A double-wall tent at 2 lb 1 oz on our scale, proven over high-mileage days on the John Muir Trail. Living in it is a squeeze. It scores 73 out of 100 and ranks #10 in our best backpacking tents guide as our best backpacking tent for solo hikers.
Best Backpacking Tent for Solo Hikers
Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1
- Weight (our scale): 2 lb 1 oz packed
- Our pitch time: 2 minutes 15 seconds
- Pad fit (our test): one pad
- Doors: 1, front entry
Bottom Line : Two pounds for a double-wall tent, proven over high-mileage days on the John Muir Trail. Living in it is a squeeze.
Pros
- 2 lb 1 oz on Emma's scale
- Pitched in 2 minutes 15 seconds
- Handled Sierra thunderstorms
Cons
- Low footbox gets your quilt damp
- Front entry is a squeeze
- Catches wind on its steep front wall
On the John Muir Trail
Emma carried the Fly Creek on the John Muir Trail in August, on dry alpine camps and long days. It handled Sierra thunderstorms.
For big miles the weight is the point: 2 lb 1 oz packed on Emma's scale, the lightest tent in our guide. It pitched in 2 minutes 15 seconds.
It's a one-pad tent. One 20 inch or 25 inch tapered pad fits, and that's it.
Where It Asks Something of You
The footbox slopes so low that it touched Emma's quilt and passed condensation to her feet. Opening the wet front door drips onto the head of your bag.
The steep front wall catches wind badly, so pitch it behind a rock if you can. The thin fabric is delicate, and the rear stake loops showed thread strain. The front entry makes sitting up and turning round feel like yoga.
Spec Sheet vs Our Test
1 lb 11 oz. Big Agnes quotes 1 lb 11 oz for the one-person tent. Emma's scale said 2 lb 1 oz packed, with stakes and stuff sacks. Expect the packed weight, not the minimum.
Vertical sidewalls for interior space. Big Agnes claims high-volume architecture. With a low, sloping footbox, Emma found it more like burrowing into a bivy.
Dry entry vestibule. Big Agnes promises a dry-entry vestibule over the single door. In Sierra thunderstorms, opening the wet door still dripped water onto the head of Emma's sleeping bag. Unzip it slowly and keep your bag back from the door.
Should You Buy the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1?
Yes, if you're walking big miles alone and every ounce counts. It's the lightest double-wall tent we tested.
If you want room to live in solo, a two-person tent like the Tiger Wall UL2 adds only 7 oz.
Compare With
- NEMO Dagger OSMO 2P: our best backpacking tent for rainy trips.
- MSR Hubba Hubba LT 2: our best overall backpacking tent.
- Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2: our best backpacking tent for couples.
- Sea to Summit Telos TR2 Plus: our best backpacking tent for wind and rain.
- Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 2: our best backpacking tent for hiking with a dog.
- MSR Elixir 2: our best backpacking tent for scouts.
- Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2: our best ultralight backpacking tent.
- ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 2: our best budget backpacking tent for beginners.
- Kelty Late Start 2P: our best backpacking tent for summer storms.
- Naturehike Cloud Up 2: our best cheap backpacking tent.
See all 11, and how we tested them, in our best backpacking tents guide. For family and car-camping tents, start at our camping tents hub.
Editor's Note, 20 October 2026: Renamed this pick's award to say what it is best for, to match our updated buying guide. Scores and rankings are unchanged.
Editor's Note, 17 October 2026: New review, from the field notes of Emma, who tested this tent for our backpacking tent guide and weighed it on her own scale.
Our Testers
This review was edited by Sean Williams and tested by Emma Williams.
- Sean Williams, Editor-in-Chief. Sean built the team of researchers and testers behind our reviews and sets the rule the site runs on: we buy what we test, and we say what we found.
- Ryan Williams, Lead Tester. Ryan reviewed the rankings against Emma's notes.
- Emma Williams, Editor and Tester. Emma leads our tent, camp kitchen and footwear testing, mostly in wet weather, and tested every tent in this guide.
