Standing out to be among the best tents out there, the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 is one of the most ultralight tents which is also very durable over three different seasons. And even though it may not withstand four seasons like the Big Agnes Flying Diamond 8, it measures up pretty nicely with strong materials and an easy set up process. Overall, even though it can be a cozy, but tight fit for two, the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 is the perfect ultralight tent comfortable and spacious enough for one person. If you want a tent that doubles as a jacket, take a look at our JakPack tent jacket review. If you want a camper you can drag behind you on your next biking trip, take a look at our Kamp-Rite Bushtrekka bicycle camper trailer.
Why We Like It – Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2
With a super ultralight build, the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 is among the more portable of tents, with quite a decent amount of ventilation and an easy and fast set up process. It withstands 3 different seasons and with a number of inner mesh pockets you can easily store many of your personal belongings. And with all of that, despite being advertised as a 2-person tent, it is one of the most comfortable and spacious one person lightweight tents available. You can compare it to another spacious tent from our review on how to camp in style with an Elk mountain wall tent.
- Ultralight build
- Easy set up
- 3 inner mesh pockets
- Doesn’t exactly provide enough space for two people
Performance
With the rain fly and inner tent floor being made of 15 denier Silicone treated with nylon rip-stop and coated with the waterproof and solvent free 1200mm polyurethane coating, the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 is both delicate and durable. Being as ultralight as it is, the materials need to be handled with care but at the time it provides you with great resistance against high winds as well as quite a bit of rain. However in order to keep the water protection at its best, it’s best to guy out the tent, unlike the Big Agnes Copper Spur to make sure that the side walls don’t end up sagging. This does however limit the ventilation to a certain extent, but even so, the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 manages to provide a decent amount of ventilation thanks to the separate tent body and use of mesh. Without a built-in roof vent it isn’t the best breather, but while condensation may be accumulated due to guying out the tent, you still get a good amount of air for one person inside.
Related: If you like this tent, you might be interested in our Big Agnes Flying Diamond 8 review.
When it comes to fighting against weather, the full coverage rain fly and quality seam sealing makes sure that no water gets in while keeping the winds at bay outside. The 11 superlight aluminum J stakes as well as the reflective guy lines and webbing on the corner of the tent add to the further durability of the tent along with the single hub and pole design. Moreover, the use of DAC Featherlite NFL tent poles along with the Angle SF Hubs and the ultralight plastic clips to attach the tent body to the poles, makes the set up of the tent very easy while making sure it stands strong against any weather that might go over.
Coming to the set-up process itself, being a semi freestanding tent it isn’t very difficult but it isn’t as easy to set up as the usual two pole free standing tent. You’ll have to look out for the front door vestibule which may be hard to tension.
You start off by first staking out the corners and then attaching the pole which then moves onto insert into a grommet leveled at the ground. And then attach it to a sliding clip after which you use the plastic clips to attach the tent body. Where the Fly Creek HV falls behind is that it may be more difficult to set up on a solid rocky ground which can’t be staked into, so you might need to gather some rocks.
Furthermore, when it comes to the livability of the tent, with its steep walls that quickly come down at the end you might not get much head or foot space. And the use of a single door means that it isn’t that convenient for two people to live in. Other than that, the single vestibule measuring out to give a floor area of 28 square feet, doesn’t really make it a space for two people to live. Sure you can, but the two of you would have to get into a tight fit, but if you’re living alone, the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 makes sure you have enough interior space to move around and also keep your personal things in check thanks to the provided 3 mesh pockets. After-all it is named to be high volume(HV).
Additionally, the Big Agnes Fly UL2 also has a new dry-entry brow which prevents any water from wetting your gear as you move in or out of the tent during a storm or simple rain-fall.”
Design
Weighing 2 pounds and 5.6 ounces with everything included and measuring to be 4 x 19 Inches when packed, the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV Ul2 can easily be fit into a stuff sack or any extra space in your backpack making for a very light weight gear and greater portability. This makes it much lighter than the Nemo Equipment Losi as well as the Kelty TN2 Tent. And as a plus note you are recommended to get an optional footprint by the review Big Agnes Fly Creek has received from various users. This will help with preventing floor abrasion if you camp on sandy surfaces with gravel or rocks covering the surface.
Although being advertised as a two person tent, the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL 2 is actually more recommended as a single person tent considering how it is designed to have you place your head behind the front door which means that even if you were to use the standard 20 feet sleeping bags, it would cause a bit of an overlap between two giving causing quite a bit irritability. If you prefer a tent for two or more people, check out our Marmot Limestone 4P review.
Value
Priced at $380, the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 is among the more standard priced tents out there. It offers a decent amount of durability with quite a bit of resistance against upto three different seasons. It comes at a very lightweight trail weight making for a great amount of portability paired with its compactness. And even though it fits one person instead of two as advertised, it offers a good amount of living space while offering multiple mesh pockets. And so, with all that and a great material for the tent body, the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 is a great tent coming at a great price, that is if you’re okay with the types of grounding it is compatible with and the delicate nature of the materials. If by any chance the materials come to you with any amount of damage in the body, consider contacting the email address of your seller for a replacement as the materials do need to be taken care of every now and then.
Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 Wrap Up
While it may not be as large as the Big Agnes Flying Diamond 8, or have double doors and be as durable as many other tents out there, the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 offers you the high volume it carries in its name all while surpassing many other tents in terms of lightweightedness. Everything ranging from its build with the rain fly drapes, the waterproof material and the mesh pockets highlight the amount of convenience and portability it offers. And so, with all that, a good amount of ventilation and heat maintenance at a good price, the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL 2 is your go to for one of the best lightweight one person tents in the market.
