Nemo Dagger vs Copper Spur HV UL - Which Tent Is the Optimum One

FYI, REI is currently on sale.
- Patagonia Synchilla Pullover, for example, is currently 30% off.
- See entire sale: https://www.rei.com/f/scd-deals

Nemo Dagger vs Copper Spur, both tents are the best selling models of Nemo and Big Agnes which are two of the well-known brands on the outdoor market.

In this article, I will cover every factor you need to consider before buying an ultralight backpacking tent, such as weight, packed size, interior volume, durability, divisibility of the stuff sack, and more.

Nemo Dagger offers a better liveable place, larger vestibule area, and more durability, it also features white No-See-um-mesh for privacy, black mesh top for stargazing.

Firstly Nemo Dagger has two sizes, one-person, and two-person. Big Agnes Copper Spur, on the other hand, has three sizes, one-person, two-person, and three-person. This article will focus on Nemo Dagger 2 vs Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 2, their two-person models, BUT you can use this article if you are thinking of buying a three-person tent as well. The only thing that changes between two-person and three-person models is the dimensions.

In summary, if you’re willing to sacrifice some weight and durability, Nemo Dagger offers a better liveable place, larger vestibule area, and more durability, it also features white No-See-um-mesh for privacy, black mesh top for stargazing. On the other hand, Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 is smaller, but it provides a good balance between weight, packed size, and liveable place.

But if you’re camping with a partner or a buddy, Nemo Dagger features a Divvy Sack which allows you to divide the load with a partner. If that is the case, weight and pack size shouldn’t be the first priority.

Nemo Dagger 2P VS Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2: Specs

	NEMO DAGGER 2P	BIG AGNES COPPER SPUR HV UL2

Minimum Weight	3 lb 5 oz / 1.52 kg	2lb 2oz / 964 g
Packed Weight	3 lb 14 oz / 1.75 kg	3lb 2oz / 1.42kg
Pack Size	Ø 6.5" x 19.5 "/ Ø 16 cm x 50 cm	Ø 6" x 19.5" / Ø 15 x 50 cm
Floor Dimensions	90" x 50" / 229 x 127 cm	88" x 52" (Head Side) x 42" (Feet Side) / 224 cm x 132 cm (Head Side) x 107 cm (Feet Side) 128/107 cm
Peak Height	42" / 108cm	40" / 102cm
Floor Area	31.3 sq ft / 2.9 sq m	29 ft² / 2.7 m²
Vestibule Area	11.4 sq ft + 11.4 sq ft / 1.1 sq m + 1.1 sq m	9 ft² + 9 ft² / 0.8 m² + 0.8 m²
Canopy Fabric	15D Nylon Ripstop/ No-See-Um Mesh	Ripstop nylon/ polyester mesh
Fly Fabric	15D Sil/PeU Nylon Ripstop (1200 mm)	Silicone-treated patterned double ripstop nylon with waterproof polyurethane coating
Floor Fabric	30D PeU Nylon Ripstop (3000 mm)	Silicone-treated patterned double ripstop nylon with waterproof polyurethane coating
Freestanding	Freestanding	Freestanding
Prices	Check Price on Amazon	Check Price on Backcountry

Overview of Nemo Dagger and Big Agnes Copper Spur

Capacity: Nemo Dagger or Copper Spur

Floor Area

Nemo Dagger has a rectangular floor with the dimensions of 90″ x 50″, Big Agnes Copper Spur, on the other hand, has a tapered floor which is wider at the head area and gets narrow through the feet area, its dimensions are 88″ x 52″ (Head Side) x 42″ (Feet Side).

Nemo Dagger 2P offers 31.2 sq ft of floor area, while Big Copper Spur HV UL2 offers only 29 sq ft.

If you are a tall person, you might be more comfortable in Nemo Dagger, it’s 90″ long, while Copper Spur is 88″ long.

Vestibule Area

Just like the floor area, Nemo Dagger is the superior one when it comes to the vestibule area.

Nemo Dagger has a vestibule area of 11.2 sq ft on each door while Big Agnes offers only 9 sq ft for each.

Interior Volume

The interior volume of a tent depends on several factors; its strategic clip placement to widen the canopy, its peak height of the and floor area.

Nemo Dagger is the superior one for each of those factors I pointed out above. It has more clips to widen the canopy and it has a better clip distribution, it’s taller and has a bigger floor.

Here is a picture I’ve created to demonstrate the clip placement.

To be honest, Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 offers good interior volume as well, it is much better compared to other backpacking tents on the market, but for the sake of comparison, it’s fair to say Nemo Dagger is much roomier than Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2.

Breathability

Both tents are highly breathable due to their high mesh ratio, so breathability-wise it wouldn’t be fair to say one is better than the other.

And, for the condensation, Both Dagger and Copper Spur features protected strut vents to decrease condensation.

Durability & Waterproofness of Dagger and Copper Spur

Big Agnes doesn’t provide any information on how denier its fabric is, therefore, it’s not possible to compare the specification of the fabrics but I can say that durability wise both tents are excellent.

But when it comes to waterproofness, Nemo Dagger is better, its floor is laminated with 3000mm PU, while floor fabric of Big Agnes Copper Spur is laminated with 1200mm PU.

If you want to learn more about fabrics of tents check out my article where I explain what are tents made of.

Weight & Packed Size Comparison

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 is smaller, but it provides a good balance between weight, packed size, and liveable place.

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 weighs 3 lb 2 oz when packed, on the other hand, Nemo Dagger 2 weighs 3 lb 2 oz. Big Agnes clearly the winner of the weight department.

BUT, If you are camping with a partner, Nemo Dagger offers you the versatility of dividing the tent pack into 2 pieces. So if you are camping with a partner or a buddy of yours, weight and pack size shouldn’t be your biggest concern.

And lastly the pack size, Big Agnes Copper Spur is smaller when packed, the difference is not big though, it’s only 0.5″. Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 and Nemo Dagger 2 respectively packs down to Ø 6″ x 19.5″ and Ø 6.5″ x 19.5″.