Big Agnes Copper Spur keeps cropping up as best tent on American sites - so much so that it makes the cynic in me wonder whether people are just copying other people's reviews, or are at least being influenced by them. Or maybe it really is a great tent? Not what I want, either way.
Ha ha! I know what you mean.
Although I actually have a Older 2016 version of the Copper Spur 2😊
Which I have found to be excellent for what I needed.
To achieve the light weight for the large space, means it hasn’t got the same water head as a tent like a Hilleberg.
I have never had water ingression with the fly but have twice found a “sweating” coming through the floor when camped on water logged soil. I use it as a huge solo tent and have never had condensation issues. I haven’t winter camped but have wakened with frost on it a couple of times in the Cairngorms in May.
I think the reason America likes it is the room to weight ratio, 2 doors, simple to put up, its inner is free standing which is easier to secure on American trail camp stands.
I routinely look for a sheltered spot for a camp site, so can’t comment on how it would stand up to direct heavy wind.
My gut feel is I wouldn’t get a better similar combination unless I went for Dynamo material.
If I want a more solid tent the same size it will be heavier, or smaller.
This is the only tent I have used though, which is the point of this thread, in that I have nothing to compare it with except the previously mentioned comparison sites, which I think don't seem to include the type of tents more often used in the UK.
Boots are another thing. Recently I saw a few people on this forum had trouble with a boot that consistently comes top in the ratings in these sites.
It wasn't clear if their favourite boots had been tested on these sites.
There are some easily attained information on best cars, best cameras, best telephones etc, but as yet the only sites I can find that do a reasonable comprehensive test are the ones mentioned in this thread.
I feel that considering how much we can spend on this "specialised equipment" we are not very well served.