Customer Reviews

Eureka Apex 2XT Two-Person Tent

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have taken my Eureka Apex 2XT on numerous car camping trips last year, and it worked great even in the pouring rain in the Cascade Mountains of Washington (and it rains here no doubt). The tent rainfly has a nice PU (Polyurethane) coating on the underside, and a factory DWR (Durable Water Repellant) treatment on the outside surface that beads water very well. The full vestibules on both sides is a must-have feature of this tent--great for storing gear, boots, and even cooking while under protective cover (unzip rainfly a bit before starting a stove). The two large entrance doors on both sides make entry and exit from the tent easy. I also like how this tent breathes very well--very, very little condensation (none if those doors are unzipped and rolled down). I also purchased the optional gear loft, and I found this addition worth the cost. I like how I can toss my wallet, keys, flashlight, and other gear into the tent loft.

The only downsides here are the two side tent doors do not have mesh bug-screens. However I found that with the vestibules fully zipped, those little critters have a tough time finding a way inside. If they do, I just zip the tent doors shut. For backpacking, the weight is a bit on the heavy side. However if you are going on a trek with an adult partner, given them a tent pole and the rainfly, and a ground cloth. Meanwhile,you keep a tent pole, the tent itself, and the stakes--that is just over 2 pounds (nice for the ultralight packer). The tent floor fabric is a light ripstop. Make sure you get a ground cloth. I would not recommend the Eureka ground tarps--too heavy and cheap plastic. I would recommend a cloth emergency all-weather space blanket--it will reflect back heat in colder weather, and its much lighter for about the same price if not less.

Otherwise, I do not think you will find a better tent for the money. I would even go so far as to say this tent is near expedition quality and craftsmanship. In short, you won't be dissappointed.

I've taken this tent out three times so far. Once "car camping" and two backpacking trips. Two of those trips we had very heavy rains. Both times the tent stayed completely dry. I was very impressed. This is also one of the only two person tents that I've camped with that is actually comfortable for two people. The dual vestibules give plenty of gear room. Set up is simple even for one person. It's a little on the heavy side for backpacking - if that will be your main use I suggest looking at the Pinnacle Pass which is the same tent but with aluminum poles that make it about a pound lighter.

I used this tent while doing field research for 3 1/2 weeks straight. With set up and take down occuring every 3-4 days. It worked great and was sized perfectly for holding myself and my gear. Easy set up/take down and lightweight. The design was great for wind and rain resistance. During a storm with 45mph gusts my Eureka Apex 2XT stood its ground with no problem while my colleagues watched their tents bend and collapse. The only difficulty I had was reaching the zipper on the fly, when wanting to open the fly from the inside of the tent. The zipper on the fly is closed when the zipper pull is at the furthest point away. Nonetheless, that was a small aggravation considering the overall quality for the money. Great product.

First, this review is for the Eureka Apex 2XT, some reviews seem to confuse which tent is being discussed. The 2XT features a full rain fly with vestibules that are enclosed. The Apex 2 has a half rain fly and open vestibules.

I had read quite a few of the reviews for this tent, here and in other areas, and thought I understood (and could live with) some of the drawbacks, but in use I could not.

The positives:
This is a very easy to setup tent, it really only takes a couple of minutes. Assemble the two poles, insert one end of each into a pocket in the corner of the tent, insert a pin from an opposing corner into the other end of the pole, then fasten the center point of the tent to the two poles (a loop of material and a dogbone shaped piece of plastic accomplishes this) and finish by attaching the clips from the edges of the tent to the poles. Beautiful.

Figure out which way the fly gets oriented, drape it over the top and secure the clips at the lower corners. Some additional velcro further secures it to the tent poles, and then stake out the vestibule. Again, very easy.

The tent is pretty roomy, and provided you are using standard sleeping pads you should have no problem being comfortable with two people and minimal gear. Use an inflatable twin size air mattresses, and it is definitely a one person tent.

I used the tent in a light rain, and left it setup in a very heavy rain, and I did not notice any leakage inside the tent.

The negatives:

As others have noted, when you are inside, the zipper for the closed vestibule is a long way off. I am average height (just under 5'10")and I would need to lean way out or squat in the vestibule area to open the fly. Either way my back came into contact with the fly material and was soaked, either by the rain that had fallen, or by the morning dew seeping through the fly. I cannot stress enough how annoying this is. If the ground is wet or muddy due to rain, you will get wet or muddy.

Even if you are opening the vestibule from the outside and the fly is wet, water will run down the fly and into the tent unless you are extremely careful.

I suspect that every tent with an enlosed vestibule has similar issues. I have been observing different designs when I go camping, and other than having a shorter reach to the zipper, reducing the vestibule size, I have not seen any real differences. I was thinking of resigning myself to this, and perhaps attaching a mini-blind wand to the zipper to ease the reach when I noticed something else.

At the bottom of the vestibule there is a snap in addition to the zipper. After the rain, I set the tent up in my garage to dry and air out. I could not get this snap to close and noticed that it had actually rusted a bit. I am dumbfounded that they did not use a stainless steel snap. At this point I decided I would return the tent.

