Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 3

I used this tent backpacking and hitchhiking for 4 months from Lima, Peru all the way south throughout Patagonia, Chile, Argentina to the southern most tip of S. America and taking a boat to the Navarino Island of Chile to the Dientes trek- the southernmost in the world not counting Antarctica.

My main consideration when choosing this tent was weight and this was pretty much the lightest tent I could find. I'm a filmmaker and unfortunately I carry a DSLR with 1 lens, and MacBook air to download footage. Since I go on extended trips without a set end date, an exact itinerary or location to store extra gear, this adds a lot of weight to my daily backpack carrying, so I cut down as much weight as I can for everything else.

Aside from owning this expensive tent and camera gear, I'm a very frugal traveler. I was hitchhiking a lot and often walk with my backpack to avoid bus fares and other expenses. I was so grateful to spare 2-3lbs with this lightweight tent for several months.

I have the UL3 which is a nice space for 2 people (not big enough for 3) depending on what you're accustomed to. My friend and I had space to store things inside the tent and we fit our 2 backpacks stacked on top of each other with the rain covers on under the vestibule of the rainfly.

I like a single door entry for tents as it saves weight. Compared to the UL2, the pole structure is self standing and sturdier. I've heard people complain about the rain fly being difficult to get in out which I don't understand. I'm 6' and 155lbs and I never had any problem entering the tent. It's a backpacking tent and not a large car camping tent that you can stand up in. So if you're not a knucklehead and your accustomed to small backpacking tents this is not an issue.

Durability is an issue that people have complained about. But you have to understand that if you make your tent this light, you're gonna sacrifice something. You can push nylon materials so far. So yes, the tent walls are thin. Some people have mentioned a damp floor bed when camping on wet damp grounds or in rain. I used the Big Agnes UL3 footprint which I find necessary to protect the thin floor material. With it, I never had any issues with a damp floor, water entry or leaks. So I definitely recommend a footprint or cheap tarp underneath.

I've heard reviews complaining about the rainfly and leakage. The rainfly is very thin as well (that's why it's so light). We had some good rain storms in Patagonia and I never had any problems I considered an issue. In 4 months majorly sleeping in a tent and camping in the majority of national parks along the route, I never had an issue of getting wet inside the tent.

I found it is important to stake the sides and back of the rainfly well to provide adequate circulation. Doing so, I didn't remember having a problem/issue with inside condensation.

For summer, low rain/wind trips, I think this tent is perfect. Although I didn't have problems with rain or leakage, I may look into an additional lightweight tarp to go over the tent if you know you're gonna get heavy rains or camping in cold/windy environments where you may want additional warmth.

The tent bags are made of thin material as well so it's likely to rip if you stuff your tent poles in it repeatedly with force.

IMPORTANT: Winds in far southern Patagonia can be SUPER STRONG. One night, a gust of wind hit the tent hard and broke and bent one of the tent poles. I was able to repair it with a tent repair splint (I learned to always carry a tent repair kit, especially for long trips). With the tent repair, I was still able to use the tent fine for the remaining 2 months of my trip.

IMPORTANT: After returning home, Big Agnes repaired my tent poles and I have an excellent tent once again. I was VERY HAPPY with Big Agnes and their customer support. I will be happy to buy from them again in the future.

In summary, I would buy this tent again if I ever needed to and would recommend it. BUT, you must consider what is most important to you. Weight or durability. Weight is most important for me, but even though I have sacrificed some durability, this tent has performed great for me in a variety of climates and conditions on my crazy backpacking adventures. Also, my friend loved the tent so much that he bought the same one when he returned from Patagonia.

Definitely get a footprint and try to buy when there's a member coupon. :)

Tried this out with my son on his first camping trip. We were comfortable. 3 regular sized adults, it'll be tight. VERY TIGHT. 3 victoria secret models will have NO PROBLEM. I had this tent up in about 10 minutes. First time I did it in my house and it took 20 minutes. Once you know how to do it, its easy. Taking down was simple. VERY Compact and perfect for backpacking. I just felt that with the rainfly on, it was stuffy. Not very good ventilation even with the fly door open. I can see how in cooler weather this is a good thing. Next time I'll leave the fly off. I recommend to get the footprint too. Well worth the investment. Kept us dry (ground was wet from an earlier rain storm).

Bought this for backpacking with the hubby. Plenty of room for two people...no way you are getting 3 in there, even a dog at your feet would be cramped. Plenty of room to sit up without hitting the top of the tent. Very easy to set up and take down. Has good ventilation and is very light weight but sturdy. Pricey, but I believe worth it.

Have used this tent several times. All conditions, BigAgnes has really improved on the design from previous models. Great tent. Like all 3 man tents, it's a 2 man with a little extra room for gear. Get the footprint , and a small tarp for the vestibule. I custom cut one , and it will help keep the inside clean. Enjoy.

We use this tent in adventure races and it is great - fits 4 (3 males and a female) well with 3 sleeping mats. It is quite sturdy considering how light it is and super easy and fast to put up. I'd definitely recommend it.

yet to see how rainproof it is but easy set up and very very light...love the room and for 2 people great, 3 a little cramped. Extremely light

great tent for two people, by that i mean me and my 12 year old son. no way three adults are sleeping in here. overall a good tent

Easy set up
Low ceiling
Great for two persons