i>“They cut 5 ounces off a Fly Creek? Sweet! But HOW? Where? What does it sacrifice? Is it worth the extra money? If I sneeze in the middle of the night, will the tent be able to take the force of my sudden exhalation?” Such was the drift of my thoughts upon hearing about the Big Agnes Fly Creek 2 Platinum, and it seemed likely that many other users would have the same sorts of questions, so we put dear Platinum through a thorough evaluation.
First, what, if anything, does the Fly Creek 2 Platinum sacrifice as compared to the Fly Creek 2? Second, is it worth an extra $130? As natural extensions of those points, I wanted to see how the FC2P compared to similar tents on the market and provide an in-depth evaluation of the tent that would paint a clear picture of the tent even to those unfamiliar with the "standard" version.
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Mostly longer trips without resupply, in what usually seems to be cold and wet conditions. Over two decades of backcountry travel including backpacking and canoe tripping. I consider Marquette to be my home, but I currently live down-state. Many years as a buyer in specialty outdoor retail.
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Home›Forums›Big Agnes Fly Creek 2 Platinum Tent Review
“The poles are somewhat larger in diameter than one might expect, with joints that seem plenty stout. It’s a light set of poles, I’m not sure if there is any other difference from a standard Fly Creek 2 poleset.”
You could weigh them and tell. The standard Fly Creek’s 9 mm DAC poles weigh 10.2 oz (289 g)
Looking at the photo of the tent without the fly, it appears that this tent is a bit shorter than the original UL2 version in the orangy tan color. Mine doesn't have such a crazy high arc like that, it seems to be shorter and so the arc is higher. I have more room inside my tent top to bottom between the thermarest and the edge of the tent. It does look like maybe there is a wider floor in this newer version too. I wonder if they ever so slightly tweaked the angles or the seam locations to stretch the inner space and make the tent sit differently without changing much… has anyone set them up next to eachother yet and really looked at it? I wish this review had actually done that.
I just bought this tent and it is quite an amazing little thing. Very impressive how BA was able to bring down the weight by tweaking the design. I have the Fly Creek UL3 for when I hike with a partner and bought this for solo hiking but it will easily fit me and my wife or me and one of my younger kids no problem. Two adult men would be a problem unless you're quite 'friendly' with each other. I also bought it for $375 online since I couldn't justify the normal $500 price tag. I couldn't really justify the sale price either but then again I wouldn't have half of my gear if I had to rationalize my purchases!
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