Eureka Bitterroot 11-Foot by 11-Foot Six-Person Square Dome Tent
Product By Eureka
Technical Details
- 2-pole, 121-square-foot dome tent with durable fiberglass frame
- 4 large zippered windows encourage visibility, airflow, and privacy
- Organizer gear loft, mesh storage pockets, and center flashlight loop
- Heavy-duty 210-denier poly oxford floor; sturdy StormShield construction
- Sleeps up to 6 people; measures 11 x 7 x 11 inches (W x H x D)
Product Description
Ideal for weekend camping trips with family and friends, Eureka's Bitterroot square dome tent offers a spacious 121 square feet of room to comfortably sleep five to six campers. Protective enough for three-season use, the Bitterroot features four large windows to maximize air circulation for camping comfort while zippered window covers control the amount of air flow and provide privacy. No-see-um mesh will keeps out the tiniest insects. High/low door vents are featured at the top and bottom, as bottom vent drafts in cool dry air while upper opening will vent out warm moist air. A side-opening door design allows for easy access for campers to enter and exit the tent. Twin-track zippers provide separate operation of the door and window. Windows combine with large areas of permeable fabric and mesh in the roof cloth for superior air flow while minimizing condensation. To ensure a dry and comfortable camping trip, all major seams and reinforcements are factory sealed to prevent water entry while a wrap-up bathtub floor minimizes ground level seams and will keep water out and the tent floor dry. In case you do encounter wet weather, a hooded fly on all sides protects the windows and allows for venting even while it's raining.
When packed up, the tent and its components measure 8 by 33 inches, allowing for easy transport to your camping destinations. The tent's fly and walls are constructed of a strong, UV-resistant polyester fabric while the floor's durable weave is made of heavy-duty poly oxford. With a seve-foot center height, even the tallest campers will be comfortable and move around easily.
Inside the tent, two mesh pockets, four gear loft/clothesline attachments, and a flashlight loop offer additional storage opportunities while a hanging gear loft organizer keeps small essentials close at hand and out of the way.
Designed with Eureka's StormShield features, this self-supporting, two-pole tent is quick and easy to set up with its durable shockcorded fiberglass frame, taffeta rod pockets, and clip attachments. Pole sections are interconnected with shockcords for quick set-up and to prevent lost parts. The shockcoding will also absorb and dissipate wind stress, reducing wear and tear on the tent's fabrics.
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| Eureka's Bitterroot tent features shockcorded fiberglass poles for easy setup. |
A ring-and-pin assembly provides durable attachment of the tent body to the frame at the base. Storm rings on the fly, along with guylines, provide guy points in wind.
Specifications:
- Style: Two-pole square dome
- Seasons: Three
- Sleeps: Five to six
- Footprint: 11 by 11 feet
- Peak height: 7 feet
- Area: 121 square feet
- Minimum weight: 23 pounds, 15 ounces
StormShield Construction Details:
- Double-wall construction minimizes condensation build-up inside tent by allowing air to circulate between the mesh tent roof and waterproof fly.
- Doors vent from the top and/or bottom, providing options for moderating air flow; warm air exits from the top and cool air enters at the bottom.
- Cross ventilation through breathable interior fabric, large windows, and roof vents allows fresh air to enter and moist air to escape the tent.
- High perimeter seams of the bathtub floors couple with factory taped floor seams and fly seams to keep water out.
- Self-supporting frames flex to absorb and dissipate stress from strong winds.
- Fabric reinforcements add an extra layer of protection to high wear and high stress areas.
- Anchors for harsh weather include storm guyout rings, loops, and webs.
- Nickel sliders on self-healing nylon coil zippers keep windows and doors working smoothly.
- Shockcorded poles take the guesswork out of assembly, save time, and prevent lost parts.
- Ring and pin assemblies make setup easy and reduce stress and abrasion where the frame and tent floor connect.
- Post and grommet attachments speed set up and augment the tent’s structural integrity.
- The twin-track zipper system allows door windows to operate independently of doors for convenience and ease of entry and exit.
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| Nickel sliders on self-healing nylon coil zippers keep windows and doors working smoothly. |
Materials:- Floor: 210D Polyester oxford, 1000mm polyurethane coating
- Fly: 75D 185T Polyester taffeta, 1000mm polyurethane coating
- Walls: 75D 185T Polyester taffeta, 1000mm polyurethane coating
- Roof: 75D 185T Polyester taffeta, uncoated & mesh
- Mesh: 40D Polyester no-see-um
- Frame poles: 12.7mm Fiberglass, 9 sections
- Fly poles: 12.7mm Fiberglass, 5 sections
- All fabrics meet CPAI-84 Flammability requirements
What's in the Box?
