Gear Review: Eureka Solitaire
The worst camping experience I ever had was my last year in College. I had gone back to finish after getting married and having a child, and needed one more Phys Ed credit to graduate. I decided to take the camping class. Hey, I grew up in Montana and knew what I was doing, even though I didn’t have any gear.
I Went over to the parents’ house and “Borrowed” a couple of pieces of my old gear: An external frame pack held together with turnbuckles, a wool and down sleeping bag that weighed at least twelve pounds, and a bivy tent from 1979 that I used to use all the time for Scouting.
It was Awful. The Pack didn’t fit and the buckles dug into my kidneys for 7 miles. It rained and the sleeping bag got soaked. The tent- There’s a special place in hell where I’ll be forced to sleep in that tent until my sins are burned clean. It leaked, it fell over, it was heavy and awkward and flimsy all at once.
I Vowed to always have good, quality gear from then on.
But over the years, I’ve gotten out of that habit. I Suffer from Wal-Martitis like everyone else- Who cares if I have to replace the family’s cabin tent every three years if it only costs $30? Sleeping bag rips? Get another on the way out for $15.
So I was excited to get the opportunity to review the Eureka Solitaire Tent.
The Solitaire is one of Eureka’s Lightweight backpacking tents. Small and lightweight, it’s perfect for stuffing into your pack for those nights when there’s just a little more weather than you can handle on the ground.
Solitaire Bivy Tent
First, I was impressed when the review tent arrived. It’s small. Tiny. Rolled up, it fits into a draw bag about the size of a Sub Sandwich. And it’s not dense, either, weighing about 2 and a half pounds.
Unrolling it, I Was a little worried about the quality. The material has a weird, stretchy feel, but is extremely light. Seams are tight, with extra stitching and floor panels come already heat-sealed.
The Rain fly is integrated, sewn into the pole sleeve. It can be rolled up out of the way, exposing the tent, which is mostly screen material. There is a zipper that runs along the top of the tent, which is a nice feature I hadn’t expected.
Set up was a breeze. Two poles hold up the shoulders and foot of the tent, and slide through sleeves. The poles are sturdy- I thought they could use a little more play and when they came out of the sleeves they had a tendency to catch. One side of the sleeve is a pocket: you attach the pole with a ring and pin assembly on one side only, making it easier to set up. The tent is free standing- You have to stake it out to support it.
Once inside the tent really begins to shine. Although one person, My Daughter and I spent the night in it in our backyard- in the rain. My Four-Year-old daughter. The one who ran into the house every ten minutes.
The zippers worked flawlessly, and the fly did a great job of keeping the rain out. There’s a flashlight hook, two gear pockets and an adequate vestibule. It was really comfortable.
I Like the Threshold design. It unzips and you enter the tent on the right- the same side the poles slide in. This was unusual- I’m used to bivy tents opening right down the center. But this designed seemed to help keep the rain out and kept us from having to move our gear.
Did I mention it was raining? Did I mention my daughter going into and out of the tent to get snacks, dolls, brush her teeth, say Goodnight to the saner members of our family? Very little water made it into the tent. The fly did not sag, fabric did not flap in the breeze, moisture did not seep.
The groundcover that I was worried about in the house now began to impress me. It still felt thin- but it works. It didn’t rip, twigs did not puncture it.
I was impressed with the whole experience. This is a well designed, quality tent. I think it’s light and small enough to throw into a daypack to have in case of emergencies. It would also work well for bikers or kayakers- just an all around great product for overnight trips.
Check out the website for more Eureka Camping Tents.
Pros:
- Wow, Is this thing Light Weight- 2 lbs, Rolls up into the size of a submarine Sandwich
- Weatherproof design- Put it up before the rain started, Slept in the rain and heat.Little condensation and no leakage to speak of.
- Easy set up- I Like the Integrated fly and One Sided Poles.
- Relatively roomy- My 4-year-old daughter and I shared it, along with snacks, dolls, lights, books and extra clothes. While space for the gear was limited, it was comfy for my both her and my 6’0″, 240 lb frame.
Cons:
- Not Self Supporting- You Have to stake it out. Can be a problem.
- So-So Design- Looks like any other Bivy Sack out there. Bright Yellow Color is only thing going for it here.
Final Thoughts:
- Well Designed Backpacking tent that does the job for one camper. Would be good for thrupackers or overnighters. Not a lot of Extra room, so don’t push it into service it wasn’t designed for.
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