With the release of its tough Hyperbead tent fabric, Big Agnes joins other brands in abandoning durable water-repellent coatings and their harmful ‘forever chemicals’. At the heart of its fine weave, this fabric is an ultralight ripstop nylon that’s waterproofed at a molecular level with a proprietary coating that won’t degrade or wear off over time. The resultant fabric is claimed to be 6 per cent lighter, 25 per cent more waterproof and 65 per cent stronger than fabric with traditional coatings, and less harmful for the environment.

The Tigerwall UL2 is a slightly scaled-down version of Big Agnes’s popular Copper Spur tent. Like its bigger sibling it has twin entrances and vestibules, but due to a more minimal pole configuration, it is semi-freestanding. Otherwise, it’s a typical ultralight three-season design with a roughly 50:50 combination of breathable nylon and mesh on the inner. 

But where this model departs from conventional tents is in its bikepacking-specific features. The most beneficial of these are the Shortstik poles which, when collapsed, are only 30cm long, making them easy to pack on a bike – or in a backpack. As well, the tent comes in a bikepack-ready roll-top drybag that’s equipped for mounting directly on the bike. The fly includes daisy chains for drying clothing and guy lines that can be anchored to a bicycle, and the inner has a storage pocket that’s sized to fit two helmets.    

This tent was an excellent choice for two months of bikepacking in Morocco, where we experienced sticky 18°C nighttime temperatures as well as heavy dew and a couple of frosty mornings – the sort of conditions that three-season tents excel in. Weighing a fraction over 1400g (including footprint), it’s both light and extremely packable. It’s equally at home in the New Zealand bush when a compact tent is called for – I’ve used an earlier version for both tramping and bikepacking trips here. 

Key features we like

Durable and stretch-resistant Hyperbead

Hyperbead’s increased strength means lighter denier fabrics can be used (15D for fly and floor) for weight savings and packability while maintaining a very reasonable 1500mm waterproof rating. Hyperbead fabric is also more stretch-resistant, dry or wet. In practice we’ve noticed the fabric still stretches a little during heavy dew or rain, but it doesn’t become as baggy as some. Another benefit of Hyperbead’s water-beading ability is that it doesn’t wet-out as much, making it easy to shake water off the fly before packing, and reducing drying time. 

Compact Shortstik poles

Once you get used to Shortstik poles, traditional tent poles seem cumbersome. At just 30cm long once folded, this pole set can be packed sideways in a tramping pack and will fit conveniently in a bicycle front harness or framebag. 

Practical storage and organisation

The Tiger Wall isn’t a spacious tent, but it’s ideal for trips where low weight and high packability are valued. Aside from two months overseas, I’ve mostly used mine for weekend to weeklong trips. For longer trips, most people will appreciate the breathing room of a bigger tent. The large, well-distributed internal pockets make up for the lack of elbow room, however. Daisy chains on the fly hold washing in place..  

Versatile camping configurations

One benefit of a small floor area tent is a greater choice of pitching spots in awkward or confined terrain. This tent is equipped with additional cords for hitching to a bike when pegs are not suitable, and can be used in ‘fast fly’ mode, a 920g combination of fly and footprint. Large doors provide plenty of ventilation in dry weather, and it is possible to leave the fly off completely.

Wilderness verdict

With features that benefit trampers as well as cyclists, the Tiger Wall Bikepack tent provides typical three-season, twin-entrance comfort and is exceptionally light and packable. While versatile and liveable, as a two-person tent it’s not roomy but may also appeal to users looking for generous but light one-person accommodation. When the weather hits hard, this tent has excellent rain repellency but is vulnerable in strong winds and dust. Overall durability is limited due to light zips and a thin floor, and a footprint is recommended.  

Trail Specs for the Tiger Wall UL2 Bikepack 

Price $1399.99

Seasons 3 

Minimum weight 1080g 

Packed weight 1370g

Floor area 2.6m2

Vestibule area 1.4m2

Ceiling height 99cm 

Fly fabric 15D Nylon Ripstop Hyperbead (1500mm)

Floor fabric 15D Nylon Ripstop Hyperbead (1500mm)

Inner fabric 15D Nylon Ripstop & polyester mesh 

Variants Also available in 1P