Big Agnes announces MtnGlo Built-In Tent Lighting

Big Agnes makes some gear I really love, and then they come out with products that are just plain dumb. I have no clue what they're thinking down in Steamboat Springs.

They're just changing things up, seeing what sticks. I like seeing folks trying different stuff out (like the magnetic door netting thingymabob) if for no other reason than the "what if" factor. The accountants at BA may disagree… but as a bystander, I'm all for weird new sh!t.

I'm all for weird new shit I can dunk in mirazyme and shove in a stuffsack twenty times a season. They've probably thought of that, though.

And hey, look, it's me, I'll probably own one for five minutes and one of you will get it on gearswap for a song. :) Is the lightstrip, if removable, any different than hanging a headlamp or an Orbit or a Luminaid? No. Possibly, doubtfully, even a weight savings over bringing a separate backup light source.

But something about 'flip a switch and turn the lights on' rubs me the wrong way.

it's optional at home too ;)

Pot is legal there. Might explain a few things.

Editors choice gold award. I bet it sells

I hope they make a bivy, my old method isn't great with eVent.

I'm not sure which is more questionable, your lighting methods or Ryan Reynolds' acting 'career'.

Next up: Indoor plumbing. Then, finally, we can stop camping like barbarians.

Donna C quipped, "Pot is legal there. Might explain a few things."

First thing that popped into my mind too. But it would have dancing light shows and colors if that were the case.

A simple hook to hang my headlamp would do.

Gimmicks and camping gear go together. Like fishing gear, the first thing to accomplish is to catch the buyer :)

"But it would have dancing light shows and colors if that were the case."

A light up disco floor would be a good upgrade option.

Overkill for sure. I just use one of those 1oz microlights that go on a keychain. I clip it to the loop in the top of my tent interior, and it lights up the entire tent inside and out.

This must be marketed more towards car-campers who want the cool factor and don't care about the weight.

Is there an app that syncs the lights to pulsate with your tunes? That would be cool man. : p

Clearly BPL-folk aren't going to eat this up, but I can imagine there are a lot of more casual outdoors people/families out there who would.

I have to agree, My dad was adding 12v lighting (connected to the car battery) to his canvas cabin tents way back in the 70's and 80's.
Even if they put it on some "backpacking" tents, it's not like they're marketing it to the UL crowd. Let the glampers have their fun. When my wife saw it (who is not a backpacker) she thought it was pretty neat. We are not the target audience, but I'm guessing those who are will think this is a great idea.

Recently, I purchased a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 mtnGLO tent mainly for car camping with my girlfriend. Going solo, I have a collection of shelters that I rotate depending on my adventurous spirit level at the time (bivy, tarp, tarptent) and this is definitely the largest/heaviest shelter i’ve owned. Anyone else have one of these that they use? just looking for general feedback. I’ve had another BA shelter before and they’re pretty solid and the company’s customer service is terrific. ready? set! discuss!

I’ll start. What are people using for the footprint? I’m planning to custom cut a sheet of tyvek and install some grommets.

Polycryo weighs significantly less than Tyvek. Typical housewrap Tyvek for a tent footprint that size would weigh approximately 9 oz.

Duct tape is preferable to grommets, using some 2mm shock cord for the anchor points.

Great points @bobmny10562! I use polycro when solo’ing and the compactness and weight just can’t be beat. From my experience it’s not as puncture resistant or as durable as Tyvek. Weight not being a factor in this case, I think i’m going to stick with Tyvek. This tent is more of a family tent and while i baby my gear, i can’t count on being able to watch everyone all the time that’s in and out of the tent.

Thanks for the tip on the grommet substitutes. I’m going to make it a weekend project now to add some duct tape DIY “grommets” to my polycro ground cloths.

Very good discussion <b>Here</b> about using tape for anchor points, and various strategies to distribute stress.

If only for car camping, Tyvek is fine, or even something heavier. I know the floors on the BA UL tents are pretty thin… maybe something on the inside floor as well.