Customer Reviews

Eureka Solo Spitfire UL Tent

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

 

 

This COULD be an excellent ultralight tent. The tent's strong points are it very light weight ( a previous reviewer stated 2 lbs 13 ounces but that would be the Spitfire, I believe, not the Spitfire UL), it's interior room which is outstanding given the tent's weight, and it's very small packed size ( with a compression stuff sack which it doesn't come with, but should). The downsides to this tent unfortunately outweigh the upsides. It is nearly impossible to get a good, tight, pitch. This causes two problems. One a simple annoyance, the other a showstopper. The first and only night I used this tent in the Trinity Alps Wilderness in northern California I was kept awake most of the night by the noise made by the fly flapping in only a light breeze. No matter how I tried I simply could not get the tent staked down tight enough to stop this. When I woke up the following morning the fly was torn at the foot end. The design concept (A single hoop with 2 "struts" at the foot end)is an excellent weight saving idea, but due to the inabilty to get a tight pitch the fly tends to rub on the struts causing the tearing. But for that deficiency this would be a great tent. To make the best of it I plan to add some reinforcement fabric to the fly at the area of the aforementioned struts at the foot of the fly. I would like to recommend the tent but cannot due to this design flaw. If Eureka would fix this problem this would be a near perfect fair weather, ultralight solo tent.

The Eureka Solo Spitfire UL is certainly light. Light on durability. The mesh, and there is a lot of it, got damaged (from packing???) after only one night on the trail in the Sierra. I never used the rain fly on my trek; but when I tried to set it on my lawn for cleaning, the fly ripped due to the inferior design that uses two vertical stays instead of a pole at the feet. Also, there are no pockets for gear storage. The price has also dropped like a rock since I bought mine. What does that tell you?

The Spitfire is an affordable tent, sets up easily enough and it is very light. It is useful for those who want to pack light and still believe that their should be a civilized barrier between themselves and that wild world of Mother Nature. This tent is very roomy for a solo occupant. I previously used a Eureka pack tent for over 20 years and found it to be very durable if kept clean and in good repair.

This is a great tent for solo backpacking. It's a double wall shelter which means it is highly versatile and not as tricky to use as a single wall shelter. With the rainfly removed it offers outstanding views. It is very easy to pitch and the build quality is great.

I bought this tent and then came across the review about the foot struts tearing thru the fly during windy conditions. I contacted Eureka (actually Johnson Outdoor I think) and they told me that they were aware of the problem and newer tents were being manufactured with extra reinforcement on the fly where it contacts the struts. I was told that if I would send my fly to them they would reinforce the fly and send it back. I did and they did. There was two or three thicknesses of fly material sewn on the fly where it contacted the struts. It probably added a couple of ounces but looked good and seemed like a good fix. The tent was to get a real workout shortly. Remember the "Deadly Deluge" in September 09 in N.Georgia ?
Well we set up camp that night at Woody Gap waiting for the shuttle the next morning to Springer Mt.It was indeed a deadly deluge at Woody! The wind was gusting to 40 mph and the rain was coming down, sideways and sometimes straight up. In the morning I had about 2 thimbles worth of water in the foot of the tent and no damage to the fly. During the night I had my light out checking the tent out. I could see the wind gusts blowing mist in at the foot of the tent. I don't think anything could have stopped rain and wind like that completely. I am VERY pleased with the performance of the UL. I just wish I had read about using the electrical tape first!

I hiked the appalachian trial from georgia to maine with this tent. I would remind people it is the Ultra lite thats important in this tent.
Other reviewers have complained about the two struts at the foot of the tent and they are right about them. This is what you have to do before you set out. Rap electrical tape around the tops of them to form a small smooth nob. That way you can pull the rain fly tighter and not damage the fabric where the struts touch. I have set this tent up more than 200 times. I think it is a great solo tent.

This is neat little tent. I have not done backpacking since high school (I'm 44 now). I like this tent. I've read some of the reviews, this is not a cheap tent, people, it's a light tent (hello? don't be dumb) Most people can destroy anything, this tent would be included. It's light it can be destroyed, go figure?
You can make your own footprint. Don't buy the $30 items you see for sale...I did, dumb. The other thing is the stakes are super cheap, you need to make them into a wind chime or something. Buy more primo stakes to set the rain fly properly. I am 5-9 I do not think the tent would fit my 6 foot plus friends but it does me! Eureka makes a nice light tent cheap, what do you want? Buy the tent, complain about the stakes.

The Spitfire UL is a good tent, but the stated weight of two pounds, four ounces is grossly inaccurate. The tent actually weighs two pounds, thirteen and one half ounces, and that's with the included stakes which most will want to replace with larger, stronger, and HEAVIER ones. Perhaps the understated weight refers to the tent without the fly, but unless you plan to use it only in the desert, that would not be recommended. But, aside from that inaccurate representation, it is a good and relatively light tent.