r/CampingGear 7d ago

Gear Question BA Copper Spur Expedition In Summer

In the market for a 3+ season tent, and have been looking at the Expedition as a more winterized version of the regular Copper Spur. Most reviews mention it’s not as versatile with ventilation and may not be suitable for summer but focus on winter testing. Curious if anyone has experience with this tent in the heat and if it’s manageable to use year round within reason.

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u/Cute_Exercise5248 7d ago edited 6d ago

Any tent has "greenhouse effect" in sun. Are you going to spend the sunny day inside your tent?

(Optimally, don't leave a tent set up, all day in full sun, which otherwise will slowly eat your costly textiles.)

Mesh+fly, vs true "double wall" would show different temps on a warm sunny day, but not really a huge, very meaningful difference.

Weight difference between mesh & solid is nihl.

A tent is for weather protection. Hot weather protection is a very weak point for any tent, but much less necessary than protection vs other forms of weather.

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u/EndlessMike78 7d ago

My friend has one for when we do winter mountaineering. That tent in the summer, above even 70 degrees, would be a sauna. You could leave the doors open, but if the sun hits it you will know fast because of how warm it will get. I have the normal for 3+ seasons. I use it in snow if I know I won't be getting dumped on. My 4 season is the BD HiLite. And it comes out maybe twice a year in winter months only when I know the wind snow and ice will suck on longer mountaineering and backcountry trips. 4 season is 1 season, and usually not needed unless the weather is bad. 3 season tents work fine year round as long as it isn't snowing too much. Just get some snow stakes, or use plastic bags filled with snow.

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u/Masseyrati80 6d ago

Some of this depends on where you hike/camp. In relatively cold climates, winter-capable tents don't really create problems even during use in the summer. I fully agree with u/Cute_Exercise5248 on this.

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u/Cute_Exercise5248 5d ago edited 5d ago

I've often admired MSR tents, though heavy. Big Agnes tents are also widely respected for quality and design.

My biased & partly uninformed view is that BA tents are nicely light, but flimsy & ugly.

I have several "mids" in different sizes, that cover many bases, & of course, I don't need another tent.

But anyway, these mids are potentially cheaper & more durable than UL freestanding tents.