Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel 3-Person Tent

2024-09-20T20:00:00

I used a BA Lynx Pass 3 for years until I wore it out. BA could not repair it, however it was still warrantied and I was given a nice credit towards new gear. The Blacktail Hotel 3 with the "garage" fit my needs with all the gear I carry, especially during elk season. I am 6'2" and have to sleep on a diagonal in this tent. I knew this before I bought the tent, my old Lynx Pass 3 fas the same footprint. If the tent was just 6" longer I could get by with the 2 person version. Most of BA tents are for shorter people it seems. I do like the back entrance, which my old tent did not have. Also, a pet peve about most tents, the tent does not come with enough tent stakes to fasten down all the guy ropes and the sides of the tent. Needs 6 more stakes.T-storms in the high country can get pretty windy. I like the design of the new tent stakes, much better than those from 10 years ago.

Large B.

2024-09-01T20:00:00

Have used this tent for 8 nights this year. Does great for everything from car camping to backpacking. What really sold me was this last backpacking trip in the Wind River mountain range where it kept us and our gear dry and warm during an unexpected thunderstorm that turned into a snowstorm over night. There was a notable warmth in the tent versus stepping out of the tent to let the dog out. I loved that our backpacks and shoes had plenty of space to stay dry in the hotel vestibule so we werent soaked and cold on the next 2 days of our hike. Little heavy but thats perfectly fine for the price and amount of storage space that you get in return. Brings the comforts of home to the backcountry

Ethan

2024-05-28T20:00:00

This is a great tent for short backpacking trips where a few pounds doesn't matter. It's well thought out and well made. The huge rainfly is awesome, but I REALLY wish I could also buy the smaller Blackfly rainfly separately, for those times the "hotel" won't work.

Lewis

2024-05-08T20:00:00

I really like this tent design. The rectangle shape of the tent is great - some other brands taper towards the feet end, nobody wants that. I like the circulation/venting with this tent. I love the big vestibule - super handy for making coffee in the morning, or for getting kids out of rain gear outside the tent and out of the rain, or for storing bags or equipment out of the rain/snow.

Martin

2024-02-01T19:00:00

Bought this initially for the large vestibule, hoping to make use of the extra space (since I would be living in it for 3 months) and it blew me away! This tent survived 6 camp moves and many storms with no damage. It's just enough space, very cozy and it really became my sturdy, reliable, comfortable home for the duration of my planting contract.

Lee

2024-01-22T19:00:00

I like the garage for gear - it's a great idea and work well. Overall the tent design and function are good as well. Easy to set up and take down. I wish the garage had a zipper on both sides. Only one side is somewhat limiting for tent setup options when in the woods. Not the end of the world, but it can take some strategizing to get the entry in the spot you want. The poles seem to be a very tight fit in the garage. They were permanently bent after only a couple uses and it takes too much effort to get the poles in their slots. seems like the poles are an inch too long. After 9 nights of use, the pole broke in the garage section because of the strain - no fallen branches or impacts. The most frustrating experience was trying to get the pole segments replace by warranty. Instead i was told that poles aren't covered and I'd have to pay for the new segments and shipping. I think BA needs to reevaluate this - 9 nights before a pole break is unacceptable and more so because they did not take responsibility for the defect or poor quality. I likely will not purchase other BA products because of this.

Emmet

2023-11-08T19:00:00

not your smallest or lightest tent on the market, but made us feel right at home.

Riley

2023-08-20T20:00:00

I absolutely love this tent. It's my go to for all our river camp trips. It packs small and light. In a canoe weight and packability is very important to me and my buddies. This past March I damaged the bag in an unfortunate situation. Not being able to salvage was a huge bummer. I contacted the support team and they were able to find me a replacement bag. I am truly grateful because I absolutely love this setup. March in the Midwest you never know what kind of weather you run into. So I've got plenty of extra space to hold my gear from inclement weather. Great job Big Agnes team! And thank you again for the support ?? Much appreciated! Can't wait for the next adventure!

