways. On a camping trip in the Great Sand Dunes, our buddies were in a Fly Creek and we had our Copper Spur (with its x-shaped pole configuration). The heavy crosswinds overnight rattled our fly and made for a noisy night, but they left my buddy holding his tent upright to keep the wind from flattening it. Other than that one incident, though, I’ve never found myself in my Fly Creek wishing I’d brought a different tent.
*What the Tech Specs Mean
Buying a tent can be daunting. It’s an important part of your trip kit… your home away from home. It’s also a complicated and expensive piece of gear. Tents are heavy and bulky, and if they are too cramped, or leak, or blow over they can really put a damper on your trip. Given the central role of the tent, and the sometimes prohibitive price tag, it’s important to understand what you’re getting. Here’s a breakdown of what the tech specs are actually trying to tell you:
3 Season: Three season tents are just that: tents intended to be used in the spring, summer, and fall. They’re designed to be lightweight while still protecting from wind and rain. They may be able to stand up to some early/late season snow, but they won’t be happy about it. The walls tend to be mesh to allow cool air in and moisture and condensation to escape. 3 Season tents are more than adequate for most conditions, as long as you’re not camping in blizzards or crazy wind gusts.
Packed Weight: The packed weight refers to the total weight of the tent and all its accessories: the poles, stakes, rainfly, stakes, stuff sacks, and any repair kits that come with the tent purchase. If you aren’t an ultralight hiker and you’re interested in knowing how much weight your tent will add to your backpack, the packed weight is what you want to refer to.
Trail Weight: The trail weight tends to refer to the bare minimum needed to set up the tent. For some tent manufacturers, this weight may just be the fly, poles, and footprint - a configuration called a “fast fly” setup. Big Agnes, though, considers Trail Weight everything necessary for the tent to be set up and to function: poles, the tent, and the rainfly.
Fast Fly Weight: Big Agnes specifies the Fast Fly weight for their tents, ie: the weight of just the fly, poles, and footprint. Unless you plan on going ultralight, this number is NOT the one you want to go by when estimating how much weight the tent will add to your pack.