How Much Does the Big Agnes Blacktail 3 Tent Weigh in 2026?

The lightest model on this Big Agnes Blacktail shelf is the Big Agnes Blacktail 2 - Vetiver at 2495 g (88.0 oz, 5.50 lb) for $300, lighter than 100% of the shelf. The shelf's median sits at 2892 g (102.0 oz, 6.38 lb) and $350. The Big Agnes Blacktail 3 - Vetiver, built for three people, weighs 2778 g (98.0 oz, 6.12 lb) for $350 and is lighter than 71% of the shelf. Moving from the 88.0-ounce two-person model up to a three-person model costs 10 more ounces and $50, in exchange for a stated capacity of three persons instead of two.

The picks, with their figures

1. Lightest overall

   Big Agnes Blacktail 2 - Vetiver

   5.50 lb · #1 of 8 · lighter than 100% of the shelf · $299.95 · $3.41/oz

   At 2495 g (88.0 oz, 5.50 lb) for $300, this is the lightest model on the shelf, lighter than 100% of the other seven. It carries a stated capacity of two persons, the lowest on this register.

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2. Lightest with a capacity of 3 persons

   Big Agnes Blacktail 3 - Vetiver

   6.12 lb · #3 of 8 · lighter than 71% of the shelf · $349.95 · $3.57/oz

   At 2778 g (98.0 oz, 6.12 lb) for $350, this is the lightest model among those stating a capacity of three persons or more, lighter than 71% of the shelf. It costs $50 and 283 g (10.0 oz) more than the two-person Big Agnes Blacktail 2 - Vetiver.

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3. Lightest with a capacity of 4 persons

   Big Agnes Blacktail 4 - Vetiver

   8.25 lb · #7 of 8 · lighter than 14% of the shelf · $399.95 · $3.03/oz

   At 3742 g (132.0 oz, 8.25 lb) for $400, this is the lightest model stating a capacity of four persons, lighter than 14% of the shelf. It shares its weight and price exactly with the Big Agnes Blacktail 4 - Warm Olive.

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4. Best value per ounce

   Big Agnes Blacktail 4 - Warm Olive

   8.25 lb · #8 of 8 · lighter than 0% of the shelf · $399.95 · $3.03/oz

   At $3.03 per ounce, this is tied for the lowest price per ounce on the shelf, for 3742 g (132.0 oz) at $400. The trade is 1247 g (44.0 oz) more than the lightest model on the shelf, the 2495 g Big Agnes Blacktail 2 - Vetiver.

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How to read this shelf

This shelf covers eight Big Agnes Blacktail tents, ranging from the Big Agnes Blacktail 2 - Vetiver at 2495 g (88.0 oz, 5.50 lb) for $300 up to the Big Agnes Blacktail 4 - Warm Olive at 3742 g (132.0 oz, 8.25 lb) for $400. The spread between lightest and heaviest is 1247 g (44.0 oz, 2.75 lb). The median weight is 2892 g (102.0 oz, 6.38 lb) at a median price of $350, which falls between the Big Agnes Blacktail 3 models at 2778 g (98.0 oz) and the Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel 2 at 3005 g (106.0 oz).

The 'lighter than' figure tells you where a model sits against the other seven. The Big Agnes Blacktail 3 - Warm Olive, at 2778 g (98.0 oz) for $350, is lighter than 57% of the shelf, while the identically weighted Big Agnes Blacktail 3 - Vetiver is lighter than 71% of the shelf because of how the color variants are ordered on the register. Read the percentage as a position marker, not as a claim about anything the spec sheet does not state.

The weight-for-money trade

Under a $350 price ceiling, the lightest model available is the Big Agnes Blacktail 2 - Vetiver at 2495 g (88.0 oz) for $300, priced at $3.41 per ounce. At $350, the shelf offers a choice between the Big Agnes Blacktail 3 - Vetiver at 2778 g (98.0 oz, $3.57/oz) and the heavier Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel 2 at 3005 g (106.0 oz, $3.30/oz) for the same $350. The same dollar amount does not buy the same weight on this shelf.

At $400, the Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel 3 weighs 3345 g (118.0 oz) at $3.39 per ounce, while the Big Agnes Blacktail 4 - Vetiver and Big Agnes Blacktail 4 - Warm Olive both weigh 3742 g (132.0 oz) at $3.03 per ounce for the same $400. On this shelf, the $400 price point stops buying lower weight once a buyer needs a stated capacity of four persons; the extra 397 g (14.0 oz) over the Hotel 3 does not cost more money, only more ounces.

