View Full Version : Eurkeka Timberline Tent, anyone have experience with it???
webejpn01
02-23-2009, 17:31
In feedback on this tent?
My little bro has one, and given it's size and weight, we are thinking about ditching my tent and just splitting that one.
But I am not familiar with the Eureka brand and was jsut wondering if it is durabale and reliable enough for section hiking the southern part of the AT in April.
skinewmexico
02-23-2009, 17:38
A classic; heavy, but good. We used them in Scouts, and they're really hard to tear up. I don't think I could carry one today, unless I was splitting it.
rpenczek
02-23-2009, 17:46
Tons of Boy Scout Troops use them, that should tell you something. Kids are hard on equipment and Timberlines stand the test of time.
You can purchase replacement parts (vs new tent) as well.
gonewalkabout
02-23-2009, 20:12
Which model? 2 or 4 man? What is the weight? I had a four man I think it weighed 7 lbs. IN general excellent tent. Very duable. Heavy. I hope you are talking about the 2 man. Still heavy. I try to go lighter. I've used them since the 70's. Still use them for car camping.
Toolshed
02-23-2009, 21:02
Sold Eurekas Years ago. great tents for the price. The Timberline (check that it is not the smaller obsolete cousin, "Timberlite") is a great tent for sitting out rainstorms. The alcoves over the door and window allow full opening for ventilation even in heavy downpours.
It is heavy though, weighing in around 7 and change - and you have to stake the sides or it will be claustraphobic.
(check that it is not the smaller obsolete cousin, "timberlite"
I am interested in why you say the Timberlite is obsolete. I have used one for several years as a solo tent. I have friends who use the 3-4 man as a tandem.
We think the Timberlite is a great little tent and wonder why it was discontinued.
The Weasel
02-23-2009, 22:06
It's an excellent tent, although obsolescent would be a better word, with the heavy duty old aluminum poles, separate fly, and need for major staking. It CAN be a wonderful tarp though: Leave the tent and poles behind and bring the stakes and fly. use trekking poles at the peaks and stake the corners and a short guy line off the peaks. Very effective as long as you don't touch the fabric in the rain (it's not silicone fabric and will bleed easily.
TW
Jayboflavin04
02-23-2009, 22:15
Darn it!!!! I have one I want to get rid of. Great shape! Great tent...just to heavy for my likings now. I was hoping were looking to buy one!
Which model? 2 or 4 man? What is the weight? I had a four man I think it weighed 7 lbs. IN general excellent tent. Very duable. Heavy. I hope you are talking about the 2 man. Still heavy. I try to go lighter. I've used them since the 70's. Still use them for car camping.
4-man timberline is closer to 9 pounds. great for scouts, not so great for carrying long distance, unless you split it between 4 scouts. we generally split the tent 3 ways, poles/stakes, rain fly, tent body, and the forth carries some other gear. the scouts manage fine, i carry my own, cliplight cd.
[QUOTE=The Weasel;787077 and need for major staking. [/QUOTE]
The TIMBERLITE only requires 2 stakes to pull the sides out. Otherwise it's free standing.
My 2 man weight is 3lbs and some oz's.
The TIMBERLITE only requires 2 stakes to pull the sides out. Otherwise it's free standing.
My 2 man weight is 3lbs and some oz's.
Then you cut some corners. The website says the 2-man is min. 5lbs 13oz. and the 4-man is min 7lbs. 13oz. Our scouts carry the ground cloth bringing it closer to 9 lbs.
I think you are confused, I am talking about the TimberLITE. Not TimberLINE.
The T'LITE is a one door, sloping ridge tent with a hooded beak. Some model's had a vestibule but mine doesn't. My stock poles are regular Easton 7075 aluminum.
The T'Lite is no longer being made and I always wondered why Eureka decided to shelve it. We considered it to be a lighter weight alternative to the TLine.
http://usera.ImageCave.com/hoz/timberlite.jpg
earlyriser26
02-24-2009, 09:21
My last tent was this model. Yes, it was about 6lbs+ as I recall, but I loved it. Bullet proof, roomy (I just used it for me). You can buy a tent that is a little lighter by about 1 to 1.5 lbs and still get the same benefit. I know many will say heck, you can get the same thing for 3lbs. No way! If you want a full size 2 person tent that is good as this one it tough to break the 5lb zone. Sad to say that 2 years ago a tent pole broke on my Timberline when I tried to move it with my pack inside (Dumb). I ordered a replacement pole through Timberline and after it did not come for 3 months I tossed the tent. I received the tent pole the next week. I still have the pole if you ever need a replacement. Ugh!
I think you are confused, I am talking about the TimberLITE. Not TimberLINE.
The T'LITE is a one door, sloping ridge tent with a hooded beak. Some model's had a vestibule but mine doesn't. My stock poles are regular Easton 7075 aluminum.
The T'Lite is no longer being made and I always wondered why Eureka decided to shelve it. We considered it to be a lighter weight alternative to the TLine.
My bad. Need to clean the reading glasses. Maybe it was discontinued due to the confusion?
Two Speed
02-24-2009, 11:28
I've owned both the Timberline (4 man) and a Timberlite. Great tents, but heavy compared to modern designs. Gave the Timberlite to the ex, who is still using it last I heard, and keep the Timberline ready for car camping.
