Eureka! Tundraline 3 Tent

It looks good on paper. Has anyone here tried one out?

Thanks.



Steve

Sounds like . . .
. . . overkill unless you winter camp, pretty heavy, pretty long pack size

Hammocks…
n/m



Sorry, I’m a hanger forever…

Haven’t tried one…
…I don’t own one, never saw one in person. Here’s my two cents worth from looking at Eureka’s web-site.



On the ‘Pro’ side it’s a Eureka – they make “standard” quality tents for the budget minded. They’re generally way better than the junk at Wally World, but not as good as some more acclaimed brands (like the North Face, Sierra Designs, MSR & others). Given reasonable care Eureka tents tend to last for several years, I’ve received good service from a couple myself over the years. That particular model has aluminum poles which are generally much stronger and last longer that fiberglass. I like the two screen windows/doors and double vestibules.



On the ‘Con’ side it’s an A-frame design (basically a pup tent style) which limits elbow room on the sides. Domes & dome-derivatives are fuller tents that give more useful space. Whenever one shops for a “canoe tent” it should be remembered that if you use it for canoe tripping a good bit of the time your gear will be on your back. 12 lbs is a whooper of a load for a 3 person tent on the portage trail. In this case the term “canoe tent” seems like no more than a sales pitch. Other cons: it has old school pole sleeves which to me always seem like they’re a PIA to mess with, sooner or later a hem gets ripped out poking a pole thru a sleeve (clips are my preference). It doesn’t appear that this tent can be set up without the fly (single wall?). Sounds very hot for summer use to me.



Having tent camped for many decades and gone through quite a few tents & camping gear I tend to save up my quarters for better quality equipment these days. I’d keep looking.



All of the above are just my impressions – others may disagree – that’s all fine. -RK

If I was going Eureka

– Last Updated: May-12-09 9:22 AM EST –

and wanted an "A" frame tent, I would go with the Timberline. There is not much difference in size or weight, plus its a reliable design, having been on the market relatively unchanged for almost 30 years.
It is the tent of choice for the large majority of Boy Scout troops nationwide as well as seeing a lot of rental duty. They they are pretty tough little tents for what you pay for them.

The first thing that jumps out as a point of failure looking at the Tundraline are the "pre bent poles" for the front and back junctions. The Timberline poles are straight and connect with a plastic junction tube which can be inexpensively replaced when they break (and they do occasionally).

As Arkay pointed out above, it does not look like the Tundraline can be pitched without the fly, the Timberline can. Thats a real plus, especially if you camp where its hot.