|
Eureka! Family Tent Review 2008
By Matt Smith
I have what some may consider to be a large family. 5 kids under 10, plus one on the way presents a unique set of challenges when doing anything...especially camping as a family. It is hard enough to find everyone's jackets, sleeping bags, and pillows, let alone a tent in which we all can fit. Toss in a portable crib to keep the baby from rolling away, or getting rolled on, and space needs explode. Enter the Eureka! line of family tents. We looked at two of the 2008 Eureka! Flagship family tents, the N!ergy 1310, and the Copper Canyon 1610. Both tents provide lots of space for a growing family at a resonable price (also a consideration for a growing family). From a functional standpoint, the design of the two tent lines is roughly the same, with the primary differences being the dimensions, and inclusion of the E! Power system. Both tents feature separate rooms, large mesh windows, and a partial coverage rain fly. The Copper Canyon 1610 has one room with a bare floor which works well as a screen room, while the N!ergy 1310 has full floors in both rooms. Both tents have 75D nylon floors, walls, and rain flies.
One of the most unique and useful features I immediately noticed on both tents is the storage pockets for the rain fly guy lines. The triangular pockets are well aligned with the seams and allow the fly to be easily folded without all the guy lines becoming tangled; that is provided you take the time to put the guy lines in the pockets. The rain fly is also supported well beyond the windows, so for most late spring to early fall weather, the tent body is well protected.
Eureka! Nergy 1310 The Eureka! N!ergy series features the Eureka E! Power system, a rechargable 12 volt power source that can be used to supply a variety of available accessories. You can also use the system to power your own accessories like cell phone chargers, video games, air mattress pumps etc. The E! Power system is centered around the E! Power Pak. The E! Power Pak plugs into a standard outlet for charging. Three remote outlets are wired in the 1310. One in the center of the ceiling, one on the side, and one in the corner. These outlets are powered via a small switching unit on the side wall of the tent. This makes the 12V outlets very useful particularly if you have kids using the lights for reading lights or night lights. You can easily turn off the lights without having to crawl over your child to find and switch off a flashlight. The tent we tested came with the power fan and reading light. I didn't find the fan to be much more than a slightly useful gadget. It didn't seem to move much air for such a large space. It probably would have been more effective in a smaller tent like the N!ergy 9. The ceiling light on the other hand was great. It provided enough light to get ready for bed, take care of kids needs, and then was easily switched off from inside my sleeping bag (if you plan your layout strategically).
The N!ergy 1310 has 12.5 mm fiberglass and 19 mm steel poles. The steel poles form the primary structure of the tent, and the fiberglass poles support the rain fly extensions over the center of the tent.
Eureka! Copper Canyon 1610 The Eureka! Copper Canyon series is stronger, and slightly more durable in my opinion than the N!ergy series. The window mesh is 68D no-see-um polyester, compared to 50D on the N!ergy tents. The large screen room is ideal for eating, playing games, etc. Because the screen room doesn't have a floor, it isn't as useful for as sleeping area if you are trying to fit your whole clan; however, the Copper Canyon 1312 and 1512 feature 2 fully floored rooms.
The Copper Canyon 1610 has 16 mm fiberglass and 19 mm steel poles. The steel poles form the primary structure of the tent, and the fiberglass poles support the rain fly extensions over the center of the tent.
Both tents are well suited for use where the primary considerations are ample space, moderate protection from the elements, and base camp style functionality. The only real drawback I found with the tents, and indeed appears to be an issue across both lines, is the lack of support near the middle of the corner poles. Because the tents are relatively high profile, and don't shed wind well, tremendous force is put on the corner poles when even a stiff breeze is blowing. We have observed this to be a problem in tents of similar design over the years. It was not an issue during our tests this year when winds up to about 20-25 mph were blowing...but I kept my eye on it just in case. Stronger wind could cause the corner poles to buckle. A secondary guy, or at a minimum, more robust, reinforced connection to the tent body at the 1/2 or 1/3 point on the tent would probably stabilize the tent considerably during stormy weather. I have used 2 mm accessory cord to cross brace tall poles on large tents before with good success.
Summary: The Eureka N!ergy and Copper Canyon tent lines are a great balance of price, and functionality. I would recommend them for folks looking for a tent they can rely on, without having a vein burst when they get to the checkout. They are perfect for late spring through early fall, with the exception being windy weather. Prices for the two tent lines vary from about $159 for the N!ergy 9 to $339 for the Copper Canyon 1512.
For more information contact:
Eureka!® Camping Tents
www.eurekatent.com
1-800-572-8822
Eureka!® Camping Tents Customer Support
Matt Smith is a contributing editor at GearReview.com, and enjoys spending time in the outdoors with his 5 children and only one wife.
|
