Eureka Solitaire Review

"I also purchased this tent thinking that it would be OK as a single, but not a bivy. Too small, too much condensation. I promptly sent it back to Campmor and purchased a Kelty Clark instead. Now this is a great tent. You can sit up in it. No condensation. Doesn't leak and is easy to set up."

"I don't have the solitaire, but i do have the Gossamer. The Gossamer is the same tent just with aluminum frame. All the problems of the condensation are true but if you leve a flap open the is realy no problem. Personaly i like it as a one man tent, but i am looking for a 2 man tent 4 real camping. but the Gossamer is fine 4 hiking trips."

"I recently bought a Eureka solitaire and have used it once. It is an o.k. one man tent, but I must say it's not the easiest to sit up and it's not the easiest to get into. Once inside you have ample room to sleep and store a few small items. I haven't tested it in the rain as of yet , and I have some concern with the height of the floor in the front area as it doesn't seem to stand up to well. It is lightweight and if it stands up to the rain I will be well satisfied."

"Very good tent! It does not leak. Plenty of room to sleep in. You can't sit up, but all I use my tent for is sleeping any ways. The condensation can be pretty bad, but since the walls are mesh the condensation is dristributed on the fly rather than on the inside where you can,t help but touch the walls. The vestibule is pretty puthetic. It is enough to put you boots in. It packs down VERY small and light. All in all, it is a great tent!"

"I have used the tent once on a backpacking trip to the Red River Gorge in Eastern Kentucky. There was just enough room for me and my small dog Brownie. I really love this tent, it is great for a one night backpacking trip."

"I have used my Solitaire several times. I did have the condensation but it was only on the fly. The tent is a small tent good for backpacking. It did fine in a light rain and heavy winds.
It is a good small tent"

"I used this tent on a three-month journey through Europe as well as 2 months in the SoCal mountains. It was great! I didn't have any problems at all. I'm 6'3" and I fit into the tent (along with my backpack) without any issues. I discovered on my trip that two people can fit into the tent with room to spare."

"i have used this tent maybe five or six times. it is easy to set up, roomy, light and does great in strong storms. however, i ended up with split poles on a several day trip. i love the tent except for the flimsy fiberglass poles."

"I was pleasantly surprised with the durability of this tent. I took it on a five day trip to Michigan's UP in 10/02, and it stood up well against the sleet, snow, rain and light hail that poured down. Though it's touted as a 3-season tent, I suspect it's better during summer months when a sleeping bag plus a blanket or two don't eat up all the interior space. Once inside though, it was very comfortable with room to toss and turn. It's also so light weight, I look forward to slinging it on and taking it to the Grand Canyon this summer."

"You can't find a lighter tent for a better price. Yes, it's tough to get in to, and if you keep it sealed up during good weather there will be considerable condensation in the morning. Roll up the front rainfly and it'll be dry in the morning. And go with the aluminum poles (Gossamer). The fiberglass ones seem to split. They'll still work, but the tent looks a little odd."

"I bought two and so did a friend. We used them for scout camp and while light and easy to carry, and not difficult to set up, the poles in all our tents snapped after being in place for several hours. I hope it isn't a design flaw and was only a bad batch. I contacted Eureka and they said they would replace the poles, but I haven't received them yet."

"Everyone is trying to go light and minimalist these days. The Solitaire is the next step up from a simple bivy. It is certainly lightweight....not many top-notch manufacturers have made a tent lighter than the Solitaire....and if they did, they would be sure to charge you 2 to 3 times the price! If you do not mind small spaces, this tent is a treat. Unless, you are hiking with an attractive member of the opposite sex, let your smelly friends find their own place to sleep on a backpacking trip.....and enjoy the freedom of tossing this little shelter in your bag. The only thing I found to be a bit sketchy was the fiberglass poles, I would feel better if they were made of aluminum, or something a bit fancier....more reliable. On the whole, I think this tent is a top-notch buy. It is very affordable and fun, and fits with the "go light" philosophy that so many people are after these days. A smart buy!"

"I liked this tent in the store. I still like it, but the poles just don't cut it. The first time I used it, the head end pole snapped before I even got in it! If I can find some better poles, I'll use it, otherwise, it's headed for the trash can."

"great as far as weight goes but the poles are crap in both the solitare fiberglass style and the gossimer alluminium model. In florida as a spring, summer, and late fall tent it is excellent as you can use just the bug screen setup. Winter camping I use my tarp so the condensation problems claimed by others don't bother me. In heavy afternoon thunder storms in both FL and the NE Ga area I stayed dry."

"I have had my Solitaire for a couple years now and have had no problems with it yet. I have used it in rain, snow, sun and wind and I have stayed dry except for a small amount of condensation. It is a little tight but I will sacrafice some room for a very light tent. It is also easy to set up and take down."

"Im a Big guy and when i got this little tent I was edgy about it at first. So far it has turned out to be very nice. Not hard at all to setup, I can get mine up in under 5 minutes.

I like to spread out when I sleep and that has not been an issue in this tent, it is alot roomy then it looks to be. I have just had to learn methods for getting dressed inside in more popular areas LOL."

"Great little tent! I used it up in VT on an island in the middle of a reservoir about 3,000ft up. It was the first time I had really used it and it was quite easy to set up, although it was a little hard to find an elevated patch of ground the size of the tent...
That night, a ton of storms rolled in and soaked the area - both me and my tent remained completely dry, although there was a bit of condensation. I was pleasantly surprised that no water leaked into the tent during the downpour even though the rainfly didn't reach the ground all the way. A great tent, and I haven't yet broken any of the fiberglass poles - will let you know if/when I do! Go for this tent if you want light, fast, and resiliant..."

