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Stellbell3
02-09-2009, 23:29
Anyone have any experience with this tent??

I am needing a lighter one person tent but want to spend less than $200.

Any horror stories? Or suggestions of better ~3lbs, under $200 tents??

Thanks!!

partinj
02-09-2009, 23:40
Hi a buddy has your tent he seen to like it But Eureka has call the Eureka Spitfire
campmor.com has it right now for $99.00. it a good tent when i got it i seam seal it and left in the yard for a test it rain really hard all day and night not a drop of rain got in it here is a picture of the tent oh ye pack weight is 3lbs 4oz.
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/BERTHA%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg
file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/BERTHA%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpgfile:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/BERTHA%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.jpg

partinj
02-09-2009, 23:46
Let try this again here is a picture of the Euerka spitfire campmor.com has them right for $99.00 pack weight is 3lbs 4oz.
[ATTACH]5591[/Afile:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/BERTHA%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-4.jpgTTACH]

Camping Dave
02-11-2009, 01:04
I've owned one since 2002 and spent, oh, lots and lots of nights in it. Last time I used it was January in Buchanan national forest in PA. Only problem I ever had was a few drops of water leaking into the seams. Sealed them, and never had another leak.

It's pleny long and the vestibule is big enough for all the gear I don't bring into the tent. Not very tall. You can sit up in it with maybe a little bit of a hunch, depending on how tall you are.

q-tip
02-11-2009, 07:18
check out henry shires tarptents, I have a cloudburst II and love it but the tent runs a little over your budget. their one man tents might be closer to what you want to spend.

Doc
02-11-2009, 07:38
I have one in my collection that I probably should sell. Worked great for me but I just bought a new Lunar Solo. PM if interested.

Pickleodeon
02-11-2009, 13:03
I have a lightyear, used it, hm, 3 times so far. Works pretty good so far. I'm planning to take it on my thru in March.

Tinker
02-11-2009, 13:15
Sierra Designs has a heavier urethane coating on their floors than Eureka does. They appear to be designed with much more serious use in mind. Most Eureka owners I've met are weekend campers (not to say there aren't some out there who haven't thruhiked with them). It's more a case of which brand you trust the most.
SD has a freestanding tent that looks nice (forgot the model) which I've seen on sale. I'll see if I can look it up for you.

Here it is: http://www.campsaver.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=sid0059
Let me say that the Lightyear tent is probably one of the best thought out solo non-freestang tent designs out there as it only needs two stakes to set up (another for the vestibule). I seriously considered buying one before I discovered hammocking.
The new Lightyear has an all-mesh canopy. It should be breezier in the summer.

optimator
02-11-2009, 16:32
I had one. It was the usual excellent SD quality. Just too small for me. I guess all the years of being a car camper before I started backpacking did me in. I need at least a 2 man tent. If you use, and like, 1 man tents I'd recommend it.

Stellbell3
02-11-2009, 22:06
Thanks everyone for your suggestions/opinions!!

I am between the SD light year and the Eureka spitfire now (the UL is $129.00 now).

I think both of those have good "bang for my buck" and my back!!

Thanks

Pickleodeon
02-12-2009, 13:31
I'm pretty short, 5'1", and i fit in the SD Lightyear and can put my pack and gear in too. I've set it up before using only two stakes, and one for the vestibule would've helped but the ground was frozen.

Tenderheart
02-12-2009, 14:21
You know, this great little tent may not be available any more. It's not in the Campmor catalog or on their website. I am 6 feet tall, and I could put my pack inside for a foot rest with plenty of room. Carried it from Southern Penn. to Katahdin with NO complaints. Does anyone know if it is still made?

litefoot 2000

optimator
02-12-2009, 14:24
You know, this great little tent may not be available any more. It's not in the Campmor catalog or on their website. I am 6 feet tall, and I could put my pack inside for a foot rest with plenty of room. Carried it from Southern Penn. to Katahdin with NO complaints. Does anyone know if it is still made?

litefoot 2000

SD has it listed as updated for 2009 http://www.sierradesigns.com/tents.display.php?id=45

Manwich
02-12-2009, 14:34
I slept in my Sierra Designs Ultralightyear II tent when the ground was frozen. The stakes wouldn't go in the ground, so I just put 15lbs rocks on both "ends" to hold only those two points down. Worked fine in 10mph winds.

