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Eureka! ECWT

rated 5.0 of 5 stars
photo: Eureka! ECWT four-season tent

AWESOME 4-man 4-season military issue tent.

Pros

  • 4 seasons
  • Multiple colors
  • Great base camp shelter

Cons

  • EXPENSIVE!!!
  • Heavy!
  • Lots of pieces

The Eureka! ECWT (Extreme Cold Weather Tent) 4-man / 4-season with multiple fly colors:

Woodland camo fly
ecwt-A.jpg


Snow "arctic" white fly
ecwt.jpg


Rare desert sand fly
ecwt-desert.jpg


Aftermarket green fly
ecwt-green.jpg

Tent body
ecwt-B.jpg

Roof vent (from inside)
ecwt-roof.jpg

Tent floor (and other views0
ecwtd.jpg

Storage bags with pieces
ecwt-bags.jpg

You can see all the specs for this at Eurekamilitarytents.com

This has been one of my go-to tents for several years and I used it extensively. I own two at this time. I know a lot about these and can answer questions if you need me to. There is not a lot of info available online for these, so if I can help just ask.

These were originally designed for the military by The North Face and they were called the ECWS (Extreme Cold Weather Shelter). The N.F. made the rare desert fly I have pictured. Eureka never made that color. The N.F. lost the military contract to Eureka! and Eureka still makes them, but only for the military.

These come up for sale online occasionally and they are EXPENSIVE!!! I have one that is in mint condition and it's worth well over $1,200. The picture with tent body inside and aftermarket green fly and aftermarket poles goes for $300 plus.

They are very tough, heavy duty, have multiple color schemes, and are built like a tank! The geodesic design main tent body uses a six pole setup and when its all done the material is as tight as a drum! The main door, side round door and small back door all have bug mesh for ventilation. There is a very large opening in the roof that opens by two zippers and allows even more air flow.

In the center of the floor (side of floor in T.N.F.) is an opening that Eureka calls a "relief hole"... I will let your imagination run on that one. I have used it to get snow from to melt for water, and even placed a small cooking stove there to cook with (they do not recommend doing that) but never as an actual "relief" hole.

These are very heavy tents. They have lots of pieces and various extras. The repair kit is so full that it weighs almost 2 lbs! This is one HEAVY tent when all in one bag. I use a military duffle/sea bag to keep it in and with a few other things I added its almost 38 lbs! 

Great for four guys and all the gear you can think of. Has LOTS of room and a large vestibule at front entrance. Mesh storage pockets ring the walls and a large "gear loft" hangs from the ceiling. Has two other doors on each side, one round, one "D" and the Eureka tent has a small vestibule at the "D" door. Blackout fly makes it almost completely dark inside and the tent will not "glow" at night. Fly requires three poles to itself and can be set up separate as a shelter.

These have had some issues with being stored for long periods. People will try to sell these online and they have a lime color to them. That's because they were stored in a humid area or while wet and the colors changed in the material.

These are great for hunting season as a base camp tent or car camping. I would not recommend hiking with one for long distances...it's way heavy for that. If you are looking for a durable military camo 4-man tent and don't want canvas... this is the tent for you! Any questions please ask. 

Source: bought it used (received for $ owed and I paid a little cash)
Price Paid: $800 for three surplus (got a great deal)

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Specs

Environment Arctic and temperate regions
Floor Area 64 sq ft
Minimum Weight 21.56 lb (tent, fly, poles)
Height 54 in
Color Arctic White, Woodland Camo
Tent Body Free-standing (requires no stakes to hold erect)
Tent Fly Free-standing (requires no stakes to hold erect) self-supporting to provide temporary shelter
Product Details from Eureka! »

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