Eureka Tetragon 8 Adventure 8- by 7-Foot Four-Person Tent

A great choice for car camping, base camp, or three-season backpacking, the Eureka Tetragon 8 rectangular dome tent comfortably sleeps four people. The double-coated StormShield polyester fly and the polyester bathtub floor combine to provide excellent weather protection. This free-standing, two-pole tent is quick and easy to set up with its durable shockcorded fiberglass frame, ring and pin attachments, and color coded webbing.

It's well ventilated, thanks to two vents and large areas of mesh in the side walls. The double-coated polyester hooded fly won't stretch, and it allows front and rear windows to remain open even in rain. Other features include:

• Twin track zippers for separate operation of the window in the door
• Brim over twin-track, side-opening door offers protected front entry
• External guy points on the fly help secure your tent in high winds
• Natural green color scheme blends into any campground
• Hanging gear loft and two detachable interior storage pockets
• Mesh panels allow for clip-in accessories
• Tent, pole, and stake bags included

Specifications:

• Area: 63.75 square feet
• Floor size: 8 feet, 6 inches by 7 feet, 6 inches
• Center height: 5 feet
• Wall fabrics: 1.9-ounce 75D 210T polyester taffeta with 800mm coating
• Floor fabrics: 1.9-ounce 75D 210T polyester taffeta with 800mm coating
• Fly fabrics: 1.9-ounce 75D 185T StormShield polyester with 800mm coating
• Pack size: 6 by 26 inches
• Weight: 8 pounds, 6 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: Not for breezy conditions
The rainfly on the Tetragon 8 that I received was the problem. It has two shock corded short poles to hold the rainfly above the doorway, and above the rear window. By Day 2 of a 7 day camping trip, after a brief summer storm with slight wind, the poles had broken out of their little sleeves and torn small holes in the rainfly, causing the doorway overhang to fall over the door. The back window situation was a little better in that the poles didn't completely break through. That said, the tent did not leak, which is the only reason I'm even giving it a 2. The tent is useless to me now, and I will not make the mistake of purchasing another Eureka with such a flawed design. I am a veteran camper, and have other tents. I was hoping the Eureka, as a lightweight tent, would offer me a viable and economical alternative. It did NOT.
Customer Review: Good tent for light camping
I purchased two of these tents for use by family while weekend camping at the river. The tents went up easily and appeared to be of good quality. They would be good for light back packing or car camping. They are not meant for four season camping or in heavy weather. Well worth the money.

One of the biggest parks in Southern Africa, the Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park was established through a treaty signed in Windhoek between South Africa and Namibia. This treaty meant that the border between the two countries was opened where the Namibian Hot Springs Game Park met with the South African Richtersveld National Park. The cooperation has resulted in the creation of a massive tourist attraction.

With over five thousand square kilometers of land, the Richtersveld National Park is a massive display of the unique beauty of this dry region. The park is perhaps best known for the Fish River Canyon, which people often compare to the American Grand Canyon, yet the biodiversity of this arid region cannot be ignored.

In the early hours of the morning a fog moves in from the Atlantic Ocean, providing moisture for the hardy succulents that make a home for themselves between the rocks that give this area so much character. The expansive mountain dessert region is host to an impressive variety of smaller reptiles, birds and animals. Some of the plant life is unique to the area, and visitors will appreciate the character-rich quiver trees, tall aloes and peculiar half-mens which stand firmly in defiance of the elements.

When visiting the Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park make sure not to leave without spotting the Rock Hyrax, the entertaining Ground Squirrels, the Jackal Buzzard or Hartmann's Mountain Zebra. There are many projects being developed by the park's management, including guided vehicle tours, hiking trails, camping areas, river rafting and canoeing, mountain biking, horse and camel trails as well as botanical, ornithological, geographic and cultural tours. Contact the park to ensure that your activity of choice will be catered for.

The formation of this park, and in particular the incorporation of local people into the park's management, has been sighted as a role model system and as a fresh way of operating conservation areas. There is also talk of expanding the park in the future, possibly to the extent that it will incorporate or merge with Iona National Park in Angola and the Augrabies Falls National Park in South Africa. Such expansion would see the formation of the world's third largest conservation area, covering some nineteen million hectares.

It is essential to have a high clearance vehicle to access the park, with a 4x4 being by far the best option. City vehicles or sedans are not allowed into the park.

Visit the spectacular mountain desert of the Richtersveld National Park on the border between Namibia and South Africa.