Your Browser is OutdatedA great 1 person backpacking tent that won't break the bank! - Eureka Spitfire 1 Tent - 1 Person 110310
Review for Eureka Spitfire 1 Tent - 1 Person 110310
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Emily's Review of Eureka Spitfire 1 Tent - 1 Person 110310
I had a very occasional need for a 1 person backpacking tent, and while a number of lightweight models were at the top of my list (NEMO Hornet 1P & Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 1), I just couldn't justify spending $300+ for equipment that would see so little use... even with Camp Saver's great deals! After reading all the reviews I could get my hands on about the Eureka Spitfire 1, I decided to purchase it (Sept 2015). I snagged it during a great Labor Day sale at Camp Saver and checked out for a total of about $100. Wow. I love this site :-)
First big note: This tent is advertised as weighing 2lbs 12oz, but many reviewers find it weighs at least half a pound more than that. I measured 2lbs 12oz from the poles, fly, and body, but you need more parts than that to actually use this tent, so thumbs down to Eureka for trying to be misleading on that spec (and I don't even know why - it's not like the actual weight is heavy). I don't use stuff sacks - the poles & stakes go in my pack's side pocket, and I stuff the fabric components in the top of my pack, loose. I never carry a footprint. The tent comes with a few cheap guylines & adjusters, and a minimal number of steel shepards hook stakes. I'd recommend ditching these and purchasing higher quality replacements. I got 50' of reflective guyline, 10 aluminum guyline adjusters, and 10 aluminum Y stakes (all generic brands) on Amazon for a total of about $25 (sorry Camp Saver!). These extra parts brought my total carried tent weight to a touch over 3lbs 3oz, and makes it a complete, reliable system. And a 3lb 3oz tent for 125 bucks is pretty darn good - I'm glad I didn't spend another couple hundred to save half a pound!
Full disclosure: I've only had 1 opportunity to use this tent since purchasing it. I did a 1 night solo backpacking hike not far outside of Seattle in the foothills of the Cascades in mid-October; it was pretty warm but very rainy and wet. The rest of this review is based on that experience. I only used the materials included in the original tent package, and none of the additional accessories.
As noted in other reviews, this tent is NOT freestanding. It's a double hoop design and requires a minimum of 6 stakes to set up. That being said, it was a very easy, fast set-up (which was really great as I was in the rain and dark by myself). I camped on soft, damp ground with rain falling pretty consistently through the night. I didn't use a footprint and had absolutely no problem with leaks; the floor and seams are very well sealed. I also had no problems with wetness or leaking from anywhere else in the tent, but I have more to say on that below. The very tip of the tent body wasn't covered by the fly but I could probably fix that with more practice and adjustments during setup.
The tent has 1 side entrance, a lot of mesh and a roof pop-up for good ventilation, a couple loops in the top corners and a side pocket. I'm 5'5"/130lbs and had plenty of room to sit up and stretch out. There is one *very small* vestibule at the door, and it only had room for my trail runners. There was absolutely no room for my 60L mostly-empty pack (I have no idea how other people squeezed theirs in there), and because it was raining, it had to come inside with me. This made it cozier, but not cramped. Sleeping works best with a mummy style pad and bag. I can't imagine this tent would be comfortable for anyone much taller than 5'9".
A freestanding tent usually holds the fabric more taught, which is especially important in the rain. Because this tent isn't freestanding, and because I was only using a minimal number of stakes & guyline (I was using everything that was included), the weight of the water on the fabric made the fly very droopy by morning. The crappy stake I used at the vestibule had mostly pulled out of the ground, and my trail runners ended up being half-exposed to the rain. The fly sagged so badly at some points that it touched the mesh body, which compromises the water-tightness of the interior. For these reasons, in the future I will always set up this tent with as many guylines and stakes as possible. I also suspect that in windy conditions, this tent would require the same full setup. The materials I suggested above are what I will use in the future to secure the tent.