The middle of the shelf

One rank down from the Big Agnes Blacktail 3 - Warm Olive at 2778 g (98.0 oz, $350, lighter than 57% of the shelf) sits the Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel 2 at 3005 g (106.0 oz, $350, lighter than 43% of the shelf). The price is identical; the difference is 227 g (8.0 oz) for the same $350, with no change in capacity_persons on either model's listing.

One rank up from the Big Agnes Blacktail 2 - Warm Olive at 2495 g (88.0 oz, $300, lighter than 86% of the shelf) is the Big Agnes Blacktail 3 - Vetiver at 2778 g (98.0 oz, $350, lighter than 71% of the shelf). That step costs $50 and 283 g (10.0 oz) and moves the stated capacity from two persons to three persons.

Who should not buy the lightest

A buyer who needs a stated capacity of three or four persons will not find it in the 2495 g (88.0 oz), $300 Big Agnes Blacktail 2 - Vetiver. The shelf's three-person models start at 2778 g (98.0 oz) for $350, and its four-person models start at 3742 g (132.0 oz) for $400.

A buyer who wants the shelf's lowest cost per ounce, $3.03/oz, found on the Big Agnes Blacktail 4 - Vetiver and Big Agnes Blacktail 4 - Warm Olive at 3742 g (132.0 oz) for $400, will end up carrying more weight than the 2495 g (88.0 oz) Big Agnes Blacktail 2 - Vetiver, not less. The spec sheet states weight, price and capacity_persons; it does not state how a tent handles wind, rain, repeated setup, or how livable its interior feels at night. Those are judgments the reader has to make on their own, weighed against the figures above.

Every model on this shelf, lightest first

8 Big Agnes Blacktail backpacking tents. Median 6.38 lb, median price $349.95, median $3.40 per ounce.

The whole category, every model placed: the tents measured.

What we did not measure

Weather performance: the register records no spec for how any of these tents hold up in sustained wind or rain; judge this from independent trip reports, not from weight or price.

Livability and interior space: stated capacity_persons is the only space-related figure on this shelf; it does not describe headroom, floor shape, or how two or three people actually fit.

Durability over seasons: none of these figures track how a tent's materials or seams age with repeated use; ask about warranty terms and read owner reports directly.

Setup time and ease: the spine carries no figure for how long a tent takes to pitch or how forgiving it is for a first-time user on uneven ground.

Questions people ask

How much does the Big Agnes Blacktail 3 weigh?

Both color versions, the Big Agnes Blacktail 3 - Vetiver and the Big Agnes Blacktail 3 - Warm Olive, weigh 2778 g (98.0 oz, 6.12 lb) and cost $350. The Vetiver version is listed as lighter than 71% of the shelf and the Warm Olive version as lighter than 57%, reflecting their position in the ranking rather than a weight difference.

What is the difference between the Blacktail 2 and the Blacktail 3?

The Big Agnes Blacktail 2 - Vetiver weighs 2495 g (88.0 oz) for $300 and states a capacity of two persons. The Big Agnes Blacktail 3 - Vetiver weighs 2778 g (98.0 oz) for $350 and states a capacity of three persons, a difference of 283 g (10.0 oz) and $50.

Is there a cheaper tent on this shelf than the Blacktail 3?

Yes. The Big Agnes Blacktail 2 - Vetiver and Big Agnes Blacktail 2 - Warm Olive both list at $300, which is $50 less than either Blacktail 3 model's $350 price.

Which Blacktail tent is the lightest on the shelf?

The Big Agnes Blacktail 2 - Vetiver, at 2495 g (88.0 oz, 5.50 lb) for $300, is the lightest of the eight models, lighter than 100% of the shelf.

What should I look at if I need room for four people?

The Big Agnes Blacktail 4 - Vetiver and Big Agnes Blacktail 4 - Warm Olive both state a capacity of four persons at 3742 g (132.0 oz, 8.25 lb) for $400, priced at $3.03 per ounce, the lowest per-ounce figure on this shelf.

The picks, head to head

• Blacktail 2 - Vetiver vs Blacktail 3 - Vetiver