Eureka! Copper Canyon 1512 Twelve-Person 15- by 12-Foot Family Tent

Enjoy equipment that has been made with the sports enthusiast in mind. This item has been manufactured to the highest standards. This item: TENT, COPPER CANYON 1512
Customer Review: The most awesome tent ever!
We set this tent up for a practice run on a windy day in the park and it was surprisingly fast and easy. Out first time actually camping was fabulous. The tent is so roomy and the best part is my very tall husband can stand up and even walk around inside.
Customer Review: Copper Canyon 1512: spacious, dry (mostly)
We took this tent to a medieval reenactment event. Pros: Size. This tent was large enough and to spare for us. We take a queen size air mattress, which takes up a lot of floor space in most tents. We also made up a dog bed for our 50 lb dog next to ours. Still had plenty of space for gear, food, and clothes. The ceiling height of the tent was awesome as well. My hubby is very tall and he could walk around in the tent without stooping. This has the highest ceiling of any modern tent I could find. Setup was accomplished in short order by four men. It wouldn't have taken that many, but who can say no to offered help? Dry. We stayed dry when many of our neighbors did not. It rained lightly, but steadily for about 36 hours. There was some dampness from water seeping up from beneath the tent. The seepage occurred where we had been walking in the tent. I don't think any other tent would have performed better. Shape. The cabin style blended in a bit better with the period tents than a dome or other modern tent. Ventilation was good. No condensation to speak of. Cons: Guy lines. The orange guy lines tended to blend in with the brown earth, making them hard to see. At least one broke because someone walked through it. I will be replacing those with a brighter color. Awning. The awning seemed pointless to me. It may have helped shield the door from the rain. However, it was very good at catching/holding rain water, probably about 5 gallons worth. The poles held up just fine even under the strain of 40 extra pounds. Stakes. We didn't use the ones that came with the tent, so I can't comment on those. All in all a great tent for our needs. We still have plenty of room inside for our growing family (bun in the oven). I expect this tent to suit us for many years to come. There were a few minor nuisances, but I am extremely pleased with the performance of this tent. If it hadn't been for this tent, we would have left the event early as the conditions were miserable.

When I was growing up, the metal jungle gym in our backyard made ours the most popular play spot in the neighbourhood. Built of tubular steel in bright orange and yellow, it was a honeycombed hexagon that provided days of climbing, swinging and acrobatic fun. These days, the jungle gym is called a climbing frame, and it may be made of wood, metal or plastic, but the fun factor remains the same. If you have young children, a climbing frame in the back yard or garden can offer hours upon hours of fun recreation and activity.

Climbing frames come in a wide variety of sizes and configurations, and most are customizable with add-ons and accessories. You can start with a simple ladder type climbing frame and add accessories like platforms, ladders, rope climbers, tents, rope bridges and more. One easy way to classify climbing frames is by materials used.

Wooden climbing frames are generally more expensive than either plastic or metal framed climbers. Made of pressure-treated lumber, they use galvanized screws for fastening and often include enclosures, platforms and rope climbing ladders. Wooden climbing frames can last a lifetime if properly cared for, and be used by generation after generation of children. Popular additions to wooden climbing frames are canopies, swings, rope climbers and platforms.

Perhaps you recall the swing sets of your childhood - tubular metal in bright colors with swings and a slide, and perhaps a glider. Todays metal climbing frames are the next generation. The product of increased safety awareness and health studies, they're designed with fun AND safety in mind. They often include horizontal ladders for climbing and swinging, slides, and bars for more intricate feats of balance and swinging. They're the closest to the old monkey bars and jungle gyms that we all grew up with.

Made popular by such manufacturers as Playskool and Little Tikes, plastic climbing frames are made of high impact, sturdy plastic that can withstand weather and rugged use. Bright colors, rounded corners and clever designs make plastic climbing frames the perfect choice for toddlers and small children. Generally closer to the ground, it often features holes and tunnels for crawling and climbing, broad-based support for safety and slides with rounded rails to prevent tumbles.

Finally, there are hybrids - metal frames with wooden structures or plastic components like crawling tunnels and climbing walls. These are most often found in public playgrounds, but there are some available to build in your backyard. They may be based on a metal frame with a wooden structure or canvas tent, or have a plastic crawling/climbing tube up to a wooden platform.

Considerations when buying a climbing frame for your back yard or garden include the age of the children, the amount of use it will get, aesthetic considerations and safety features. A well-constructed climbing frame, whatever the material, is one of the best investments you can make for your family's recreation needs.

Ian Wide has contributed many articles on home and family sites including pieces on climbing frames.