It goes without saying that a tent is an essential item in your camping adventure. Honestly, it is difficult to find a perfect tent, but you should be able to find the most suitable one. Therefore, your camping trip would be safer, more comfortable, more convenient, and more exciting than usual. This time, we would like to recommend two ideal options that may help you achieve your goals. They are Big Agnes Vs North Face tents from two leading brands in the world.
Big Agnes and The North Face – Which is the best one?
In brief, Big Agnes outstrips The North Face. Despite the notably higher prices, people fall in love with Big Agnes because of its immensely advanced features compared to The North Face.
Nevertheless, if an economical tent is your top priority and you’re a beginner at camping, The North Face is our recommendation. Although it is much cheaper than Big Agnes, it is promising to meet your basic needs.
Big Agnes
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Key feature
Being the bestseller of Big Agnes, Copper Spur HV UL never disappoints fans with cutting-edge functions. Its ultralight nylon double rip-stop mixed denier nylon just gets stronger and lighter. Inside the tent, spacious storage space is enhanced by a new 3-D bin ‘mezzanine’ at the foot. More conveniently, you can now stow unzipped doors quickly and easily in the Quick Stash door-keeper.
The biggest innovation is the awning-style vestibule that provides extra living space, shade, and protection. In addition, setup is now easier than ever thanks to the unique buckle combining three functions: secure pole-tip capture, rainfly attachment and tensioner, and stake-out loop.
(Source: Rad Bike Adventure)
Pros
- Easy setup and take-down
- Ultralight material
- Great rain, dirt, bug, and wind protection
- Plenty of storage pockets
- The awning is a huge advantage as it supports cooking activities, extra room, shade, access, and rain protection
- No condensation due to well-ventilated construction
- Multiple guy-out points at major poles to provide extra stability
Cons
- Cramped for two people.
- The mesh structure is not enough for cold weather
- Rainfly‘s low-quality zippers as they often get stuck, especially when the fly is wet.
- Door zippers should be continuous rather than one at the bottom and one at the top, forcing you to open from the same corner and close from two different sides
- Fragile tent material needs careful use
- Fairly tight holders of the rolled door
- Lack of stakes for awning and rainfly
The North Face
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Key feature
(Source: Outdoor Zone)
Known for its reasonable price, The North Face also beats its competitor because of these key attributes.
Durability and waterproofing are the first strengths when its canopy and floor are all seam-taped. This product line features a larger door for easier access and wider mesh for the more spectacular outdoor views as well. Furthermore, air circulation is significantly improved by high-low ventilation.
Another notable point of The North Face is a new vestibule style that brings more happiness when camping in unfavorable weather. With its flexibly open/close design, you can now enjoyably customize airflow while maintaining vestibule coverage.
Pros
- Easy setup and take-down
- Ample for two people
- Good value for money due to various strengths and low price
- Great rain and wind resistance
- Good insulation because of thicker material.
Cons
- Fairly cold because of the big mesh.
- A little bit heavy => Not suitable for backpacking
- Solid fabric on the ceiling limits sky view
- Need more high-quality stakes in case of bent problems or high wind
- Lack of vents can cause condensation and bad ventilation
- Since the vestibule extends widely over the edge of the tent, rainfly tend to accumulate water.
- No gear loft included.
Big Agnes vs North Face in comparison
Similarity
Big Agnes Vs North Face tents share three main characteristics regarding their weather resistance, insulation ability, and lack of essential stakes.
Firstly, they both have a stable performance in rain and wind resistance. Thanks to their silence in the high wind, both don’t show any signs of whipping. Their free-standing structure, full-coverage rainfly, and tall bathtub floor do a good job of preventing splashing water or blowing dust.
Secondly, if insulation is your important consideration, both types may not be your suggestions. Due to the mesh design, you cannot expect enough warmth in coldness. If you still want to pick one of them, you should go for The North Face with thicker fabric for freezing days instead of Big Agnes.
