Big Agnes sneak peak at new UL tents for 2026

That String Ridge VST 1.5 looks like a bastardized Gossamer Gear The One. BA pricing has reached almost ridiculous levels for tents made overseas.

That String Ridge VST 1.5 looks like a bastardized Gossamer Gear The One. BA pricing has reached almost ridiculous levels for tents made overseas.

Many of these tents are superficially similar, but The One is significantly smaller and nylon.

Does anybody pay full price?

From the photo above, I count 7 stakes for a rudimentary pitch, 9 for proper form and wind resitance. That alone would send me running the other way.

With 9 stakes, each stake is doing less work and becomes less critical. Lighter and shorter stakes start to become more practical while heavier and longer stakes lead to a more secure structure. Generalization is a mistake without first examining real world use especially without factoring in local conditions. If only the wind didn’t blow. However that may lead us into a much more undesirable situation.

From the photo above, I count 7 stakes for a rudimentary pitch, 9 for proper form and wind resitance. That alone would send me running the other way.

It’s 6 for a basic pitch, with 3 more optional, so start running.

FWIW, I used it for three nights in the mountains this past (long) weekend. I noted some preliminary pros and cons, and I expect to post a review after using it for one or two more trips.

I will say that it does fill a unique niche for my use-case and it is on track be my main go-to tent.