Copper Spur HV UL2 vs Plex Solo Tent
Head-to-head tent comparison.
| Copper Spur HV UL2 | Plex Solo Tent | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Big Agnes | Zpacks |
| Price | $449.95 - $549.95 | $599 - $649 |
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.6 |
The Bottom Line
If you want a lightweight, genuinely livable two-person tent that’s easy to pitch and more forgiving on real campsites, buy the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 — it wins for comfort, versatility, and everyday three-season performance. If your mission is pure weight-savings for solo fastpacking or thru-hiking, and you can live with staking requirements, single-wall condensation and extra cost, buy the Zpacks Plex Solo — it’s one of the lightest fully enclosed shelters you can carry. My recommendation: most backcountry travelers get more usable value from the Copper Spur; hardcore ultralighters whose miles hinge on every ounce should take the Plex and accept the tradeoffs.
Setup & Ease Of Use
Winner: Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2. The Copper Spur’s freestanding DAC pole architecture lets you pitch quickly on rocky or awkward sites and move the shelter around before staking — a real advantage when campsites are tight or rooty. The Plex Solo’s single-pole, trekking-pole pitch is fast once you know it, but it’s non-freestanding and demands good stake placement and ground to hold shape, which is a pain on slabs, hardpack, or loose sand. If you want plug-and-play campsite flexibility the Copper Spur beats the Plex; if you plan predictable, well-staked sites the Plex’s simple pole setup is fine.
Livability & Comfort
Winner: Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2. For real-world comfort the Copper Spur’s 29 sq ft floor, steep walls and 40 in peak give noticeably more usable space for two people, and the two doors plus two vestibules stop the ‘climb-over-your-partner’ problem. The Plex Solo has an impressive 52 in peak and long 7.5 ft length for a one-person shelter, but it’s a single-door, single-vestibule, tapering floor — great for a solo hiker who wants to sit up, not great for sharing. Bottom line: for livability with a partner or extra gear the Copper Spur is the clear winner; for solo sit-up headroom and length the Plex is surprisingly roomy but still single-person focused.
Weight & Packability
Winner: Zpacks Plex Solo. The Plex Solo shrinks to roughly a 5 x 11–6 x 12 in bundle and tips the scales at under a pound (about 13.9 oz standard), so it disappears in a thru-hiker’s pack; that matters when every ounce and cubic inch add up on long miles. The Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 is light for a two-person freestanding tent at 2 lb 10 oz minimum trail weight, but it’s carrying twice the functional capacity — two doors, two vestibules, poles and more fabric — so it won’t match the Plex for absolute pack-space savings. In short: if your priority is minimizing weight/volume for a solo fastpack or thru, the Plex wins; if you need a true two-person shelter the Copper Spur’s weight is very competitive for what it delivers.
Materials & Failure Modes
Winner: Zpacks Plex Solo (for strength-to-weight), with caveats. The Plex uses DCF (Dyneema Composite Fabric), which gives unmatched strength-to-weight and no stretch when wet — that’s why it’s the choice for ultralighters who prize durability per ounce. The Copper Spur uses 15D HyperBead nylon that’s lighter than traditional 30D tents but more repairable and more abrasion-tolerant than ultra-thin DCF; its failure modes are tears and seam wear, whereas the Plex’s Achilles heel is punctures and abrasion at contact points and sensitivity to UV and sharp rocks. So if you measure materials purely by strength-to-weight and waterproofness, Plex wins; if you want a material that’s easier to baby-and-repair on long trips, Copper Spur is safer.
Value & Who Should Buy Which
Winner: Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 for most backpackers. The Copper Spur’s price buys a tangible usability upgrade — two doors, two vestibules, freestanding pitching and headroom — that delivers more campsite comfort per dollar for pairs or solo hikers who prioritize livability. The Plex Solo commands a higher price per person for the single-purpose benefit of near-zero weight and pack size, and it only makes sense if every ounce saved offsets the premium and you accept non-freestanding staking and single-wall condensation tradeoffs. In practice: choose Plex if you’re a devoted ultralighter/thru-hiker who values grams over comfort; choose Copper Spur if you want a lightweight—but genuinely livable—two-person tent that’s easier to live with on multi-day trips.
Weather Protection & Durability
Winner: Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2. The Copper Spur’s two-piece shelter (separate fly and bathtub floor) with HyperBead fabric and a 1,500 mm coating gives a predictable barrier in prolonged rain and sheds wind gusts better thanks to its frame and guyline options. The Plex Solo’s Dyneema Composite Fabric is brilliantly waterproof and strong for its weight, but it’s a single-wall design that’s more prone to interior condensation and less forgiving of abrasive campsites; Dyneema also doesn’t breathe, so ventilation management is critical. For reliable, everyday three-season protection and a more forgiving build against abrasion, Copper Spur takes it; Plex trades a bit of real-world toughness for extreme lightness.
Read full Copper Spur HV UL2 review · Read full Plex Solo Tent review