User Review: Eureka! Timberline Outfitter 6

Eureka! Timberline Outfitter 6
Above: The current Timberline Outfitter 6, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed May 17, 2003 by Wilber

Rating:
Design: A-Frame
Sleeps: 6+
Ease of Setup: Very Easy
Weight: 18 lbs
Price Paid: $314 (at Barre Army Navy, VT)

I bought this tent to take along on an Alaska moose hunt. I found out a lot about it during those two weeks on the Tundra. The tent was very roomy with only three of us in it on cots. It was very easy to set up, even the first time. The height was very nice for dressing and getting gear together. The two doors ventilated very well when the weather cooperated. I found the tent well constructed with one exception, which I will explain shortly. The zippers are first class and never seemed to catch or stick. I had sealed the seams before I left the lower 48, even though the tent documentation said that it had been factory sealed, and even though it rained (mostly horizontally) about 2/3rds of the time we were in camp the tent never leaked, either from a seam, a zipper, or door. It sheds water like a duck. All in all, it was a nice base camp tent.......

However, with the wind blowing steadily between 15 and 25 mph in rain or shine, the seamless aluminum poles were crushed in no time. The first night's wind bent the A-poles so severely that they were premanently flexed - in spite of the fact that I had parachute cord double connected to every guy point on the tent and aircraft screw-in stakes at each corner. By day three the frame was completely destroyed, even though we constantly reoriented the tent to shed the wind. I finally was able to tape trekking poles and wooden poles to the tent frame poles to stiffen them up enough to endure the wind. Not a good experience.

Afterward Eureka was good enough to mostly replace the destroyed frame, but their "R&D department" cautioned me about pitching the tent in wind.

The next year (last) I took the refurbished Outfitter along on another two week hunting trip to timbered mountain forest (lower 48). This time, protected from the wind, it was a sterling performer. It is still a good quality tent, with plenty of room. And even though it was a lot colder this past year (low of 16 degrees F) than the September trip to Alaska the preceeding year we found the Outfitter easy to warm up and comfortable.

I really like this tent, and will continue to use it at base camp in all conditions except moderate to high winds. The high profile just provides too much surface area to withstand steady winds.

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