Big Agnes
Big Agnes Blacktail 2
Best use
- Made for
- Backpacking and wild camping, Car and festival
- Not for
- Winter mountain
Why these labels
- Backpacking and wild camping: The maker states this use, and the published specs do not rule it out.
- Car and festival: The maker states this use, and the published specs do not rule it out.
- Winter mountain: 3-season rating, not built for winter storms
From the maker's stated use and the published specs.
- Summer wild camp: 5/10 UK, roughly May to September, nights above about 8 °C, sheltered pitches.
- Three-season hills: 4/10 UK hills in spring and autumn. Wind, rain, and nights near freezing. Capped at 4: needs rain protection 5+.
- Winter camp: 4/10 UK winter or high ground. Below freezing, strong wind, possibly snow. Capped at 4: needs the maker's 4-season rating and wind 7+.
- Weight: 4/10 How much it adds to your pack, compared with the whole market.
Campers who split time between campsites and short backpacking trips
- Freestanding
- Yes
- Sleeps
- 2
- Seasons
- 3-season
- Min. weight
- 2.27 kg
- Flysheet
- 1,500 mm
- Inner length
- 229 cm
Packed size 13.49 L, 53 cm long and 18 cm across Compare with a 2-litre bottle
About one and a half 2-litre bottles long and about one and a half times as wide. Drawn to scale.
Where to buy
Ultralight Outdoor Gear £224.99 In stock. Free delivery.
View at shop: Ultralight Outdoor GearPrices checked 8 Nov 2026 on each shop's own page; shops can change them. We earn no commission on these links; shops are listed by price. More
Our ratings (out of 10)
1 to 10, compared with the whole market. Each says what it's based on. How we score
Weight
From maker's figures 4/10How much it adds to your pack. This is the whole tent: two people sharing can split it. 4: A bit below average.
Big Agnes's trail weight of 2.27 kg sits in the 2.0–2.69 kg band (2.49 kg packed with stakes and sack).
Rain protection
From maker's figures 3/10How well it keeps out heavy, long rain. 3: Below average. Fine for some trips, not others.
Fly 1,500 mm is the 1,500–1,999 band, band 3 (5 out of 10), then one band lower because the 1,500 mm floor is under 2,000 mm.
Wind
Estimate: only 1 review about wind (fewer than the 3 we need, so never above 8) 6/10How steady it stays in strong wind on open ground. 6: A bit better than average.
GearJunkie found the current 75D tent stayed planted through overnight wind shifts, without retightening. Wind speed was not reported.
Space
From maker's figures 8/10Room to lie, sit up and keep kit inside. 8: Clearly better than most.
Big Agnes's 3.1 m² inner floor ÷ 2 people = 1.55 m² each, in the 1.35–1.59 band; the floor is a non-tapered 229 x 132 cm.
Packed size
From maker's figures 3/10How much room it takes in your rucksack. 3: Below average. Fine for some trips, not others.
Packs to 53 cm long x 18 cm across: 3.1416 x 9 x 9 x 53 = 13,486 cm³, so 13.49 L, in the 10–14.9 L band.
In short
Good for
- Campers who split time between campsites and short backpacking trips
- Car-based or bikepacking trips where weight is not the priority
Strengths
- Big, non-tapered 229 x 132 cm floor and 107 cm head height
- Two side doors and two vestibules of 0.8 m² each
- Burly 75D recycled polyester fabric, tougher than ultralight tents
- Freestanding with pre-bent poles; can be pitched fly-only with a footprint
Weaknesses
- 2.27 kg minimum weight and 13.5 L packed size are heavy and bulky for backpacking
- 1,500 mm fly and floor ratings are modest, so a footprint is advised on wet ground
- Only one hands-on test of the current version found, so wind, pitching and durability are estimates, not reviewed scores
- Traditional, less ventilated design than newer Big Agnes tents
Sources
We haven't tested this ourselves. Every score comes from these specs, tests and reviews.