Eureka Bitterroot tent, fly, poles, stakes, stuff sack
Manufacturer's Warranty
Limited lifetime warranty
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.
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Customer Reviews
"great sturdy tent" 2010-07-04
By
m elrod
excellent heavy duty tent. very sturdy poles and the fabric is very heavy duty also. Great purchase!
"This is the best tent I have ever used!" 2010-06-23
By
J. Booker (Orange County, CA)
It took less than 10 minutes for 2 people to set up the first time. The second time I set it up on my own in about the same amount of time. Eureka did a great job designing this tent. (See posted photos.)
I spread out a tarp to protect the floor and unfolded the tent. I placed two poles through the loops on the top of the tent and it was up. If you use the fly, you only have to place two poles crosswise with the tips in the flaps provided and throw it on top. It's that easy.
The plastic stakes provided worked perfectly; however, based on other reviews, I am going to purchase the MSR Ground Hog Stake Kit .
I bought this tent to be used as a "guest bedroom" for an RV. It is so nice. Everyone rotated their sleeping arrangements to spend a night in the tent. I may have to add a second "guest bedroom".
Looking forward to many happy camping trips with this tent.
"Reliable, easy to set up" 2010-05-17
By
Terry B. Blevins
I bought the tent about 6 or so months ago and took it camping for the first time this last weekend. Very easy to set up. Took about 5-10 minutes max with 2 people, including staking down a ground cloth. The tent offered plenty of space! We had a queen size double decker air mattress for my wife and I (we were really roughing it) and a twin size single for our 3 year old. We had a 2 by 3 foot folding table and 3 large plastic tubs/totes with room to spare. It rained for two solid days, and other than a little moisture here and there on the floor (I believe from entering and exiting the tent), we stayed completely dry. Awesome tent for the money.
The down sides: the recommended floor saver is complete crap and slick as can be to walk on. I could have sewn together sandwich baggies that would have been stronger. The poles are a little heavy, and although they held up well while camping, one broke when we got home. I set it up in the yard to let it dry out good and it just went snap. I've had Eureka tents before and I'm sure they will take care of it, but just a little bit of a pain to deal with (not Eureka, just the hassle of having to do it).
"This is a nice big tent" 2010-01-09
By
R. Perez (Miami, FL USA)
Bought this tent because my wife and I needed to upgrade from our small 2-person tent, from back before we had kids, and now needed a family-sized tent for car camping.
This is a great big tent. I'm 5'11" and can stand-up without a problem. The floor is big enough for a queen and twin airmatress, our gear and room to walk around.
It is heavy and I don't recommend it for anything but car camping. The shock-corded fiberglass poles are about 1/2" - 5/8" thick and heavy. Which makes up about 90% of the packing weight.
With some struggling, it could be set-up by one person, but I highly recommend having someone assist you.
It performed well in a light rain drizzle, the water beaded right off the rain fly.
My only negative, is that I only wish that the interior overhead storage would be completely removable. It's permanently attached onto the backwall.
Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase.
"Eureka Bitterroot 11x11- love it!" 2009-12-02
By
R. Quintos (San Diego, CA)
This tent is very user friendly. We used it for family camping in Julian,CA during Thanksgiving weekend and it was worth the money. Due to traffic, it was dark when we reached our campsite. Fearing that set up would be difficult due to lack of light...I was worried. But this tent was so easy to set up, it only took me and my husband about 15-20 minutes to set it up in the dark with only one lamp. It is very spacious! I was able to fit 2 full size air mattresses and accomodate 2 adults, 1 teenager & 3 school age kids. And with plenty of space for our gears! It got pretty windy the following night but the tent did not even falter. I love the zipper to the door...the kids kept going in & out of the tent, they were able to open & close the zipper without any trouble. It didn't get caught on any fabric since there isn't any! The ceiling height is amazing. My husband is pretty tall but easily stood up inside the tent. I also appreciated the gear loft. It was convenient to stash away small items. Not to mention that this tent is guy-line free tent! I didn't have to worry about the kids tripping over any guy lines. Taking it down was a breeze. Typically, tents will not fit back in their bags after it's been opened. For this tent, we were able to fold everything back and place all the poles back in the bag without a problem. A must buy for family camping!
