buying a 2 man tent
looking at Eureka Sun River 2;three season hiking AT and local trails with 75 lb Black Lab. Any input appreciated Local place has it for clearance at $79.
That looks like it might be the model that replaced the older Pinnacle Pass 2 man tent that I bought at Dick's in 2008. The Pinnacle pass was a great tent and I generally recomment Eureka! as a value brand so long as it is a model that comes with Aluminum poles.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
Poles and rain cover included ;and funny but is a Dick's Sale didn't know they are in Connecticut.
Eureka is a great brand. I have a "two person" tent that is basically bomb-proof but not a backpack tent at 7lbs. I can't fault their tents, but be sure the weight of the tent is something you can manage.
Not exactly light at 51 oz (and then add cordage, stakes and perhaps footprint), but that's one heckuva good price and a Eureka 2-person is likely to actually accommodate 2 people, unlike most brands these days where 2 people would be quite a squeeze.
At the other end of the scale is Zpacks Duplex, which is far lighter (22 oz with stakes, cords) and MUCH more $$$.
Also check Tarptents, Mountain Laurel Designs and Lightheart Gear for some mid-price options.
Another option is some sort of silnylon tarp with a S2S inner net.
Last edited by cmoulder; 08-15-2016 at 08:58.
There was a time when there were small 2 man tents and large two man tents.
For example, my current true 2 man tent is a Big Agnes Lynx Pass 2. The floor dimensions are 90"x58" making for an area of more than 36 sqft.
By contrast, I also own a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2. The floor dimensions are 90"x(52"-42") (trapizoid shape) with an area of only 29 sqft.
The Lynx Pass was purchased several years ago. Since then, I've noticed that most tent manufacturers are pushing their 2 man tents down to the size of the Copper Spur (seems like 90"x(52"-42") has become a very common floor size for 2 man tents).
For me, the Copper Spur is impossible to use as a 2 man tent because I use a "large" size sleeping pad, which means it's 25" wide rather than the standard 20" wide (you can put two 20" pads in a Copper Spur, but you can't put a 25" and a 20" without them overlapping each other).
With quoted dimensions of 88"x(55"-45") and 32-1/2 sqft, this Eureka tent is NOT what I would call a "large" two man tent, but it is a little wider than what is typical (it would likely be a squeeze but it sounds like you might be able to get two 25" wide sleeping pads in this tent).
I've never owned a Eureka, but my impression over the years is that they are like some of the Kelty tents I've owned... a little on the heavy side because they use thicker materials that should last a long time. (And the Dick's Sporting Goods web site indicates it does use aluminum poles).
So if you're good with the weight of the tent, is sounds like a good bargain. ( Note that weight was an issue with many of the "bad" reviews I could find on this tent. In one case, a customer complained that the specs indicate the tent is only 4lbs3oz, but that when he weighted his (stuff sack, stakes and all) it was 5lb8oz.
but that when he weighted his (stuff sack, stakes and all) it was 5lb8oz.
Ouch.
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