Stellbell3
02-12-2009, 22:20
Campsaver.com has it for $159.99 with free foot print with it.

Stellbell3
02-12-2009, 22:26
What about the Eureka Spitfire UL??

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___28316

I got some opinions on it.....looks light and cheap. I just hope not TOO cheap for my thru-hike.

RockDoc
02-22-2009, 15:41
My impression of SD CD tents is very good. I spent howling gales in one on several occasions, including a trek in Iceland in '05.
It never failed, while others' tent poles broke in the same storms.
Very well made tents and finally they have produced a reasonably light tent. Bravo!

stranger
02-22-2009, 22:56
I used a Light Year last year for my 540 mile section, great all around tent. I would recommend using 5 stakes though, the sides are a bit flappy if you don't guy them out, plus you will get much better ventilation on breezy nights.

I would recommend seam sealing the outer seams just over where the velcro taps are located (underneath). The seam tape can easily peel in that area so just a 3 inch section with the tab in the middle or something like that. I had this tent in hard rain and it never leaked. Good tent, I love mine, just don't like the entrance, wish it was side entrance.

Rickosovitch
04-13-2009, 17:24
You will stay drier and have more headroom in a Spitfire. Just don't get the Spitfire UL. I moved to the Spitfire after years in a Lightyear because the Lightyear is not well ventilated and I got tired of waking up to a wet tent. I have since moved on to an MSR Hubba and sold my Lightyear. But I kept the Spitfire even though the Hubba is now my nasty weather tent of choice. I got a Lunar Solo e and really like it for Summer/early Fall hiking. I owned a TT Contrail and hated it.

FamilyGuy
04-13-2009, 23:51
I owned a TT Contrail and hated it.

Why was that?

Bronk
04-14-2009, 00:41
The Clip Flashlight is the 2 man version of the Lightyear, and many thru hikers have carried that tent as well...these two models are probably the most common tent I saw on the trail in 2002...the 2 man version is 3lbs 14 oz (8 oz more than the Lightyear) and is 5 inches taller, so easier to sit up in.

I used to carry a Eureka...it had seen over 300 days in the field before I retired it...by that point the fly was stretched out of shape and when the tent was set up tight and taut the fly touched the fabric of the tent and water leaked in every place it touched.

Engine
04-14-2009, 06:47
The Clip Flashlight is the 2 man version of the Lightyear, and many thru hikers have carried that tent as well...these two models are probably the most common tent I saw on the trail in 2002...the 2 man version is 3lbs 14 oz (8 oz more than the Lightyear) and is 5 inches taller, so easier to sit up in.

I used to carry a Eureka...it had seen over 300 days in the field before I retired it...by that point the fly was stretched out of shape and when the tent was set up tight and taut the fly touched the fabric of the tent and water leaked in every place it touched.

SD advertises 3lbs. 14oz., but really put it on the scale one time. I get 4lbs. 10oz. with mine including stuffsack. It's a great little tent, nearly bomb proof. But, not a very light tent when comparing floorspace vs. weight with newer designs.

JRiker
05-06-2009, 11:22
just took my brand new light year out for two days. I absolutely love this tent! It poured the first night, close to around two inches. everything was soaked, except for me and my gear inside this wonderful tent.

on the down side, there was some condensation on the inside of the fly in the morning, but after adjusting the fly for slightly better ventilation, the second night i didn't get any condensation to speak of...

I really like the easy set up, only takes three tents stakes, five if you want to guy out the sides a little bit, which i did the second night.

the tent is very light (right around 3.5 pounds) and roomy for one person. i'm about 5' 11" and 200 pounds, had plenty of room for me and my pack, and i could sit up in it. I would recommend this tent.

As a sidenote though, the eureka spitfire seems a little bit cheaper and a little lighter, but i think it's not as roomy as the light year. YMMV

prsncguy
01-06-2010, 13:07
I just bought mine last week here: http://cgi.ebay.com/Sierra-Designs-Light-Year-Tent_W0QQitemZ180445850204QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_De faultDomain_0?hash=item2a03692a5c

They only have one left and you can't beat the price. I had it within 5 days of ordering and it is in perfect shape!

Graywolf
04-03-2010, 21:55
Been looking at the LY at REI.. Been thinking about it as a second tent.. Good to see I didn't have to start a new thread here..Thanks..lots of good info here..

Graywolf