Eureka Solitaire Tent

Comments about Eureka Solitaire Tent:

I have been using this little tent on backpacking trips for the past 5 years and have gotten to know it very well. I hike with friends that use more expensive tents than my little Solitaire, so it always presents an interesting comparison.
The negatives of this tent are
1) it doesn't have any headroom, once you are in the tent you should be ready to lay down and sleep or read
2) if you haven't put the fly on before getting in, it's a bit of a pain to put it on later. You have to use the top-entry zipper and all the wriggling around can sometimes cause mesh inside to sag a little
3) the tent is not freestanding, it does require staking
4) if you aren't careful when you wake up, existing condensation can be troublesome
5) not much storage space to keep your gear inside--i.e., no vestibule

But all the good things this tent does provide:
1) cheap cost, definitely a consideration for many people
2) easy footprint. I often could find places to set up my tent where my friends and their expensive tents could not
3) the tent is long. Granted you aren't sitting up in this thing, but I am 6'2" and never had a problem with legroom.
4) the tent stays dry in rain. This tent performed well in rainstorms, outperforming my friends' tents. It does require more staking to get the guywires out and you are limited to the front entry at that point, and your gear will be in your tent with you which can be somewhat crowded, but me and my gear stayed dry.
5) EASY setup. I have trouble with the reviews where people have said this tent is difficult to setup. It only requires 4 stakes, two in front two in back. Slide the poles in, stake it down and you're done.
6) Average condensation performance. Average is a compliment. I have used many tents where condensation ruins the entire experience. With a little careful maneuvering in the morning, you can exit through the front door and then peel the fly back without soaking everything in the tent.
6) While the lack of headroom is a criticism, I also sort of like the stealthy sleek feel of the tent. It makes me happy to get inside.
7) The tent packweight is very minimal. My friends and their expensive gear often have more lightweight stuff than me, but the tent is one item where I have them beat.
8) I have to admit when I first got the tent I was concerned about the mesh and the poles, and whether they would withstand the abuse I had in store. But the durability has been tested and won me over.
9) Easy care and storage. I have setup this tent many times in all conditions from dusty and dry to wet and muddy to snow, and it always cleans up nice.

Overall I am a fan of the Solitaire. Considering price and general utility, it has plenty of bang for the buck. Over the years I have upgraded my gear one piece at a time, but I have been reluctant to change tents. I know the Solitaire has no headroom, but otherwise I have a hard time fixing what isn't broken.

Comments about Eureka Solitaire Tent:

This tent looks good straight out of the box. It seems roomy and was easy to set up. I was concerned because there are seems in the floor. Time will tell if they prove to be a problem. Also, the vestibule iw quite small, just big enough for a pair of boots.
Overall the tent seems good For the price, but I haven't had a chance to use it outside yet.

Comments about Eureka Solitaire Tent:

Although I haven't had a chance to use it yet,this tent is impressive. I set it up with ease then resealed all the seams on it ( as I do with every new tent) and it is now ready to rock! The size seems perfect for me and my gear (I am 5'10/185lbs) the poles seem a little flimsy but we'll see how they do?! All in all, this little sucker has lightened my pack by quite a bit! My tent,sleeping bag and thermarest combined now weigh a little over what just my old tent weighed!!! If it passes the rain test in the spring without condensation issues than I'd give it 5*'s....we'll see! For the $ it's already got me pretty excited!

Comments about Eureka Solitaire Tent:

Use this tent for 2 nights on the Long Trail and it was perfect. Easy to set up and pack. No cons about this tent.

Comments about Eureka Solitaire Tent:

Great tent, I spent 3 nights camping on top of 18" of snow and it snowed a couple of inches one night. The tent stayed dry other than the condensation and the snow that I brought in. The only other problem I had was with me (6'4", 180), an 80 pound pack and a rifle it was very tight, a little closterphobic but with just a person it wouldn't be bad.

Comments about Eureka Solitaire Tent:

Wanted to keep down my pack weight when backpacking and also don't want to exceed gross vehicle weight on my motorcycle when camping from it, so this tent is about 4 pounds lighter than my 2-man tent and seems the perfect way to fit both needs. Just enough room for me and my medium-sized dog. Will drop a few more ounces by replacing the steel stakes with almuninum ones from my other tent.

Comments about Eureka Solitaire Tent:

I use this tent for backpacking/hiking on week long Boy Scout adventures on the Long Trail in Vermont. Its lightweight and packs small - easy to set (although it does need to be staked out which can be a challenge on tenting platforms). I'm very happy with it in the rain or wind. Very cozy, but I'm 6'3" and I fit fine. When the weather is fine, roll back the fly and enjoy the shooting stars, space station as they orbit overhead!

Comments about Eureka Solitaire Tent:

Went hiking along the Manistee River. Tent worked great. Easy to set up in dark and provided protection from the bugs. Both the guys I went with said that they where impressed by the tent. I would recommend this tent to everyone. Great tent for little dollars.

Comments about Eureka Solitaire Tent:

I have not had a chance to really use this tent overnight yet but should in a couple of weeks. I have used similar tents but not the Eureka. It appears well made and setup is about like any similar (non-free-standing)tent. It, like all similar tents, is not for the claustrophobic. It is pretty snug for a large guy like me but it is also light. I am looking forward to getting a chance to actually sleep in it!

Comments about Eureka Solitaire Tent:

Went backpacking northern Michigan and found it very light weight, easy to set up, and roomy enough for me and my 65 lb GSP.