Eureka Solo Backcountry 1 Tent

Roomy and well ventilated, the Eureka Backcountry 1 provides a roomy area to sleep and store your gear as well as a good amount of headroom. It weighs just under 4 pounds, and stores away discreetly with its 6 by 15.5-inch pack size. It features a large side-opening door with twin track zippers and an offset door window for good ventilation as well as visibility. It also offers two large no-see-um mesh ends for even more ventilation. Its muted green colors also help the tent to blend into any wooded campsite.

This two-pole tent sets up quickly and easily, thanks to the 9mm DAC Press-fit 7000 series aluminum frame, clip attachments, and post and grommet corner attachments with locking end tips. The main fly and floor seams are factory taped for extreme weather protection, while the bathtub floor keeps seams taut and high off the ground for superior protection. Other features include two storage pockets, four gear loft loops, and one flashlight loop. It includes tent, pole, and stake bags.

Specifications:

• Area: 24 square feet
• Floor size: 8 feet by 3 feet
• Center height: 3 feet, 2 inches
• Wall fabrics: 1.9-ounce 70D nylon taffeta with 1200mm coating
• Floor fabrics: 1.9-ounce 70D nylon taffeta with 1200mm coating
• Fly fabrics: 1.9-ounce 75D Stormshield polyester with 1200mm coating
• Pack size: 6 by 15.5 inches
• Weight: 3 pounds, 14 ounces

About Eureka
Though the exact year is unknown, Eureka's long history begins prior to 1895 in Binghamton, New York, where the company still resides today. Then known as the Eureka Tent & Awning Company, its first wares were canvas products--most notably, Conestoga wagon covers and horse blankets for nineteenth century American frontiersmen--as well as American flags, store awnings, and camping tents.

The company increased production of its custom canvas products locally throughout the 1930s and during the 1940 and even fabricated and erected the IBM "tent cities" just outside Binghamton. The seven acres of tents housed thousands of IBM salesmen during the company's annual stockholders meeting, which had since outgrown its previous locale. In the 1940s, with the advent of World War II and the increased demand for hospital ward tents, Eureka expanded operations and began shipping tents worldwide. Ultimately, upon the post-war return of the GIs and the resultant housing shortage, Eureka turned its attention to the home front during the 1950s by supplying awnings for the multitude of mobile homes that were purchased.

In 1960, Eureka's new and innovative Draw-Tite tent, with its practical, free standing external frame, was used in a Himalayan Expedition to Nepal by world renowned Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person documented to summit Mt. Everest only six years earlier. In 1963, Eureka made history during its own Mt. Everest ascent, with more than 60 of its tents sheltering participants from fierce 60+ mph winds and temperatures reaching below -20°F during the first all American Mt. Everest Expedition.

For backpackers and families, Eureka introduced its legendary Timberline tent in the 1970s. Truly the first StormShield design, this completely self-supporting and lightweight backpacking tent became one of the most popular tents the entire industry with sales reaching over 1 million by its ten year anniversary.

Eureka tents have also traveled as part of several historic expeditions, including the American Women's Himalayan Expedition to Annapurna I in 1978 and the first Mt. Everest ascents by a Canadian and American woman in 1986 and 1988. In recent history, tents specially designed and donated by Eureka sheltered Eric Simonson and his team on two historic research expeditions to Mount Everest, this time in a quest for truth regarding the 1924 attempted summit of early English explorers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. During the 1999 expedition, the team made history finding the remains of George Mallory, but the complete mystery remained unsolved. Returning in 2001 to search for more clues, the team found amazing historical artifacts which are now on display at the Smithsonian.

Amazon.com Tent Guide
Selecting a Tent
Fortunately, there are all kinds of tents for weekend car campers, Everest expeditions, and everything in-between. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Expect the Worst
In general, it's wise to choose a tent that's designed to withstand the worst possible conditions you think you'll face. For instance, if you're a summer car camper in a region where weather is predictable, an inexpensive family or all purpose tent will likely do the trick--especially if a vehicle is nearby and you can make a mad dash for safety when bad weather swoops in! If you're a backpacker, alpine climber or bike explorer, or if you like to car camp in all seasons, you'll want to take something designed to handle more adversity.

Three- and Four-Season Tents
For summer, early fall and late spring outings, choose a three-season tent. At minimum, a quality three season tent will have lightweight aluminum poles, a reinforced floor, durable stitching, and a quality rain-fly. Some three-season tents offer more open-air netting and are more specifically designed for summer backpacking and other activities. Many premium tents will feature pre-sealed, taped seams and a silicone-impregnated rain-fly for enhanced waterproofness.

For winter camping or alpine travel, go with a four season model. Because they typically feature more durable fabric coatings, as well as more poles, four-season tents are designed to handle heavy snowfall and high winds without collapsing. Of course, four-season tents exact a weight penalty of about 10 to 20 percent in trade for their strength and durability. They also tend to be more expensive.

