Customer Reviews

Eureka! Sunrise 8 - Tent (sleeps 4)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

this tent is really built! first time out we were in a 12-hour downpour--extremely heavy rain. absolutely no leaks, drippage, or any problem at all. everything was extremely well-sealed right out of the box. the ventilation system is also outstanding--4 very large windows, large ceiling vents and the lower vent in the door panel real helps the air flow! generally very easy to set up with 2 people. this is an outstanding tent--very well constructed, easy up and down, tight, waterproof, and practical. we use it for 2 people. 3 or 4 would be really pushing it, in term of interior space, but it's very well suited for 2 adults plus gear. enjoy!

I have two Sunrise 8 tents by Eureka. I chose Eureka because they are the company that produces two-man tents for the U.S. Armed Forces.

The Sunrise 8 is a very well made tent, with quality stitching all around. The floor material is durable and water proof. With 4 large zip windows there is plenty of ventilation options, along with the "Hi/Low" venting on the door. I have found this traditional design of tent with roof peaks on all sides to be very resistant to heavy rain. It will sleep two luxuriously, three comfortably, and four decently. When sleeping four, since it is square, this allows sleeping bag arrangement to be easy, with your travel bag at your feet or your head. The inside height of the tent is pretty tall, so getting dressed in the morning isn't complicated. The zippers are not cheapies, so they glide smoothly and don't get stuck. There is also a mesh organizer included, but I have found I don't use it.

Assembly is super simple, easily done by yourself in 10 minutes or faster with a partner. There are two tent rods and two roof rods. You don't even need to pull out the instructions. That's why I like this design. Take down is just as easy, and the air escapes quickly. The storage bag is plenty big and you will not have a problem fitting it into the bag. NOTE: As with any tent, always fold and roll your tent, then put it in the bag... don't just stuff!

This tent is more expensive than, say a Coleman of the same size, but you get what you pay for. I would highly recommend this tent to families or individuals that do "state park" style modern camping a few times a year. This durable tent should last a lifetime.

Also there is the Sunrise 9, which is 9x9ft in the same design.

May 8, 2011 - Both of the tents are still in great shape, zippers fine, no leaks, no tears. After many camping trips they held up very well.

After doing an insane and probably unhealthy amount of tent research (read: obsessing) leading up to our recent Sequoia National Forest trip, my girlfriend and I decided on the Sunrise 8, partly due to a few of the reviews here on Amazon. The thing that struck us the most was that pretty much everyone who owns this tent has had great things to say about it. This was our first tent purchase, coinciding with our first camping trip together, so we wanted to set ourselves up for success and many more years of camping to come.

I would have to unequivocally say that we made the right choice. There is absolutely nothing that we don't love about this tent. As others here have stated, it is well built, easy for even novices to build up and tear down, a cinch to pack, and perhaps above all is the fact that you have so many different options with those huge mesh windows -- they actually zip up when you want privacy, and along with the mesh top panels, provide more than ample ventilation and beautiful views all around.

The 8 x 8 tent was perfect for us. We were able to comfortably fit a full-size rollup mattress (which we covered with a zippered waterproof mattress cover) as well as all our gear. The provided mesh organizers were also perfect. The corner and "loft" organizers hold plenty, and they are smart in design and footprint.

Even with our mattress and gear, I'd say a third person would have been able to join us with no problems - a fourth might start to get a little too cozy...

All in all...a fantastic tent, a fantastic buy, and many, many more amazing camping trips ahead.

(Check out the customer pics for some inside views)

We had great weather all three days, so can't rate its performance under the rain, but the tent was pretty big (it fit 3 adults, and one of us had a twin air mattress) and sturdy. All the pockets and storage shelves for our stuff was great and convenient (much bigger than I expected them to be from the pictures!) Having 4 windows made it really comfortable. Two of us assembled the tent in about 10-15 minutes.

The only thing I didn't like is that it doesn't have a "D" door, so you have to manage the bottom and side zippers separately instead of being one continuous thing, like most tents nowadays, making it more annoying getting in and out of the tent, but this details is not enough to offset all the other great qualities of it.

Overall, great tent!

I wanted to withhold reviewing this item until I really was able to test it. The first few times i used it it was sunny 70 degree days, any tent would be great for that.