I really do like a lot about this tent, the ease of setup, the size, weight, and the price, but the vestibule problem is just too much. I think I will try the Apex 2 instead.

had a blast in this little tent - my boyfriend and i traveled all over australia in it - its easy to set up light to carry and if its dry out you can sleep with the fly off and have great views and tons of fresh air! it still doesnt have any holes in it!

I spent one night in this tent in my backyard to test it out. It just so happened that we had unusually high winds for us, sustained around 50MPH.

When inside the tent I couldn't even tell it was windy other than the sound of the wind. There was no condensation build up in the night, and it's a great size.

It was also super easy to set up. My last tent took me at least 40 minutes to set up and turned me off camping a bit. This will definitely motivate me to camp more.

Great tent!

I am new to camping and needed a lightweight tent to take with me on a trip overseas. The Apex 2XT is light, easy to set up, break down, and repack, gets great ventilation, and holds up well to rain. The only area of mild dissatisfaction for me is that while the vestibule design offers a great place to stash shoes, it makes it a bit awkward to get in and out of the tent. Altogether though, I am very pleased and satisfied with this tent and highly recommend it to fellow camping newbies.

Purpose:
This tent was purchased for YMCA Adventure Guide Camping with my Son and Daughter. It will complement an Eddie Bauer 6-person, and a REI Bivy Sack.

Criteria:
(1) quick set-up, (2) ability to withstand rain, and (3) ball park of $100.00 - total package.

Comparables:
I chiefly compared the Eureka Apex 2XT to the REI Dome 2 and the Coleman Sundome. I went with the Eureka as opposed to the REI based on total price and the extra space afforded in the vestibule set-up. I went with the Eureka as opposed to the Coleman based on a design more clearly able to withstand rain (we're camping in Central/East Texas) and set-up time.

About the Tent:
Set-up is easily under 10 minutes, by yourself, under adverse lighting conditions - well except for maybe for a hungry child but that's another story. It passed the garden hose test. I have not treated the fly, I generally don't mess with stuff unless there is a problem - superstition.

You need to be aware there is marked difference in the design of the Apex 2 outer fly and the Apex 2XT. If precipitation is a substantial consideration in where you intend to be camping with this tent, go the extra couple dollars with the 2XT. The fly system is such that you must stake it to obtain true "watertight" design. This is important as many times I see complaints about leaking it is because the fly is touching the tent - you most always will get leaks when this happens.

The footprint (an optional piece) is only big enough to cover the tent itself. If you want coverage in the vestibule area you might consider some cheap welcome mats (if you're car camping). The tent bag is of sufficient size to easily hold the tent system and the footprint. I'd recommend the footprint if you anticipate the use I have outlined, the floor material is pretty lightweight, and the footprint is only a few 20 dollars extra.

On inspection, all seams - particularly the critical ones - are clean and well constructed. No frays, slop, or loose ends. The only ding I found is one of the zippers did not have its string/rope tab. I slipped in a keychain/dogtag so we're good to go. Overall, this is a top quality tent which is to be expected from Eureka! as they have been producing top shelf outdoors gear for a long, long time.

I bought this tent because it's lightweight, compact, very quick and easy to setup and tear down, and low to the ground (in high winds, this can be great). It's also very weather-proof, I've had no water leakage. I was in the tent during two major downpours and stayed dry and happy.

What it isn't is a great 'car camping' tent. We do a fair amount of car camping and this tent works well, but could be more convenient. The vestibules are a pain and serve no purpose in this situation - my car is 20 feet away and I can keep all my 'gear' in there. The vestibules go all the way to the ground and are positioned a few feet from the opening of the tent...this means you are basically crawling along the ground to unzip the vestibule. Also, I'm not a big guy (5'10"), but I barely fit in the vestibule area - this means I'm usually hanging out of the tent trying to unzip the vestibule while trying to keep dirt out of the tent. If I were backpacking (future plans), the vestibules would be very handy for storing my backpack out of the elements. Then tent also has room for two to sleep. TWO. Not two plus a backpack. Not two plus a dog. Just two. For us, this is not an issue; in a high-wind downpour I would rather have the tent not sway or leak water than have extra space inside.

Other than that, though, the tent is great. 3 walls are full mesh so on clear nights you can leave the vestibule/rain fly off and just enjoy the view. This also gives great ventilation and keeps it from getting too stuffy inside. I typically put the tent up alone, while other tents made for car camping take two (or three!!) people to put them up. Very fast setup, very fast tear down and roll out.

I recommend this product to anyone looking for a small, lightweight, compact, weather-resistant tent.

I was looking for a smaller (2-3 man) lightweight tent that would easily fit into a backpack. The Apex 2XT fits that bill. The 2 doors allow you to enter exit on either side. The extended fly allows you to leave items outside the tent but the items are still protected by the weather.

The only recommendation I would make is to allow the zipper on the fly door to open/close from the top instead of the bottom. This would allow for easier entry/exit from the inside of the tent.