Domes and Tunnels
Tents are broadly categorized into two types, freestanding, which can stand up on their own, and those that must be staked down in order to stand upright. Freestanding tents often incorporate a dome-shaped design, and most four-season tents are constructed this way because a dome leaves no flat spots on the outer surface where snow can collect. Domes are also inherently stronger than any other design. Meanwhile, many three-season models employ a modified dome configuration called a tunnel. These are still freestanding, but they require fewer poles than a dome, use less fabric, and typically have a rectangular floor-plan that offers less storage space than a dome configuration. Many one and two-person tents are not freestanding, but they make up for it by being more lightweight. Because they use fewer poles, they can also be quicker to set up than a dome.

Size Matters
Ask yourself how many people you'd like to fit in your fabric hotel now and in the future. For soloists and minimalists, check out one-person tents. If you're a mega-minimalist, or if you have your eye on doing some big wall climbs, a waterproof-breathable bivy sack is the ticket. Some bivy sacks feature poles and stake points to give you a little more breathing room. Also, if you don't need bug protection and you want to save weight, check out open-air shelters.

Families who plan on car camping in good weather can choose from a wide range of jumbo-sized tents that will accommodate all your little ones with room to spare. A wide range of capacities is also available for three- and four-season backpacking and expedition tents. Remember, though, the bigger the tent you buy, the heavier it will be, although it's easy to break up the tent components among several people in your group. It's also helpful to compare the volume and floor-space measurements of models you're considering.

Customer Review: Month and a half and no complaints
Buddy and I went out to Yellowstone and Glacier area for about 1 1/2 and stayed exclusively in Eureka's Solo Backcountry 1 tent. Everything from hard rain to bright sunny days. Not a single complaint. Sets up easily. Packs small. Well vented (occational slight condensation on inside, but no more than other tents I've owned). I didn't get sick of being inside it. I'm 5'10" and didn't have my feet pressed up against one end while having my head pressed up against the other. I had about 6 extra inches of comfort. People over 6' might not be as comfortable, it's an individual thing.
Customer Review: Better than expected
Took a risk buying this tent on my way to my last backcountry hiking weekend on August 17-19, 2007. It set up quickly with no struggle. I found that if I removed the poles from the stuff sack and packed them vertically I could gain even more space. This tent packs & compresses small. I love it. Ventilation is awesome even with the rain fly. I did get rained on but stayed perfectly dry and NO condensation. There's also lots of room and I'm 6'4" @ 235 lbs, easy to move around, sit up, get in & out. I kept my day pack at the side of my feet IN THE TENT and was not cramped. Temperature dropped at night so I had to put on some extra clothing - plenty of room to shuffle about. I researched 1person tents for a while and I'm thriled that I decided on this one.

Barnegat Light, NJ is the home to "Old Barney" a historic lighthouse located at the northern tip of Long Beach Island. Long Beach Island, or "LBI" as the vacationing folks like to say, is a narrow island nearly twenty miles long and six miles at sea off the coast of Ocean County, NJ.

The lighthouse is a destination in and of itself, if lighthouses are something that you like. Like all lighthouses, this one has distinctive markings: the top half is red and the bottom half is white. Built in 1859, the current lighthouse is the second one for that site. The original, constructed in 1824, was in disrepair and sorely in need of being replaced. Thus, the present lighthouse -- fondly called Old Barney -- was constructed.

Barnegat Light is the second tallest lighthouse in the US. It served those at sea and on land with distinguishment until its light was extinguished forever in 1965, made obsolete by electronic navigation. In the late 1980s the lighthouse was shut down for three years for much needed repairs, but then reopened to visitors. Old Barney remains a popular visitor destination and is now a state park. Nearby attractions include the beaches, fishing, historic homes, and neighboring communities on the island. LBI is easily accessible to Philadephia and New York City and is a favorite destination for those who travel to the Jersey Shore.

Matt is a fan of lighthouses and enjoys the history associated with the sea. His area of work is more upward as he manages business aviation websites including the Corporate Flight Attendant Community at http://www.corporateflyer.net and the Aviation Employment Board at http://www.aviationemploymentboard.net.