Well, this past weekend provided a test from hell. I had to set up the tent by myself for the first time and it took all of 15 minutes total, if that; very straightforward. The day was incredibly hot and I need an afternoon nap, so I put the ventilation system to the test. The four large windows and the small lower vent really moved the air well. Even with the direct sun it was not much warmer in the tent than outside of it. That night the rain came. Flash floods lightning, and wind. It was quite a storm. The entire camping area was underwater. Two sites down from us the people had water to their doors of their car. Luckily we were uphill from them, but not out of the water. We were in about 2" of water, but the tent didn't leak a drop. It felt like we were on a water bed there was so much water under and around the tent, but it held its own and kept us dry. People were amazed that we had no water, they all swore they were ditching their old tents and buying one of these.

All told, this tent is great. Size wise it is great for my family and me, not obnoxiously over-sized and manageable for one person set up, but also big enough inside to stretch out.

I wholeheartedly recommend this Eureka Tent.

I too waited for actual use before a review. Went to Skinners Falls, Sullivan County, NY this weekend. The setup was relatively easy and the storage nets that come with this tent are more useful than I thought. The best part....We were hit with torrential thunderstorms that did not let up for hours. The rain created a pool in front of this tent roughly 4 inches high (I waded into the tent), even with the mini-moat that was carved around the perimter. This tent did not leak at all! There was some perspiration higher at the seams (about 6 in high) but no leakage at all. There was water sloshing around the outside of the walls but with the nifty "bathtup design", it stood up like a champ. I highly recommend this tent. It is pricey but now you know why.

Lesson learned; you should always set up a tent before a trip. This tent came with damaged support poles bent at a couple of the ferrels. However, the tent was able to be set up and withstood the stress of three days. It performed flawlessly. The pluses: (a) easy, intuitive set-up, (b) spacious, adjustably-ventilated interior, (c) lots of cleverly located storage "pockets" and (d) durable, well-constructed seams, zippers and materials. The best part of this purchase was the exchange of this tent with a new replacement at no cost to me within a week. I didn't think twice about getting another tent.

My husband and I purchased this tent for our car camping excursions. We recently took it out for the first trip with friends and it worked great. I watched my friend's Coleman tent buckle under the strong winds over and over, but the Eureka was solid in the highest winds. I do advise getting some more heavy duty stakes than the ones included and staking out the fly is a good idea if you foresee any storms. This is perfect for two people and was easy to set up. I also advise a practice run before you head out as this lessens the inevitable debates that occur between couples during tent construction. I look forward to many more uses. One note, this is perfect for a couple, but I think it would be too small for four people. You could add a dog or a small child but that's about all.

Once this tent was up (with the help of a park ranger), it was great. Getting it up all by myself was a nightmare. I'm a 77-year-old woman who travels alone a lot (well, not really ... my dog is always with me), and if there's stuff to be done, I have to do it myself. The main problem with this tent was the flexible, jointed poles. After I assembled the two poles, the first challenge was getting them through the canvas loops. They kept catching at the joints and pretty soon I had a rumpled mess. When I got that straightened out, I had to settle one end of each pole into the receiving hole at one corner of the tent, then go around to the other corner, bend the pole and get the other end in its receiving pole. Easier said than done. The first end kept popping out, leaving me right back where I started. In 30 minutes, I was sweating, yelling bad words, and scaring my dog. I'd made no progress. Mercifully, a ranger came along, and we did the job together. Once the tent was up, it was totally great. However, in the course of my struggles, one of the fiberglass rods split.

I do not have the courage to go through this again. Maybe I could master the process, but I don't want to even try it with a busted tent pole. Old ladies like me should probably stick to RVs and leave tent camping to their grandchildren.

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This tent is really easy to set up. I set it up by myself in about 10 minutes. I haven't had a chance to test it in a rain storm yet but other than that I think it is a great tent. Make sure you check out Eureka's website for care instructions for your tent because it says that the tent should not be stored in the bag that came with it. I e-mailed the company about this and they said that it should be stored out of the bag someplace like your basement or garage on a shelf or someplace where it will be kept off the ground. I don't understand the reasoning in not storing it in the bag but I do know you should never put a tent away wet.