Karl K.

2023-07-20T20:00:00

Great tent! Lots of room for my moto gear. (And my wife.)

Conrad

2023-05-28T20:00:00

I used this tent on a whitewater kayak trip and it performed incredible. Excellent ventilation even when the rain fly is on. Roomy enough for two although even though you can fit 3 people I wouldn't use it for that. I like me space and privacy. So much room in the vestibule to store gear I love this tent so much I am thinking of picking up the bike packing version.

No J.

2023-05-27T20:00:00

I'm with a high venture group with scouting and this is my base camp tent and it is fantastic. I have been in all sorts of weather in this tent including high winds, snow, torrential rain, etc, and it has with stood it all. Highly recommend this tent for those who like storage, space, and easy set up.

Quentin

2022-09-11T20:00:00

Love this tent!! Light and super roomy. The capacious lobby can hold all the packs and boots and poles for 3 folks.. When it rained we even set up the stove and made coffee there, then five of us sat around and chatted to wait out the weather. It took us two runs looking at the instructions (conveniently attached to the bag) before we could quickly set up the tent from memory. Only slight complaint is that a combination of user error and very high winds in the Colorado mountains pulled the straps enough that one of the pole grommets on the tent broke (but not the strap, and everything stayed together). On the next trip a grommet on the (quite tight) hotel ground band thing also broke (very likely damaged in the windstorm, again everything stayed together). In prep for the next trip, we wanted to repair these. It's worth noting that the grommets on this tent are 5/16" or '#1' or 8mm. We had them repaired in minutes with a cheap (~$11) kit from a large online retailer named for a river in South America. Looking forward to many miles and many nights with this tent.

Explorers P.

2022-08-20T20:00:00

Ththe best tent for touring. I have an electric recumbent trike and the first night camping it was raining. i tried to get my catrike in the vestibule it just worked

YVES

2022-07-07T20:00:00

I love this tent. It is fairly easy to put together, with tons of room. Our dog can also sleep like a king under the vestibule and we still have enough room to store our packs - so everything is protected from the elements. All of this for the weight of the tent is a for sure win!

Elizabeth

2022-05-14T20:00:00

This is a good tent because it is multi-purpose and seems to be a good value in it's durability. I've mostly used it for car camping but took it on a couple shorter mileage backpacking trips. I thought the giant vestibule/garage feature would be great for my dogs to hang out in. Well, that didn't work out but that's not a design problem. They just weren't trained very well and liked to escape. I also liked the idea of being able to have a cooking area when it was pouring rain, if appropriate to the bear situation. Overall, it is a basic setup that's similar in design to many other two pole tents (not counting the additional vestibule structure). I think this particular configuration is too heavy for longer distance backpacking even split between two people, but ok for shorter basecamping type trips. Great for car camping or paddling type trips. The color is perfect for Seahawks fans! 12th man!

Ron d.

2022-04-16T20:00:00

This tent is great! Looking at the specs it seems heavy, but split between 2 or 3 people it is not bad at all. We got caught in a wind storm and this held up like a champ! (I did take the vestibule down thinking it would catch wind like a kite). I love the vestibule to keep your gear dry and it help keep critters like mice and squirrels out of your pack. I would definitely buy this tent again and recommend it to a friend.

Wyogirl

2021-11-29T19:00:00

I got this tent to get my two boys into camping. The tent is cozy and there is plenty of room in the oversized vestibule for gear. Tent is sturdy and well built.

Dr E.

2021-08-04T20:00:00

Love the tent over all. Plenty of room to stash wet gear under the "garage" after a long day on the water. With heavy rain there is a bit of splash up so put your more waterproof gear toward the edges, but inside the tent stays nice and dry. On hotter nights it can get a little stuffy due to limited vents and slighter thicker material. There is plenty of overhead storage compartments for smaller gear and a larger gear loft at the foot of the tent. One of the "door keepers" busted on my tent on the second use unfortunately- maybe just a defect tent? Overall great tent!