Eureka Performance Spitfire 2 10- by 5-Foot Two-Person Backpacking Tent

Original Spitfire styling in a 2 person model! Loaded with mesh for great ventilation, and ample-sized headroom area thats as large or larger than the competitionҒs! 2 pole hoop style tent 9 mm DAC Featherlite 7000 series aluminum frame and clip attachments make set up fast Post and grommet corner attachments with locking end tips make set up easy 4 storm guyouts on fly 2 side opening doors are constructed entirely of no-see-um mesh Sizeable mesh panels for air flow 2 interior storage pockets hold essentials Bathtub floor with taped seams wraps up sides of tent to protect against splashing rain Poke-out vent in fly has zippered access via mesh roof cloth Seasons: 3 Sleeps: 2 Doors: 2 Windows: Full Panel Mesh Weight: 4 lbs. Area: 38.76 Sq. Ft. Center Height: 3' 7"
Customer Review: great light-weight 2-person tent
I've done quite a bit of searching around, and this is by far the lightest 2-person tent I've found... well, aside from a couple ultra-lite specialty companies... but they're harder to find, and MUCH more expensive. Plenty of room inside for two people and quite a bit of gear (depending on how tall you are) as there is a good sized area at the head end that, because of the way the tent tapers, isn't much use for adult people... but you can store a couple mid-sized packs there... or if you're camping with the pooch, it can curl up in that spot nicely. I like the layout with the 2-door design. Makes night-time "nature calls" much easier on your tent-mate. One can get up and exit the tent without worrying about kicking the other. Also, if it's a clear night, the fly ties up over each door to give you a pretty good view of the sky through the HUGE mesh panels. Actually, pretty much the whole upper section is mesh which is great for ventilation on warm nights, as well as keeping down the condensation on cooler nights. The only thing I would suggest is getting a better set of stakes for it. The ones it comes with are the basic steel wire hook type. Fine for plain-ol dirt, but not so good if it's a bit rocky or root-laden. Plus, they tend to bend a bit easily. I'd recommend a set of either the "MSR Ground Hog" aluminum stakes, or a titanium stake of similar design (angle or tri-leg... not the wire type). The alum and titanium are both lighter, the angle or tri-leg will be stronger. Other than the stakes (which are perfectly usable, though they won't last long), this is a great tent package... right around 4 lbs complete, straps nicely to a pack, and unlike other tents I've had in the past, it's actually pretty easy to get back into the bag if you're careful to roll most of the air out (I've had many tents where the bag was just too tight and made repacking a chore). Happy camping.
Customer Review: Make Sure to Pull it Nice & Tight
I bought this tent when I was in the Montana Conservation Corps. I carried it on several long backpacking trips. It is a very nice tent, high quality materials, but there are two things that I wish I'd have known before ordering it. The first is that the tent is not free standing. You have to stake the tent to the ground at five points for it to stand upright. You also have to stake the fly. It's hard to set up at night or on a tough surface because it's not free standing. Make sure to buy plenty of replacement stakes, because with this tent, you'll need 'em. The second is that if you don't stake the fly tight enough, it has a flat surface on the top where water can pool and drip into the tent during the night, getting your down sleeping bag nice and wet for the 5 days ahead of you. When you stake the fly very very tightly, this can be avoided. Beyond that, It is very lightweight and roomy for its weight, I'd reccomend it if you know what you're getting into.

Diwali is the most popular and most widely celebrated festival of India. The festival is celebrated to mark the end of Lord Ramas exile and his homecoming with wife Sita and brother Laxman. It is said that all the people of the Ayodhya were overjoyed on the occasion of the return of their king and decorated the entire town with lights. For this reason, Diwali is regarded as the festival of lights. To this day, houses are lit with earthen lamps, candles and now electrical lighting as well.

Diwali also signifies the victory of good over evil. Lord Rama returned from his exile only after defeating Ravana, the evil king of Sri Lanka who abducted Sita. Diwali stands for the inevitable dawn, no matter how dark the night. In modern day India, Diwali has not lost its significance and is celebrated with great excitement and vigor.

On Diwali, the interiors and exteriors of the house are decorated with flowers, rangolis, candles, earthen lamps and electrical lighting. Delicious meals are prepared and sweets and gifts are also exchanged with near and dear ones. Generally people wear new clothes on this festival. The night sky is lit in various hues and colors as people burst firecrackers to mark the occasion. Children immensely enjoy Diwali firecrackers and so they look forward to this extremely pleasurable festival.

This time is also boom time for traders and shopkeepers as people buy lots of things to gift and celebrate. These products range from jewelry, utensils, decoration items, idols of gods, electronics, clothes, eatables and other such goods. The market places are alive with activity and laced with all kinds of colorful knick-knacks. Many organizations and local bodies also arrange several fairs, also known as Diwali Mela.

However, the most important aspect of this festival is the Laxmi Pooja. In fact, preparations for Diwali celebrations begin with making ones house spic and span, in order to welcome and please Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth who descends from the heavens to shower her blessings on the night of Diwali. It is believed that she enters the house that is cleanest and most well decorated and bestows blessings for wealth, abundance and prosperity on the same household.

India stands for unity in diversity and though celebrated in several ways, Diwali unites the nation and instills in its people zest, hope, and the spirit of goodness.

For more informations about famous hindu festival diwali please visit www.indianholiday.com.