So this tent gets a solid 4 stars from me. I'm docking 1 star because Eureka doesn't include enough stakes or guyline for this tent to be totally sturdy and operational, and they're reporting a false total weight, which I think is shady and totally unnecessary for a tent that's already lightweight. But otherwise this tent is GREAT. I used it in imperfect conditions with an imperfect setup and I still woke up warm and dry. I think it's a fantastic buy for the cost (even including the additional materials), and I look forward to many seasons of use from it.
First big note: This tent is advertised as weighing 2lbs 12oz, but many reviewers find it weighs at least half a pound more than that. I measured 2lbs 12oz from the poles, fly, and body, but you need more parts than that to actually use this tent, so thumbs down to Eureka for trying to be misleading on that spec (and I don't even know why - it's not like the actual weight is heavy). I don't use stuff sacks - the poles & stakes go in my pack's side pocket, and I stuff the fabric components in the top of my pack, loose. I never carry a footprint. The tent comes with a few cheap guylines & adjusters, and a minimal number of steel shepards hook stakes. I'd recommend ditching these and purchasing higher quality replacements. I got 50' of reflective guyline, 10 aluminum guyline adjusters, and 10 aluminum Y stakes (all generic brands) on Amazon for a total of about $25 (sorry Camp Saver!). These extra parts brought my total carried tent weight to a touch over 3lbs 3oz, and makes it a complete, reliable system. And a 3lb 3oz tent for 125 bucks is pretty darn good - I'm glad I didn't spend another couple hundred to save half a pound!
Full disclosure: I've only had 1 opportunity to use this tent since purchasing it. I did a 1 night solo backpacking hike not far outside of Seattle in the foothills of the Cascades in mid-October; it was pretty warm but very rainy and wet. The rest of this review is based on that experience. I only used the materials included in the original tent package, and none of the additional accessories.
As noted in other reviews, this tent is NOT freestanding. It's a double hoop design and requires a minimum of 6 stakes to set up. That being said, it was a very easy, fast set-up (which was really great as I was in the rain and dark by myself). I camped on soft, damp ground with rain falling pretty consistently through the night. I didn't use a footprint and had absolutely no problem with leaks; the floor and seams are very well sealed. I also had no problems with wetness or leaking from anywhere else in the tent, but I have more to say on that below. The very tip of the tent body wasn't covered by the fly but I could probably fix that with more practice and adjustments during setup.
The tent has 1 side entrance, a lot of mesh and a roof pop-up for good ventilation, a couple loops in the top corners and a side pocket. I'm 5'5"/130lbs and had plenty of room to sit up and stretch out. There is one *very small* vestibule at the door, and it only had room for my trail runners. There was absolutely no room for my 60L mostly-empty pack (I have no idea how other people squeezed theirs in there), and because it was raining, it had to come inside with me. This made it cozier, but not cramped. Sleeping works best with a mummy style pad and bag. I can't imagine this tent would be comfortable for anyone much taller than 5'9".
A freestanding tent usually holds the fabric more taught, which is especially important in the rain. Because this tent isn't freestanding, and because I was only using a minimal number of stakes & guyline (I was using everything that was included), the weight of the water on the fabric made the fly very droopy by morning. The crappy stake I used at the vestibule had mostly pulled out of the ground, and my trail runners ended up being half-exposed to the rain. The fly sagged so badly at some points that it touched the mesh body, which compromises the water-tightness of the interior. For these reasons, in the future I will always set up this tent with as many guylines and stakes as possible. I also suspect that in windy conditions, this tent would require the same full setup. The materials I suggested above are what I will use in the future to secure the tent.
So this tent gets a solid 4 stars from me. I'm docking 1 star because Eureka doesn't include enough stakes or guyline for this tent to be totally sturdy and operational, and they're reporting a false total weight, which I think is shady and totally unnecessary for a tent that's already lightweight. But otherwise this tent is GREAT. I used it in imperfect conditions with an imperfect setup and I still woke up warm and dry. I think it's a fantastic buy for the cost (even including the additional materials), and I look forward to many seasons of use from it.
This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.
Would Recommend:
Yes
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