Tim

2021-05-07T20:00:00

First, I love the spaciousness of the 3 person... for 1 or 2 people... and I love the huge vestibule. But...I'm not sure about the tent if I have to camp in a high wind situation: a) the criss-cross pole design moves freely, with nothing locking them in (A velcro cable wrap on the poles makes me sleep better at night) b) the guy out points on the fly, don't attach to the poles, so the fly is totally dependent on the plastic buckles' strength And... the pockets are all concentrated on one side of the tent. So, position of the pockets relative to the slope of the ground is important whether you have easy access to the pockets or not.

Angry M.

2020-08-07T20:00:00

Great tent for 2 people and our dog buckingham. The garage is a great storage place for the packs #sweepstakes

Guest

2020-08-04T20:00:00

It seems hard to get in and out of. wish you could use with or without full vestibule, in other words if vestibule could be flexible. Miss sky lights and windows

Michael

2020-06-11T20:00:00

Great job, Big Agnes! Just received the Blacktail 3 Hotel and had a chance to get up close with the details. I think the description is spot on...light and compact enough to split between 2 in the backcountry, but also perfect for tossing in the Jeep and hitting some campgrounds. Overall a great design and is the closest thing to a do-all tent that I've ever owned. Tent purchases are never inexpensive, but this is a hell of a tent for the money. The fabled "just right" combination of durability, weight, and practical function that seems to come with quality gear that lasts for years (and you actually want to use!) I've backpacked with the Copper Spur series for many trips and love the way BA approaches tent design. The Blacktail is no different - all the features you want, but slimmed down in a sleek package that's easy to set up and durable enough where you don't have to cringe if you forgot to get that twig out from under your sleeping pad or need to guy it extra tight in bad weather. The hotel feature really makes this tent stand out. Your camping buds will be jealous and I bet these are going to get incredibly popular?it adds so much useful and practical space! Large enough for two people to sit up or sprawl out inside when the sun is high or the rain is pounding. Use it to cook under or just store gear at night, it's pretty much the world's greatest extra-large vestibule. The 3 person is perfect for 2 campers and even have the space to add in a furry friend. Don't overthink it?if you want a tent this size or are debating whether the hotel is handy or unnecessary...trust me, just get it! Don't forget the matching footprint, it makes the whole system that much easier. Or don't buy this tent. Then I can still keep feeling like the cool guy in the woods with my personal hotel. Complimentary breakfast and wifi NOT included, but I still rate it 5 stars. Proud to own another piece of B.A. gear from BA.

Clark

2020-06-11T20:00:00

For sea kayaking in Alaska, there is no better tent. You can keep all your wet gear in that big ol vestibule and stay dry and cozy. I can dry out my drysuit over night, keep my boots easy-access for nighttime nature-calls, and it allows me to keep mine and my tent partner's gear dry. Plus, the back door allows your tent mate an easy way out of their own. Hands down, no other way to go.

White W.

2020-05-26T20:00:00

I added that this would be good for Backpacking, I know it is heavy but bear with me. It comfortably fits two people (would fit 3 pretty well) and all their gear even for gear heavy activities like hunting or moto camping. Divided between 2 people it would be ~3lbs each which is more than acceptable for backpacking. Also with the large vestibule you could leave your UL tarp at home even for rainy weather. The "hotel" part fits 2 people perfectly with room to cook out of the rain. I am driven by comfort and this tent has it. The center bar makes the walls vertical with plenty of head room for sitting up and packing up inside the tent. It is the vertical walls that make this a true 3P tent since no one is jammed in the crease. Also, the stash pockets are genius. My only concern would be wind. the tent is very tall and wide, but I have not had an opportunity to test it. There are plenty of tie down points but it is something to be aware of.

Simon