Back to the OP, yeah, Eureka makes a very durable tent, so if you and your brother are comfortable splitting a Timberline I'd say go for it. As long as you give it reasonable care I'd very surprised if have any trouble with the tent.
webejpn01
02-24-2009, 17:30
Yeah, i about crapped my pants when i saw the weight.
It is the 2man and has an awesome vestibule for it. I have a Zoid 2, but dont really like it and if i can reduce my weight by splitting the eureka and having more room, sounds like a deal to me !!!!!
Tipi Walter
03-02-2009, 10:27
It's an excellent tent, although obsolescent would be a better word, with the heavy duty old aluminum poles, separate fly, and need for major staking. It CAN be a wonderful tarp though: Leave the tent and poles behind and bring the stakes and fly. use trekking poles at the peaks and stake the corners and a short guy line off the peaks. Very effective as long as you don't touch the fabric in the rain (it's not silicone fabric and will bleed easily.
TW
Gotta disagree with the major staking blurb. I lived in an old orange Timberline for a year back in 2001 and except for the four corner anchor stakes, the tent didn't need anymore unless you wanted two extra to pull out the sides. The beauty of the Timberline is its ridge spreader pole, putting the tent under tension and making it a self-standing thing since the fly is hooked onto the four bottoms of the tent poles. The front and back eaves have seperate pole sections to create a self-supporing awning, etc. Most A-frame tents require a quyline front and back, not the Timberline, hence less pegs.
Yeah, i about crapped my pants when i saw the weight.
It is the 2man and has an awesome vestibule for it. I have a Zoid 2, but dont really like it and if i can reduce my weight by splitting the eureka and having more room, sounds like a deal to me !!!!!
I wouldn't worry too much about the weight. I've been carrying 7 to 8 pound tents for the last 30 years and just got back from a 10 day winter trip yesterday with an 8 pound Hilleberg. It's home when the winter ice blows. People give way too much importance to tent weight.
BTW, does anyone remember the old Timberline model with the middle ceiling pole crossing the ridge pole? It pulled out the roof a bit.
BTW, does anyone remember the old Timberline model with the middle ceiling pole crossing the ridge pole? It pulled out the roof a bit.
Was that the "Wind River"? Sort of a modified octagonal dome?
Toolshed
03-02-2009, 11:22
Was that the "Wind River"? Sort of a modified octagonal dome?
That was called the Alpine Meadows. It's design can still be seen in the 4 Season Alpenlite.
BTW The Wind River was a Blue and Gray 3 Pole Modified dome with a 4th pole for the Detachable Vestibule. It has been a while, but I believe you could get the Wind River in either FG or AL 7075 poles.
(I think it was also Maroon and Gray for a couple of years).
The only things I didn't like about Eureka tents were that everything was 1.9 oz nylon., Floors and Fly (Sometimes they used 1.1 for non waterproof apps). Kelty used 2.4 Oxford on some of there floors and 2.1 on some of their flies and Sierra used 3.0 0z on their floors. The floors stood up to abuse better. I also liked the raised seamed floors that others used, rather than a wrap around bathroom tub style floor.
Toolshed
03-02-2009, 11:34
I am interested in why you say the Timberlite is obsolete. I have used one for several years as a solo tent. I have friends who use the 3-4 man as a tandem.
We think the Timberlite is a great little tent and wonder why it was discontinued.
It IS obsolete. Production stopped about 10 years ago. It isn't an insult, though. The T-Lite was my favorite tent for over a decade. The original Blue/gray with a detachable separate verstibule. I sold mine on ebay about 5 years ago and started using a Clip Ultraflash and/or Hammock, but always wished I had kept the timberlite.
I have written Johnson in the past asking if they are ever going to bring it back. Johnson brought back the updated Autumn Wind last year - That was good. They stopped the original Autumn Wind run around 92 when they also stopped production of the smaller Rising Sun - Another favorite of mine.
Timberlines are great tents as well. They have a wonderful following of both young and old. They are heavy though and usefull in situations where much daily travel with it isn't required, unless one likes heavier weights :)
It IS obsolete. Production stopped about 10 years ago.
No insult taken.
I don't consider the current Eureka models to be any better designs or better made. So I don't consider the Timberlite to be obsolete.
I see a matter of semantics. Just because the T'lite is no longer made I don't consider it to be obsolete. It is still a good design and I have used it on many canoe trips over the years.
I still have a Eureka double wall, slanting ridge backpacking tent from the early 70's that I love. This one predated the Sierra Light Flashlight. Wish I could remember it's name but I think it was marketed as a bike touring tent.
I have both the 2-man and 4-man Timberline. I almost exclusively use a hammock when I backapck nowadays.
However, if I was going on a trip with someone and knew it was going to be raining non-stop and we were not doing big miles and trees would be at a premium (or hanging was prohibited), I would consider taking the 2-man T-line. The weight, when divided by 2 people is comparably to a solo tent and the added benefit of being to hang-out together (no pun intended for my hammocking friends) in a dry place is an added bonus. Swapping out the SS pegs for Al or Ti would shave a little weight too.