I must preface my review by saying we absolute love Eureka Tents.The ease of use the water tightness and the durability have been the selling points for us.We have had Timberline 2 and 4 tents and several years use from our Space III,We currently use timberline tents backpacking and a Titan for family camping however, when we upgraded to the Condo we found that all the things we loved about Eureka tents were a burden here.
First the good:
The tent is massive and dwarfs absolutely everything else about it.At some 20 feet long and 9 feet tall it encompasses a massive space accomedating large families or even groups with ease.
The central hub system is the same type used on and loved on so many of Eureka's top of the line tents.
The interior changing room that lets you have privacy while no having to zip up all the windows is a great idea!
The tent is light inside, very well ventilated, and strong.
Downsides:
The central hub system so easy with four poles is not easy with six.
I am 6' 7" tall and found the tent burdensome to set up and too tall, even for me, to comfortably do things like place the fly over the top - even with a running start!
The clear inserts in the zipped in storm flap separate from the nylon simply because the enormous sail area of the tent, creates stresses too much for a stiched joint of two different materials with different expansion/stretch rates and the plastic gives way.
The fly design over the doors is poor.Unlike nearly ever other Eurka tent - there is no overhang.Water drips off the storm fly over the zipper which leaks.Worse if you have to exit in the rain you litterally have to open an outwardly sloping door and the rain coming down and pouring off the fly, runs guess where - right into the tent!No way to avoid it - just poorly designed.
The steel poles also suffer from the huge stresses of such a structure and assume slight, but permanent bends in the direction of the stress.This would not be a issue but it makes them non-interchangeable with the other identical poles.So you might was well mark the poles the first time you pitch this tent as right front pole, left middle pole, etc. becasue that is where you will have to use them and it will save a lot of frustration later.
Storage!This tent takes up a lot of storage space - about the equal of a army duffel bag even larger.It is sort of like hauling a body in a duffel bag and is equally awkward.The fact that this duffel come with two handles one at each end tells you even the designers realized that it would take two people to handle it.
Conclusions:
We used it one season and sold it not because it was a bad tent but far too much of a burden.I buy Eureka tents because I find them good servants - this one made a terrible master.
By the way, this is far too much tent for any family having less than 4 adult and or teenaged family members.You simply cannot pitch it with less people and smaller children are not able to help as the poles are massive - about 16 feet long with a 70 degree bend at the six foot mark.
In short this tent is too much a good thing - combined with a terrible and I mean terrible, rainfly design The shame of it is I wanted very badly to like this tent and could not.
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Eureka Family 20-Foot by 10-Foot 8 to 12 Person Three-Room Condo TentProduct Description: Appropriately named, the luxurious Eureka Condo family tent boasts a 210 square foot area and enough space to sleep up to 12 campers. It also comes with removable internal dividers that enable you to divide the tent into either two or three rooms (the latter enabling a center changing room). You can also choose to have one large room and a screen room for meals and lounging. For an added level of weather protection you can add the included storm panels that create a full coverage fly. This tent has three doors and 10 windows for the ultimate in ventilation. The doors also feature Eureka's patented High/Low vents on the top and bottom, providing options for moderating air flow.
It's protected from the elements by a heavy-duty bathtub floor made of 4 ounce 210D oxford nylon that repels water. The multi-coated 75D Stormshield polyester fly improves durability and resistance to UV, acid rain, and tearing. The stable, long-lasting frame consists of a mix of lightweight, shockcorded 6000 Series aluminum poles that easily connect to a hub, thanks to the color-coded clip system.
Specifications:
Area: 210 square feet
Floor size: 20 feet by 10 feet, 6 inches
Center height: 8 feet
Wall fabrics: 1.9-ounce nylon taffeta with 1200mm coating/ 1.9-ounce breathable nylon
Floor fabrics: 4-ounce 210D Oxford polyester with 1200mm coating
Fly fabrics: 1.9-ounce 75D StormShield
Pack size: 14 by 40 inches
Weight: 72 pounds
About Eureka Though the exact year is unknown, Eureka's long history begins prior to 1895 in Binghamton, New York, where the company still resides today. Then known as the Eureka Tent & Awning Company, its first wares were canvas products--most notably, Conestoga wagon covers and horse blankets for nineteenth century American frontiersmen--as well as American flags, store awnings, and camping tents.
The company increased production of its custom canvas products locally throughout the 1930s and during the 1940 and even fabricated and erected the IBM "tent cities" just outside Binghamton. The seven acres of tents housed thousands of IBM salesmen during the company's annual stockholders meeting, which had since outgrown its previous locale. In the 1940s, with the advent of World War II and the increased demand for hospital ward tents, Eureka expanded operations and began shipping tents worldwide. Ultimately, upon the post-war return of the GIs and the resultant housing shortage, Eureka turned its attention to the home front during the 1950s by supplying awnings for the multitude of mobile homes that were purchased.
