31 Dec Eureka Spitfire 2 Tent
After looking at a ton of reviews and pricing on small backpack style tents I narrowed it down to these three:
- REI Half Dome 2 HC – $169 – 5 lbs 11 oz
- Sierra Designs Light Year 1 – $169 – 3 lbs 6 oz
- Eureka Spitfire 2 – $119 – 4 lbs 3 oz
For the best overall size, weight and price combination, I went with the Eureka Spitfire 2.
With Rainfly
What I love about the tent is the overall size and height, they make for pretty large tents, considering how compact they are. I have plenty of room inside for me and my gear as well as enough room to change clothes. The large screened vents all around the tent are great, can’t wait to sit under the stars in this thing. One other thing many forget about is color. I wanted a tent that I could stealth camp if I needed to, the brown color works for that. Some of these bright yellow, orange, white tents will give your location away to easily!
Waterproof?
So I had my two boys climb inside with the Rainfly on and took the hose to it to simulate rain for about 15 minutes. The Rainfly repels water very well, you can see the beads of water race down the fabric. I did have a blue tarp footprint under the tent too. After spraying it down for a while I climbed inside and did not feel any water on the inside walls or flooring. I was very surprised as I thought I’d notice water near the head/foot area. Not really sure what Eureka treats this tent with but thus far I’m impressed. Now it wasn’t a full on down pour for a few hours so only time will really tell, but I feel much more confident in this little tent!
Remember to stuff the tent in the “stuff” sack and not roll it up, they claim the fabric last much longer this way.
More to come soon… I need a little stove and the Stever stove sure looks cool and cheap, $9!
More Photos
Charlie
Posted at 00:45h, 22 JanuaryBasher,
Your blog inspired me to finally get the tent I’ve been wanting. After a three month search I found brand new Big Agnes Seedhouse II on Craiglist for $75 plus shipping….woo hoo. It’s great!
Next on the list is a Big Agnes Lost Ranger +15 but the $ Fairy needs to drop a load at Charlies house first. Trying to gear up for the upcoming camping trip and an epic tour out west this summer.
Basher
Posted at 02:36h, 22 JanuaryThe Spitfire is really really nice, but for WARM weather! I’m debating on whether to keep it or sell it, I picked up that REI Camp Dome 2, and it’s very well made. The one thing I dont’ like is the tent poles do not fold down as small as the Spitfire but I’ll manage…
I definitely need to upgrade my bag, in Idaho this yr I learned the hard way!! And my buddy BigDog has convinced me that it’s well worth the $$!
Charlie
Posted at 00:47h, 22 JanuaryI also scored a Jet Boil last fall and really love it. Mmmmm hot food after a ride beats the heck out of setting up camp and trying to find a place to eat. If you haven’t already purchased a stove you might consider the Jet Boil. It is self contained and packs small.
Basher
Posted at 02:44h, 22 JanuaryI’ve got 2 alcohol stoves from an ADVrider inmate, I’m suprised at how well they work! Here’s a photo of the Stever & Simmer stoves And you probably saw me using it in my Swinging Bridges video… so far they are a keeper, but the Jet Boils are very nice..that’s all we used on our Idaho trip to cook food with.
Charlie
Posted at 08:51h, 22 JanuaryI’ve seen the Stever stoves on that thread in ADV. Can one fry with it? I am debating a second stove for keeping things warm while I am cooking with the Jet Boil. I ran across a great link for dehydrated food too. They they have numerous meals from various processors. You can find it here: http://hawkvittles.com/
Basher
Posted at 20:27h, 25 JanuaryHey Charlie.. the Simmer Stove is great for keeping things warm.. it has less holes than the Stever Stove and it burns longer.. that’s why I got one of each! You should check it out.. they are only $9 bucks too!
Charlie
Posted at 22:28h, 25 JanuaryYou’ve sold me I will order one from him tonight. I have a JetBoil and a Jet Boil fry pan, but when I cook several things the first thing I’ve cooked goes cold on me. This sounds perfect.
Charlie
Posted at 16:01h, 12 FebruaryI got my simmerstove and I like it a lot. Thanks for putting me on that.
I also ordered a Big Agnes Lost Ranger, a BA insulated sleeping pad and a BA compression bag for cheap last week. I got them all for $214 from Mountain Plus Gear. http://www.mpgear.com
Thats a really good price. I’ve been looking a while and I doubt I could beat that price. I’m ready for Swinging Bridges and if they ever post the tracks I will be set. Oh, and I gotta send my cash.
Basher
Posted at 17:05h, 12 FebruaryCharlie.. wow what amazing price!
I still need to pick up a colder weather bag. I’d be interested in seeing how small you can get that Lost Ranger packed down?!
I’ve got a BA Insulated AirCore pad and it’s really good. I’ll be riding the SBR too, so we need to meet up. If I see the tracks I’ll forward them to you, for sure!
Let me know how this new BA gear looks.
Fish"N"Rod
Posted at 05:46h, 10 DecemberI have had one of these for a few years and have finally given it a real field test. I just returned from a five day hike, fishing in Tasmania’s Central highlands. You can get four seasons in a day in this area. So how did it perform? It was exceptional, value for money is great. The weather went from fine, calm and sunny to a howling gale and snow. It blew hard every night. Importantly no water or snow got in, nothing broke and none of the guy ropes slackened off. There was little to no condensation build up either. The biggest plus for me is that I’m 6’4″ and the length is more than most others on the market. I was near totally confined to stay inside it one day and was able to sit upright comfortably in it. Getting in and out of it when it rained at other times just required getting in from the leeward side of the weather which stops the rain getting in. The tents is mostly mesh but I was rugged up enough for it not to be a worry. Set up was very quick as I had practiced it a few times before. It needs very few pegs which is also a bonus as is only having four guy ropes. The ability tension down the fly at either end and the sides is great.
Now I suppose here comes the crunch, I use the Spitfire 2 as a 1 man tent. Why? because I need length In a tent because of my height and have yet to find a 1 person tent that’s long and comfortable enough to accommodate both myself and my gear. So the vestibule issue is of no concern to me here and it’s overall weight is acceptable. If your going two up in it and travel light in fine weather and aren’t both tall then it’s a goer. But if you intend using it two up with a heap of gear you might want to consider something else.
A note here as I saw the Big Agnes sleeping mat mentioned. Nothing is more important on the trail at the end of a hard day than a good bed. After suffering a stupid three quarter Thermarest for years I finally discovered Big Agnes and the XL Air core. Yes it is heavier than the other piece of crap but having 7cm between you and the ground and not having your lower legs laying on the ground is priceless. Full marks to BigA. Yes Thermarest does have it’s Neo Air but they charge you twice as much in Australia as you can buy it for in the US. Not only that, US retailers cannot ship them to Aus, something called a vendor agreement.
Basher
Posted at 09:58h, 10 DecemberFish’N’Rod.. thanks for the comments on this tent. It really is a roomy light tent especially if you are taller than 6 foot!
It definitely has more room than my REI Camp Dome 2, I have to sleep corner to corner in it, but I sacrificed room for ease of setup with the Camp Dome. No stakes are required so its a breeze to throw it up especially if you are camped on a rock bluff!
The Spitfire is a great light tent.. just know it needs to be staked and lots of airflow with it.
Cheers!
Basher
Posted at 10:00h, 10 DecemberOh.. and yes… best money you’ll ever spend is on a GOOD sleep pad and sleeping bag. I’ve got the Big Agnes bag and Air Core pad that fits in the BA bag, I sleep sooo comfy with this setup.. don’t cheap out on the bag and pad, you’ll regret it!