User Review: Eureka! Solitaire

I have owned the tent for a little over two years. The poles did break over this summer after being set up for a couple weeks on an extended trip. I got quite a bit of use out of the tent before that happened, so I wasn't upset over it. I am looking to replace them with aluminum and I will see how that goes.

Other than that, this tent is awesome. I took it on a week-long bicycle trip in October and it held up well. The temp got down to about 15 degrees F one night and the fabric gets a little stiff in cold weather, but it did not tear.

I also took it to deer camp in late November. I would have to say this tent is more like a 3 1/2 season tent, though. When I got up on opening day, the outside temp was -2 F. I don't know if I was more amazed at how little condensation there was on the ceiling, or the fact that it was STILL LIQUID! This tent holds heat like a magnet holds a screw.

Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to take it out in extreme cold or snowstorms, so I can't say how it would do in those conditions.

In summer I really appreciate how you can roll up the top sheet and the rest of the tent is screened down to a few inches above the ground. You can sleep under the stars in the middle of a mosquito cloud!

It is hard to get dressed at first, but you get the hang of it after a while. This tent is pretty small, but the dimensions are clearly marked on the box. I saw a lot of people complaining about this, but it shouldn't have been a surprise. You can't make a whole room with 2.7 pounds of material. This isn't NASA.

In short, I would say this tent is perfect for backpacking and bicycle touring. You get a lot of value for the cost. It weighs practically nothing and can almost fit into a pocket. It will keep you warmer than any other tent for the price. Just put a pair of spare poles in the bag.