Thirdly, reviewers of both types said that they need more stakes besides standard stakes included. Big Agnes should have more stakes for the awning and for camping in high wind. On the contrary, North Face users usually complained about bent stakes just after a few days of purchase. For this reason, more studier stakes are needed for replacement.
Difference
Weight and size
Regarding the weight of each type, it is obvious that Big Agnes (3 lbs. 2 oz) is more pleasant than The North Face (5 lbs. 14 oz.). If you are planning on a backpacking trip, the heavier North Face is not the best choice for you, but you should go with Big Agnes.
On the other hand, Big Agnes’s floor design is a huge disadvantage. The tent’s length decreases to the foot end, which is different from the rectangular shape of The North Face. Therefore, many users complained that this feature has made the floor smaller than expected. Sharing the space with your partner may be harder because there will be some overlaps. Big Agnes’s two-person tent is seen as more suitable for one adult and a child or a pet rather than two adults.
Ventilation
With regard to ventilation, Big Agnes receives more compliments than The North Face due to some vents on its rainfly and bigger mesh. These vents help maximize airflow and reduce condensation, hence extra dryness and comfort for inner space.
Unlike Big Agnes, The North Face doesn’t have any vents on the rainfly. Although the manufacturer states that its high-low ventilation can provide optimal airflow, it is still hot inside with the rainfly on. Consequently, for better ventilation, you can take the rainfly off whenever weather conditions are favorable. Another way is to leave the doors open, but please be careful of insects!
Upgraded vestibule
The 2020 update of Big Agnes is well-known for its creative vestibule as a cooking supporter, while North Face‘s vestibule still has a normal design.
Big Agnes vestibule can be completely opened and strongly held by using additional trekking poles. Users can take advantage of this awning for cooking space, improved airflow, and sun protection. However, always keep the fire away from the tent and your stuff while cooking!
Big Agnes Awning
(Source: Hike Oregon)
For more vivid reviews about two brands, you can refer to these 2 videos:
FAQs – Big Agnes Vs North Face Tents
1. Are Big Agnes and The North Face truly freestanding? Do they need to be staked out to be taut because I’m afraid that only poles cannot withstand strong wind?
Technically, they both have freestanding designs and no stakes are needed to set up. The structure of the tent can help it stand up stably without the use of stakes or guy lines.
However, for optimal and safe performance, I recommend you bring along extra stakes and guy lines in case of unexpected extreme conditions. Stakes and guy lines also support better ventilation, less condensation, less sag, and more inner space.
2. What is the difference between Big Agnes 2020 and 2019 versions?
The updated 2020 Copper Spur tent feature the following points:
Redesigned buckles connect and equalize forces between the fly, poles, and stakes for a faster and more secure set-up.
A new 3-D bin ‘mezzanine’ pocket at the foot expands storage space.
Double zippers on the vestibule allow you to turn them into a “porch” using trekking poles. (Poles are sold separately)
The new tent fabric is made from a stronger yet lighter ultralight nylon double rip-stop which has a mix of 15 and 20-denier nylon.
The wall section between the tent floor and the mesh of the tent is now elevated and longer, which helps keep blowing dust and splashing water away better.
3. Talking about Big Agnes, when rolling the door of the fly and pinning it to the arc part, the loops are too small and tight to hold the door. Therefore, how can I easily fit the rolled door into those loops?
You need to roll the door as tightly as possible so that the door can easily fit into the loop.
Another way would be to make your own loops and you can freely adjust the size of the loop based on how you roll the door.
Conclusion
As described above, it is evident that Big Agnes with more advanced features such as the awning, three-function buckles, and 3D pocket can be more attractive, but it is way more expensive than The North Face.
The North Face tent, despite some weaknesses, is still considered a great deal because this tent offers a wide array of helpful functions at a reasonable price.
To sum up, the question of whether to choose Big Agnes Vs North Face tents depends on your budget and your current needs.
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