Popular Mechanics - USA (2020-09 & 2020-10)

BEST CONSTRUCTION

SIERRA DESIGNS METEOR LITE 2

$370

Packed weight: 3 lb. 15 oz. Floor space: 29.8

sq. ft. Peak height: 3 ft. 5 in. Doors: 2

The thoughtfully designed, weatherproof

Meteor Lite nearly nabbed the best over-

all backpacking tent title in our test. Sierra

Designs departs from the norm for a sub-

four-pound tent by sticking with a rectangu-

lar—not tapered—shape. Combined with the

vertical walls, this made the tent feel roomy.

We also appreciated the stuff sack, which

has a generously large adjustable opening

in the middle instead of at one end. The

advantage was clear when we didn’t have to

perfectly fold up the tent parts to get them

to fit. While it was a nice feature in our back-

yard test, it’s one that will be even more

handy if you’re rushing to break camp so you

can get back on the trail. Our biggest issue

was the relative lack of storage space—just

two regular-size pockets, one positioned to

the left of each door. There are tents on the

market that are lighter and come with more

bells and whistles, but this Meteor offers

comfort and durability where it counts.

BES T FOR BACKPACKING
BIG AGNES COPPER SPUR HV
UL2 $450

Packed weight: 3 lb. 2 oz. Floor space:
29 sq. ft. Peak height: 3 ft. 4 in. Doors: 2

This two-person tent offers a balance
between weight and size while still pro-
viding a rich set of features. And for
2020, Big Agnes installed a buckle sys-
tem for the fly attachment, updated
the interior pockets, and redesigned
the vestibules to double as awnings.
If that all sounds heavy, it isn’t. The
Copper Spur remains just over three
pounds, thanks to the new, ultralight,
double-ripstop nylon in both the body
and fly. The vertical walls and large sec-
tions of airy mesh made the tent feel
larger than it is. While we like that Big
Agnes includes an emergency field
splint should one of the aluminum poles
break, we’re disappointed that the
pricey Copper Spur doesn’t come with
enough stakes to secure the perimeter
of the fly. That’s not a deal breaker, but
plan to throw a few extras in your pack.

September/October 2020 67