LOTS OF COMFORT, LITTLE WEIGHT
Big Agnes took last year’s already light Gear of the Year–winning Emerald Mountain tent and sliced off nearly a pound, while apparently sacrificing nothing. How’d they do it? An even smarter design, smaller-gauge zippers, and a featherweight body and 15-denier nylon fly that, because its fibers are double-twisted for added strength, is much tougher than it looks. It’s an impressive feat, especially considering that the tent is roomy enough—29 square feet, with a respectable 42-inch peak height—for two six-foot testers to sleep comfortably and is packed with features like reflective guylines and self-propping vents on the fly. The only catch? The fancy materials bump up the cost. 3.5 lbs; bigagnes.com