buying a 2 man tent

[CELTIC BUCK]

looking at Eureka Sun River 2;three season hiking AT and local trails with 75 lb Black Lab. Any input appreciated Local place has it for clearance at $79.

[Sarcasm the elf]

That looks like it might be the model that replaced the older Pinnacle Pass 2 man tent that I bought at Dick's in 2008. The Pinnacle pass was a great tent and I generally recomment Eureka! as a value brand so long as it is a model that comes with Aluminum poles.

[CELTIC BUCK]

Poles and rain cover included ;and funny but is a Dick's Sale didn't know they are in Connecticut.

[DuneElliot]

Eureka is a great brand. I have a "two person" tent that is basically bomb-proof but not a backpack tent at 7lbs. I can't fault their tents, but be sure the weight of the tent is something you can manage.

[cmoulder]

Not exactly light at 51 oz (and then add cordage, stakes and perhaps footprint), but that's one heckuva good price and a Eureka 2-person is likely to actually accommodate 2 people, unlike most brands these days where 2 people would be quite a squeeze.

At the other end of the scale is Zpacks Duplex, which is far lighter (22 oz with stakes, cords) and MUCH more $$$.

Also check Tarptents, Mountain Laurel Designs and Lightheart Gear for some mid-price options.

Another option is some sort of silnylon tarp with a S2S inner net.

[HooKooDooKu]

There was a time when there were small 2 man tents and large two man tents.

For example, my current true 2 man tent is a Big Agnes Lynx Pass 2. The floor dimensions are 90"x58" making for an area of more than 36 sqft.

By contrast, I also own a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2. The floor dimensions are 90"x(52"-42") (trapizoid shape) with an area of only 29 sqft.

The Lynx Pass was purchased several years ago. Since then, I've noticed that most tent manufacturers are pushing their 2 man tents down to the size of the Copper Spur (seems like 90"x(52"-42") has become a very common floor size for 2 man tents).

For me, the Copper Spur is impossible to use as a 2 man tent because I use a "large" size sleeping pad, which means it's 25" wide rather than the standard 20" wide (you can put two 20" pads in a Copper Spur, but you can't put a 25" and a 20" without them overlapping each other).

With quoted dimensions of 88"x(55"-45") and 32-1/2 sqft, this Eureka tent is NOT what I would call a "large" two man tent, but it is a little wider than what is typical (it would likely be a squeeze but it sounds like you might be able to get two 25" wide sleeping pads in this tent).

I've never owned a Eureka, but my impression over the years is that they are like some of the Kelty tents I've owned... a little on the heavy side because they use thicker materials that should last a long time. (And the Dick's Sporting Goods web site indicates it does use aluminum poles).

So if you're good with the weight of the tent, is sounds like a good bargain. ( Note that weight was an issue with many of the "bad" reviews I could find on this tent. In one case, a customer complained that the specs indicate the tent is only 4lbs3oz, but that when he weighted his (stuff sack, stakes and all) it was 5lb8oz.

[cmoulder]

but that when he weighted his (stuff sack, stakes and all) it was 5lb8oz.

Ouch. :eek: