{"id":33608,"date":"2019-05-07T03:00:58","date_gmt":"2019-05-07T09:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thebigoutside.com\/?p=33608"},"modified":"2022-02-17T09:14:55","modified_gmt":"2022-02-17T16:14:55","slug":"gear-review-big-agnes-tiger-wall-2-platinum-ultralight-tent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebigoutside.com\/gear-review-big-agnes-tiger-wall-2-platinum-ultralight-tent\/","title":{"rendered":"Gear Review: Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 Platinum Ultralight Tent"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ultralight Backpacking Tent
Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 Platinum<\/strong>
$600, 1 lb. 15 oz.
moosejaw.com<\/a>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sub-two-pound, double-wall, freestanding tent has\nbecome like the two-hour marathon of the backpacking gear world: the holy grail\nthat many have come close to achieving, without quite nailing it. Now Big Agnes\nhas set the pace with the Tiger Wall 2 Platinum, a redesign of its Tiger Wall\nUL2 from 2018 that seizes the grail and\u2014most importantly\u2014avoids shortcomings\nendemic to other ultralight tents. Taking it out on a six-day, 74-mile spring\nhike through the Grand Canyon that\u2014not surprisingly\u2014tested the wind resistance\nof our shelters, I found much to recommend about the Tiger Wall 2 Platinum, and\ndecided it ranks among the very best backpacking tents available today. Here\u2019s\nwhy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The\nTiger Wall 2 Platinum remains almost identical to its predecessor, B.A.\u2019s Tiger\nWall UL2<\/a>. But the Platinum version achieves deeper weight\nsavings by using Dominico Textile<\/strong>, a\nfabric used in parachutes and hang gliders and known for its strength, quality,\nand durability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Big<\/a>
Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 Platinum without rainfly.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Like the semi-frestanding<\/strong> Tiger Wall UL2, the Platinum version incorporates a hubbed, Y-shaped main pole<\/strong> with a short bridge pole<\/strong> that crosses the center pole. The pole architecture helps create a shelter that\u2019s quite<\/strong> sturdy, especially for an ultralight tent<\/strong>: It stood up to gusts of 30 to around 40 mph on spring nights in the Grand Canyon<\/a>, which would be a test for any tent weighing three pounds, nevermind under two pounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite its weight, the Tiger Wall 2 Platinum delivers livability perhaps unmatched<\/strong> among double-wall, freestanding or semi-freestanding tents in its weight class\u2014an admittedly small category, a fact for which this shelter stands out, anyway. While many ultralight tents trade off headroom and living space, this tent feels impressively livable for its weight, largely due to headroom that allows two people to sit up<\/strong> side by side, because of how that bridge pole lifts the walls above each door. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The living space compares with many lightweight two-door,\ndouble-wall, two-person tents: 28 square\nfeet <\/strong>of floor area, 86 inches of\nlength<\/strong>, a 39-inch peak height<\/strong>\n(enough for six-footers to sit up, although some may find their head rubbing\nagainst the ceiling), and a floor width\nthat ranges from 52 inches at the head end to 42 inches at the foot<\/strong>. Two\nstandard, 20-inch-wide air mats fit inside with virtually no room to spare at\nthe foot end, but some extra space at the head end. I shared it with a friend\u2014he\u2019s\nfive feet 10 inches, I\u2019m five feet eight inches\u2014and we never bumped each other\nwhile sleeping; and with a little sensitivity to the comfined quarters, we moved\naround inside without invading another\u2019s space much. But two big people might\nfind it cramped. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find your next adventure in your Inbox. Sign up for my FREE email newsletter<\/a> now.<\/em><\/h4>\n

