Big Agnes: Comfort, Lightweight Design, and Mountain Adventure

Discover the Big Agnes brand

Big Agnes: The Brand’s Origins and History

Big Agnes is an American brand founded in 2001 by Bill Gamber, whose headquarters have always been in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The brand’s name is taken from Mount Big Agnes, a peak in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness area of the Colorado Rockies.

It all began in this mountain town, where two outdoor enthusiasts sought to solve a simple yet frustrating problem: sleeping bags slipping off sleeping pads in the middle of the night. Their solution— a sleeping bag with a built-in sleeping pad sleeve —marked the beginning of the brand’s history.

It took Big Agnes just three years to win its first Backpacker Editors' Choice Award, for its Insulated Air Core mattress. The brand has since racked up more than a dozen of these awards, in addition to numerous other accolades from both specialized and mainstream media.

Did you know?

Big Agnes’ unofficial nickname in the outdoor community is “The Mother of Comfort,” a nod to its original mission: to equip the brave who sleep under the stars and keep them on their mattresses.

Product Development and Innovations at Big Agnes

Big Agnes’ innovation lies primarily in its integrated sleeping system (System Sleeping Bag), designed as early as 2001 to prevent the sleeping bag from slipping off the mattress—a revolution much appreciated by camping enthusiasts.

Among the brand’s major milestones: the 2004 launch of ultralight tents with the Seedhouse line and an LED lighting system integrated into the tent fabric, an innovation recognized with five major industry awards.

Big Agnes’ philosophy is not to create new products just to fill shelves, but to solve real problems encountered in the field. As its founder puts it: the team goes camping, comes back, and asks itself how to practically improve what they’ve just used.

Products offered by the Big Agnes brand

Big Agnes offers a complete line geared toward backpacking and hiking: tents and shelters (backpacking and camping), sleeping bags, sleeping pads, camping furniture ( chairs, camp beds, tables), and accessories such as groundsheets.

The brand is particularly renowned for two flagship products: the Copper Spur HV UL, regularly ranked as the best bivouac tent across all categories, and its integrated sleeping system where the sleeping bag and pad are designed to work together. A unique feature in the industry!

Big Agnes also offers tents specifically designed for bikepacking, which are easy to pack and store on the bike.

Big Agnes’ Commitment to Sustainability

Sustainability is one of Big Agnes’ three official pillars, alongside people and products, with the stated goal of integrating responsible practices at every stage, from product design to end-of-life.

Among its flagship textile innovations, Big Agnes uses solution-dyed tent fabrics— a process that saves water and energy—and has developed proprietary HyperBead™ technology for its tent fabrics: lighter, stronger, and more waterproof than conventional fabrics, with no added PFAS agents.

In 2024, the brand launched the Circle Back™ Insulated, its first sleeping pad designed for complete circularity: made from recycled materials, it can be returned to Big Agnes at the end of its life to be fully recycled.

*The Mother of Comfort