In 1960, Eureka's new and innovative Draw-Tite tent, with its practical, free standing external frame, was used in a Himalayan Expedition to Nepal by world renowned Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person documented to summit Mt. Everest only six years earlier. In 1963, Eureka made history during its own Mt. Everest ascent, with more than 60 of its tents sheltering participants from fierce 60+ mph winds and temperatures reaching below -20°F during the first all American Mt. Everest Expedition.
For backpackers and families, Eureka introduced its legendary Timberline tent in the 1970s. Truly the first StormShield design, this completely self-supporting and lightweight backpacking tent became one of the most popular tents the entire industry with sales reaching over 1 million by its ten year anniversary.
Eureka tents have also traveled as part of several historic expeditions, including the American Women's Himalayan Expedition to Annapurna I in 1978 and the first Mt. Everest ascents by a Canadian and American woman in 1986 and 1988. In recent history, tents specially designed and donated by Eureka sheltered Eric Simonson and his team on two historic research expeditions to Mount Everest, this time in a quest for truth regarding the 1924 attempted summit of early English explorers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. During the 1999 expedition, the team made history finding the remains of George Mallory, but the complete mystery remained unsolved. Returning in 2001 to search for more clues, the team found amazing historical artifacts which are now on display at the Smithsonian.
Amazon.com Tent Guide Selecting a Tent Fortunately, there are all kinds of tents for weekend car campers, Everest expeditions, and everything in-between. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Expect the Worst In general, it's wise to choose a tent that's designed to withstand the worst possible conditions you think you'll face. For instance, if you're a summer car camper in a region where weather is predictable, an inexpensive family or all purpose tent will likely do the trick--especially if a vehicle is nearby and you can make a mad dash for safety when bad weather swoops in! If you're a backpacker, alpine climber or bike explorer, or if you like to car camp in all seasons, you'll want to take something designed to handle more adversity.
Three- and Four-Season Tents For summer, early fall and late spring outings, choose a three-season tent. At minimum, a quality three season tent will have lightweight aluminum poles, a reinforced floor, durable stitching, and a quality rain-fly. Some three-season tents offer more open-air netting and are more specifically designed for summer backpacking and other activities. Many premium tents will feature pre-sealed, taped seams and a silicone-impregnated rain-fly for enhanced waterproofness.
For winter camping or alpine travel, go with a four season model. Because they typically feature more durable fabric coatings, as well as more poles, four-season tents are designed to handle heavy snowfall and high winds without collapsing. Of course, four-season tents exact a weight penalty of about 10 to 20 percent in trade for their strength and durability. They also tend to be more expensive.
Domes and Tunnels Tents are broadly categorized into two types, freestanding, which can stand up on their own, and those that must be staked down in order to stand upright. Freestanding tents often incorporate a dome-shaped design, and most four-season tents are constructed this way because a dome leaves no flat spots on the outer surface where snow can collect. Domes are also inherently stronger than any other design. Meanwhile, many three-season models employ a modified dome configuration called a tunnel. These are still freestanding, but they require fewer poles than a dome, use less fabric, and typically have a rectangular floor-plan that offers less storage space than a dome configuration. Many one and two-person tents are not freestanding, but they make up for it by being more lightweight. Because they use fewer poles, they can also be quicker to set up than a dome.
Size Matters Ask yourself how many people you'd like to fit in your fabric hotel now and in the future. For soloists and minimalists, check out one-person tents. If you're a mega-minimalist, or if you have your eye on doing some big wall climbs, a waterproof-breathable bivy sack is the ticket. Some bivy sacks feature poles and stake points to give you a little more breathing room. Also, if you don't need bug protection and you want to save weight, check out open-air shelters.
Families who plan on car camping in good weather can choose from a wide range of jumbo-sized tents that will accommodate all your little ones with room to spare. A wide range of capacities is also available for three- and four-season backpacking and expedition tents. Remember, though, the bigger the tent you buy, the heavier it will be, although it's easy to break up the tent components among several people in your group. It's also helpful to compare the volume and floor-space measurements of models you're considering.
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It has been many years since I stopped backpaking. I wanted a sleeping bag that would keep me warm and was tough as nails. This bag is not for woosey tofu eating backpakers, (like I used to be). The outside shell is tough waterproof heavy canvas, and the bag would keep you sleeping like a baby on the Polar Ice Cap. This is the most serious sleeping bag I have ever seen in my life. Warm and tough and soft and comfy. I bought a canvas tent with this and it would withstand a storm on an alien planet. If the end of the world comes this bag is what you want. It is extra long also. Forgot to mention that.