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\"Big<\/a>
Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 Platinum interior.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Also like the Tiger Wall UL2, the Tiger Wall 2\nPlatinum is almost freestanding<\/strong>: The\ntwo foot-end corners require staking. But with any freestanding model, staking\nit out fully is almost always required not only to keep it from blowing away or\nbending in wind, but to achieve a taut pitch and maximize living space and\nventilation. The Tiger Wall 2 Platinum\u2019s design still makes it easy to pick it\nup and move it after assembling it, or shake dirt out of it before packing it\nup. The color-coded DAC Featherlite NFL poles\nand just nine clips<\/strong> make pitching and dismantling the tent quick and\nintuitive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Big<\/a>
Tiger Wall 2 Platinum without rainfly.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The\ntwo large doors<\/strong> not only increase\nconvenience, but their dimensions make coming and going a breeze. The\ndoors have dual zippers<\/strong>\u2014one\neach along the bottom and top edges\u2014that open separately and join at a bottom\ncorner of the doorway. This design is either convenient or a nuisance,\ndepending on your perspective and what you\u2019re trying to do. It allows opening the\ndoor slightly to pass something through or to put on shoes without letting bugs\ninside; on the other hand, it forces you to deal with two zippers every time\nyou enter or exit, not always a welcome task in the rain. The oversized zipper pulls <\/strong>are easy to\nlocate in the dark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a mostly mesh\ncanopy, two doors, and<\/strong> a<\/strong> double-wall design,<\/strong> ventilation is excellent<\/strong>. The rainfly\ndoorways overhang the interior doors, creating a drip line that keeps rain out <\/strong>of the tent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two\nvestibules each have eight square feet<\/strong> of storage space\u2014enough for a mid-size\npack and boots, plus a bit of cooking space, which compares to many lightweight\ntents. Two-way zippers on the doors<\/strong>\nallow you to ventilate from the top or bottom, or unzip partway from the bottom\nto prevent windblown rain from getting inside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plan your next great backpacking trip in Yosemite, Grand Teton, or other parks using my expert e-guides<\/a>.<\/h4>\n

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\"Big<\/a>
Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 Platinum vestibule.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The interior has two\nstandard mesh pockets<\/strong> and one oversized\nwall pocket<\/strong> with media cord ports. The rainfly\nand tent floor are made of silicone-treated nylon ripstop fabric<\/strong>, making\nthat fabric waterproof and stronger per weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At an ounce under two pounds<\/strong>, the Tiger Wall 2 Platinum may have no rival in its category when it comes to space-to-weight ratio<\/strong>. (For comparison purposes, tent makers generally provided a minimum or \u201ctrail\u201d weight that includes only the tent, rainfly, and poles\u2014not stakes and parts like guylines that vary between models\u2014as well as a packed weight that represents the total poundage for everything in the package.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can help you plan any trip you read about at my blog. Find out more here<\/a>.<\/h4>\n

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\"Big<\/a>
Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 Platinum with rainfly.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The packed size of 18×5.5 inches<\/strong> (46x14cm) makes it among the most compact two-person, double-wall tents on the market, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One caveat: While this tent uses cutting-edge ultralight materials that have good strength and durability for their weight, I always advocate using some care with any ultralight gear\u2014it usually doesn\u2019t last as long as heavier gear. After several trips, I have seen some small tears in the rainfly doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At this weight and bulk, the Tiger Wall 2 Platinum\nranks among the lightest and most compact ultralight backpacking tents, making\nit also a legitimate solo shelter for someone desiring a little extra living\nspace than found in many one-person tents. Like many Big Agnes tents, a footprint can be purchased separately<\/strong> ($70,\n6 oz.) to replace the inner tent, creating a shelter (with no bug screen)\nweighing just 1 lb. 10 oz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tiger Wall 3 Platinum<\/strong> ($600, 2 lbs. 6 oz.)\nweighs just seven ounces more, but adds 10 square feet of interior space, making\nit lighter but more spacious than many heavier two-person, two-door, double-wall\ntents\u2014so it legitimately pulls double duty as a two- or three-person shelter.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 Platinum<\/p>

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Space-to-Weight Ratio<\/span>
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Sturdiness<\/span>
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Ease of Use<\/span>
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Ventilation<\/span>
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Features<\/span>
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Value<\/span>
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The Verdict<\/p>

For its groundbreaking low weight, livability, sturdiness, and ventilation\u2014all the boxes you\u2019d want to check off when buying an ultralight backpacking tent\u2014the Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 Platinum stands out as one of the very best models for ultralight and long-distance backpackers, or anyone who simply wants to reduce pack weight.<\/p>

4.4<\/span>
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