Europa II or Nomada 242

[Sparky!]

I am in the market for a lighter tent. I currently use a Peak1 Cobra which weighs 4lbs 3 oz.

I am looking at the Europa II and the Wanderlust Nomad 242. I have seen the Europa II but I have not seen the Nomad 242 and I am wondering how the two compare in performance and durability. I know the weight of each borders around 32 oz and both are made of sil-nylon.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Sparky:confused:

[ganj]

Who makes the Europa II?

[Sparky!]

The Europa II is made by Sixmoons design

Here is the site:

www.sixmoondesigns.com/europa_feature.asp

Thanks

Sparky!

[gravityman]

I got it right before christmas, and haven't had a chance to use it but two times. The first time was christmas eve at the base of Manadnock in NH. No wind, and the tent did great. Tons of room for myself and my wife. I find that if I sleep near the door the footbox of my sleeping bag touches the wall. I'm sure that would be bad if it was raining or if we got a lot of condensation (there was essentially none when we got up in the morning). Easy to set up.
The second time we used it was this past weekend in Rocky Mountain national park. It was really windy (not sure how windy, but I'm guessing it was blowing at 10-20 with gusts to 30). It did VERY poorly in the wind, although it's obvious that it would. You have to really take care to pick a well sheltered spot, which we didn't do. I thought that the wind was going to shread the tent, but it didn't seem to hurt it. However the noise wouldn't let you sleep. Since the tent is only supported at the center with a pole, the wind really pushes down the sides, which puts a lot of pressure on the two stakes on that side and also on the center pole.

But I'm pretty damn confident this is a great backpacking tent. You just have to realize you can't set it up anywhere...

Gravity Man

[gravityman]

Here's someone else that seemed to have a little more success setting up the tent. I think that I need to spend more time getting it all guyed out....


just finished a section of the JMT in a 2-4-2. I did catch some pretty good gusts at Guitar and Palisades Lakes with very hard ground which resisted any attempt at staking. You have to take the time to get the four corners of the floor stretched very taut guying to heavy rocks unless you want to look like a first time sailor in a squall and put up with some serious flapping. It definitely takes more attention to detail than most tents in setting up under these kinds of conditions. Unless you find convenient trees you'll probably want to use the center pole position for the apex in heavy weather. I only found the right trees to skip the interior pole once as I was often above treeline, but without it the space is just enormous. The ventilation is so good that you won't get the usual increment in additional warmth if there's much wind. I love this tent, but it required a lot of effort to set up twice in ten days. Hard to beat for the weight to space ratio, particularly if you're averse to flying and crawling creatures. - Bob Richey

[mvng mtn]

I also have a 2-4-2. There is a lot of room and pretty good venting.I have use it for about 25 days total in the Sierras. I have had no real problems with the tent. It does flap around a bit in heavier winds, but it pretty easy to prevent most of it. There are extra guy points over the overhangs to help with the flapping. I use old Chouinard avalanche probe ski poles as my hiking poles. They are pretty easy to adjust from the inside of tent to make a taughter pitch. I have had a light snow dump on it and it was fine. The main problem with Wanderlust is that he makes each tent himself and can take a couple of months to get one. I have seen a Europa I in he backcountry and it looks like a pretty nice tent. It seemed pretty small for 2 people. The person using it was solo, there is planty of room for one person.

[PushingDaisies]

I used the 2-4-2 on my hike last year, using it for about 850 miles and have no problems with it as far as wear and tear.

As the others have said, unless you have a good site and get the tent taut, it will flap in the wind. I only had condensation once when it was very foggy. Make sure you know which way the direction of the wind is going and set the opening facing away from that direction and you'll have few problems with rain in your tent. I made it through a few big storms on the trail and didn't get water in the tent. There was one storm that I did get some mud splatter on to the no-see-um mesh and consequently a little bit got into the tent, but mud got into the other usual-type tents as well.

It looks like the Europa doesn't have as much ventilation as the 2-4-2. It definately doesn't have the same amount of head room. I can have two hikers sitting up in the tent to play a game of cards or whatever, where the Europa looks like you have to get as close to the door as possible to be able to sit up straight.

I'm going to throw one more choice out there for you as well. Dancing Light Gear Tacoma. I tested out this tent this year for Brawny (the maker of the tent) and found it to be a neat tent that needed some improvements. Well, she has made the changes to the tent and it looks like it would be better than the one I tested. Here's the website for that tent. www.trailquest.net

I hope this helps.

[Fallingwater]

The Europa II is the newer version and is significantly larger and more suited to two people. It is designed with significant ventilation. 75 percent of the inner walls is covered by mesh.