"I just returned a couple of weeks ago from a 10 day backpacking/fly fishing trip to Colorado. The tent is not that wasy to set up, which I discovered when setting it up in the yard before going. This was not a problem, as I had nothing but time. The biggest problem was the poles, after just a few hours, they split and one broke completey, forcing me to cut it back to even use it. The condensation was a problem, although not that great. The good news is that it stayed dry even wih some severe downpours. All in all, not a bad tent for the price, but if I buy another, it won't be one of these. Also, I contacted Eureka to see what they will do about the poles and I have heard nothing from them. Very poor customer service."

"I've used this tent for two months now, on the AT and in the Smokies backcountry. I love it so far. I haven't had the pole problems that others have, though mine have developed a marked curve to them. Through thunderstorms and steady drizzle it has stayed wonderfully dry, but the condensation is noticeable. For being so light and small, it holds me and my pack comfortably. It can even sleep two in a pinch. ^_^ I highly recommend it."

"I have owned this tent for two plus years ans like it for its weight and packability - about 6"X12". It has ample floor room and functions as intended, as a hooped bivy in which you sleep but do not sit up in.

However, it is somewhat of a pain to setup as getting the fiberglas poles thru the sleeves is an exercise in frustration. The tent must be staked, which can be inconvenient. The biggest problem that I have with this tent is the integrated rainfly. I do not like the fact that it cannont be removed to be dried off after a night of cold weather camping - as this tent generates significant condensation with the fly on.

Overall - a good tent if you are really paring the ounces. Otherwise, pack the additional weight and get a tent like the North Face Pebble."

"Overall good tent. Spent 4 days in it in New York. The Poles split and the only reason I did not recieve new poles immediately was because I was not home to recieve them. Eureka was quick to fix the problem and they even gave me a discount on the price because it was a popular complaint."

"This is a great little tent for someone who's looking to shave weight but still wants the walls of a tent over an open tarp. I'd look into titanium stakes, too, if you're looking to take off another four or five ounces and get it down to around two pounds because the stakes which come with it are quite heavy (8oz for 12). Overall, I've been very happy with this tent, although the poles can be very tough to put in in colder weather when they're less flexible. Fortunately, I was able to set it up very quickly at night in a downpour in Shenendoah NP this fall, and it kept me comfortably dry even without a groundsheet.

Pros: Weight, size, packability

Cons: Set-up can be tricky, not freestanding, factory stakes are heavy"

"What a great little tent! 2lbs. 9oz. There are two drawbacks. There is not a vestibule to put your boots or wet gear to dry out under. I just lean my pack against a log or large rock with my poncho or pack cover over it. The only other problem which can be fixed easily is that it requires 12 stakes if you use the three guylines. Get yourself some lightweight aluminum or titanium ones. Its rectangular shape is very usable and makes it comfortable to be in. It is all mesh when you roll up the fly which is a very nice feature for airflow or if you're a stargazer. Very, very dry! Even in a small hurricane here in Tampa. I use the Campmor 2'5" x 7' nylon ground cloth which I can stake down. It is the perfect size. Buy it at campmor.com. One piece of advice I will give you is put a trash bag over the end of your sleeping bag so it doesn't get wet if it touches the end of the tent. Overall this is an excellent tent to buy for the weight and the pricetag. Happy Trails!"

"I have pitched this tent in Ocala Florida in freezing weather, in the dark, and in Denali Nat'l park in 50 MPH gusts at 7900ft.and have had not a bit of trouble. There are really two ways to pitch it when using the fly,with a gap between the fly and ground and no gap, use what makes sense. No problems in any conditions with the poles, i'm just looking for ways to lighten the tent further, like could there be titanium poles somewhere?"

"I've used this tent on the PCT for a total of 40 days and nights. This tent worked very well in heat, wind, rain, sleet and snow. The solitaire does allow room for a full sized pack to be pulled inside with my sleeping bag. I simply scooted the sleeping bag to the bottom of the tent and had plenty of room for my backpack. Shoes are simply placed in a trash bag under the vestibule at night to keep them dry. I'm 5'9" tall and weigh 300lbs (not a typo). I would buy this tent again if needed."

"Problems I discovered on trial setup. Weight, More like 3lbs 4 oz's, 12 steel stakes (too many), The box photo makes it appear freestanding, and does not disclose this on the box. READ Instructions, It is not freestanding, so if you can't stake it, you'll waste time tying support lines. Not recommended for sand (stakes will dislodge), and hard ground. Also, I did not like the sleeves the poles go into. Too easy to catch and possibly rip. There's a reason this tent is $60 +/-. It is not for the serious packer. I have a Kelty 3 season I can set up in under 4 minutes when rain is pending. The Eureka would take too long to set up. I have used different tents in 20 years of packing in Sierra Nevada, and WOULD AVOID This tent. I am returning it today. Also from experience with my Kelty 2 person, one of the poles cracked and finally shattered 2" . Being in the middle, and using a sleeve system to set up tent, using the repair tube (standard tent splint) is an effort not worth it unless you happen to carry duct tape to hold the splint in place. Removing the shattered pole took 8 minutes of dilligence. I did cut it off once home and lost 2". This was done w/o cutting shock cord. Therefore I recommend highly only tents with clip on tent bodies. One other advantage is you can often use the poles and fly only for minimalist shelter"