Product Features
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It's well ventilated, thanks to two vents and large areas of mesh in the side walls. The double-coated polyester hooded fly won't stretch, and it allows front and rear windows to remain open even in rain. Other features include:
Specifications:
About Eureka
Though the exact year is unknown, Eurekas 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 companys 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, Eurekas 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 Womens 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.
Product Details
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
63 of 67 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Suprisingly disappointed,
This review is from: Eureka! Tetragon 8 - Tent (sleeps 4) (Sports)
I have owned an 8 x 8 tent made by Eureka (Gander Mountain label) for about 8 years and it is an excellent tent. I also own a 7 x 8 tent made by Kelty which is also and excellent tent. I take great care of my tents as well. I bought this tent with great excitement, for two reasons: It was designed more like my Kelty tent, which I love, and because it had the Eureka name, which is considered to be a great name in tents.
After unboxing the tent, I set it up in no time at all. This tent sets up VERY EASY, just like my Kelty. After getting it set up and taking a closer look at the seams, etc., I discovered that there were about 2 inches of missing stitches along one of the seams. I accepted this as merely a mass-production flaw and I stitched it up. I REALLY wanted to keep this tent. The next day, I began examing the surface of the tent fabric a bit more and discovered a couple small holes that were obviously original holes (smooth edges). At this point I was becoming skeptical of whether this tent was REALLY any better than the cheap tents you can get at Walmart. I tried to ignore these flaws, becaust at this point, I still really wanted to keep this tent because of it's ease of set-up and it's great ventilation. The next week I took this tent on our annual Canadian adventure into northern Ontario, to be used for interior kayak camping. It set up easily, It held up good in the rain, but not great, and everything went fairly well with it for 3 nights. At this point, I had planned on keeping it. Then, upon returning home,I unpacked it to dry it out more thoroughly, and I noticed that one of the metal ferrules had just fallen off the end of one of the fly rods. I was so disappointed, as I knew I could not justify keeping this tent. It is my opinion, based on examining a LOT of tents, that this tent, as much as I want to say otherwise, is no better in quality than those that are half the price from Walmart or similar stores. From the crooked weak stitching, to the inferior fabric, to the horribly assembled rods, I saw no reason to pay twice as much as a similar tent. Either Eureka quality has dramatically gone down over the years, or they are having their less expensive tents built by some inferior company, and selling them with the Eureka name. One thing is absolute, this tent was not near the quality of the one I bought years ago for about the same price, not even close. I am guessing that if I kept this tent, it wouldn't have lasted more than 2 years of regular camping. I returned it. I would have given it 3 stars because that's what it is, and AVERAGE tent. However, because it cost twice as much as the same size AVERAGE tent from Walmart, I had to deduct 1 star. If you want an average tent that will perform just as good as this one, you can get one for half the price. If you want a high-quality tent for more money, look elsewhere. I wish I could recommend this tent but I cannot.
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
AWESOME Company. They Replaced A Tent after 20 Months With A Brand New Tent!,
By Bob (South Florida) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Eureka! Tetragon 8 - Tent (sleeps 4) (Sports)
Very easy to set up. Can set it up in under 3 minutes. It replaced an Ozark Mountain from Wal-Mart. Though it costs a little more than the Wal-Mart tent, it is made much better, easier to set up, and works flawlessly.
The Wal-Mart tent, though cheaper, had problems with zippers getting stuck, and took much longer to set up and tear down and ultimately tore in the middle of a rainy campout due to he zipper. I've used this tent three times and it appears very solid. Many people I camp with have earlier models of this tent that are 4 and 5 years old. In the long run, you will save money, and have a better camping experience. ----------------Update 18 months later- October 30 2009 ------------------------- I love Eureka Tents. We have 8 tetragons that are 6-7 years old. I bought a new tent 18 months ago in 2007. It looked like the old ones with a key difference in that the new one was made in China. On a campout this past two weeks ago, I had 100% total tent failure. The two poles suddenly snapped ripping a whole in the fly. The loops on top that hold the poles in ripped out and the tent collapsed.....at 3:00 am. No wind, No weather. I first threw the tent away..but then decided to send it back to Eureka to see if they would replace it. --------------Update November 2, 2009 ------------------------ What an AWESOME company. No questions asked. I sent the tent back and they just called me that they are sending out a brand new tent to replace the one that failed!!!!! What a great company!!! Lifetime guarantees rock!!!!! How can you NOT buy from these guys!!!
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Tent,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Eureka! Tetragon 8 - Tent (sleeps 4) (Sports)
Used twice so far and love it. I ride a motorcycle and use the tent on weekend trips. The tent packs well on the motorcycle, sets up easy and is plenty big enough for two plus gear. The overhead loft has plenty of storage space and tucks up out of the way when not in use. The side pockets are convenient and can be placed on which ever wall you want. Extremely well vented, there was no condensation on the inside of the tent in the morning. This is my third Eureka tent, I have been pleased with all of them and only had one fail and it was 20 years old. I would highly recommend this tent.
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