It is also designed to handle significant wind load found when camping above timberline.

It's steep sidewalls and mesh creates more usable floor space. You don't need to be as far away from the sides of the tent to keep condensation of your gear.

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/europa2.asp

Ron

[Sparky!]

Pushing Daisies,

Thanks for the link. I checked them out and I liked the tent but it did not seem to have much silnylon near the doors to prevent splattering inside when it rains. What improvements did they make to the tent. I like the price and the weight of the tent and it does not seem like it will break the bank to buy one.

The Europa II is brand new compared to the Europa I and will not be out until April. I contacted the company and they dont have a price yet so I am waiting to hear back from them. I was able to see the Europa II at the PA Ruck this year and it does have a lower profile that the original Europa I. The changes in the the Eurpoa II were that it staked out taunter, more ventilation on the sides.. They remind me of gills on a fish... and much more floor space and can easily fit two or one person with gear and room to spare.

I was hoping to see the Nomade 242 but no one brought on and Wanderlust did not send one up to be set up.

So now I am toying with three tents... Europa II, Nomad 242 and the Tacoma... Oh the decisions I have to make....

Thanks Sparky!

[PushingDaisies]

The Tacoma has storm doors that can be rolled up and tied to the side when you don't need them. The pictures don't show this very well. But beware that you will have more condensation during a storm.

I don't now if this would be possible, but if stake out loops were added to the storm door's bottom corners you could stake them out a bit so the front would still have some ventilation. This tent has a beak on the front, which sheilds from the rain coming in the door from the top.

As for the improvements, they made the tent long and wide enough so that one person could fit laying parellel to the door. In my tent I have to lay at an angle to be able to fully stretch out. That is the major difference I can see based on the pictures on the site.

[MedicineMan]

I just wanted to say it before Sgt.Rock or Hammock Hanger---GET A HAMMOCK!

[Sparky!]

I just received an email from Ron of Six Moon designs. He said the pricing for the new Eurpoa II will be out in a week or two.... Looking forward to it.

Now I have a choice of color... Green or Gray... I am not sure which color is best since I never seen a gray tent before... How is that for light and hiding dirt?

Thanks Sparky!

[Yedi]

How about a Tarptent from Henry Shires? They come in two sizes and are lighter than either the Europa or the 2-4-2. The new models have a cantilevered rear arch for better rain protection and a tauter pitch. Plus, you can get them with a sewn-in floor. They're impeccably made and Henry is the nicest guy to boot. Hard to beat that for a shelter.

Yedi

[pobbie]

I looked at both the europas and the 242 and I have a few questions.
How does the europa handle in wind as compared with 242? How it handles is very important to me. is the europa II that much bigger? the floor is only 2" wider, but I suppose that the walls are steaper. Is the venting that much better?? also how does the europa fit 2 people, I am not planning to use it more than a week at most usually 4 days or so. Gear would be kept out side in trash bags.I like that the Europa has the storm door ( in case of blowing snow or real real bad rain other wise it would be wide open in all weather as I have slept in a tent with no fly on it(because it ripped in half cuz some one put it away wet and when we pulled it apart it tore) and the door( cuz some one was too lazy to close it) open in -10* weather with 15-20 mph wind) and have slept out in +10* with no shelter several times. also how bad is condensation? I own a single wall tent and with door shut in winter I got very little frost ( probally cuz my head was in the bag most of the night) I usually don't hike in humid areas so I dont think it would be too bad. the price is good on the europa

[rumbler]

I just ordered the original Europa from their close-out sale. The price ($135) was good enough to allow me to check it out on the AT in March. They are very nice folks to deal with btw.

[Pringles]

I recently got a 2 4 2. I've set it up in the backyard a few times, and often find that one or more of the sides sags quite a bit. I'm no engineer, and I don't see what I'm doing wrong. I try to get the corners taut, and I have tried putting the center pole in both the center position and the side position, and I still end up with sagging sides. Any "tricks" that I'm missing? Thanks for any insight. Pringles

[Mudchaos]

Has anyone seen this tent up close. I have been researching it online but have no first hand or even secondhand reports. Looks like it would be pretty weatherproof (maybe better in wind then the above mentioned?). The big concern i have is venting and the door location seems to be on top of the tent making entance and egress in the rain impracticle. Any input would be welcome.

I am also considering a hammock:)

Peace,
Mud

[tlbj6142]

Beth;

While I don't own one, I heard the sag is common with the 242. The trick is to really pull it tight. The fabric streches quite a bit. Especially when it is new. So, pull, pull, pull. Might want to raise your center pole as well.