Owner Review:

Eureka Alpenlite 2XT 4 Season Tent

Date: April 18th, 2004

Reviewer Information

Name: Jim Sabiston
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Height: 6' 3" (1.9 m)
Weight: 207 lb (94 kg)
Email address: JimSabis(at)aol(dot)com
State: New York
Country: USA

Backpacking Background:

I've been camping for several decades. I joined the Adirondack Mountain Club four years ago, the Appalachian Mountain Club a year later and am active in both. I have also expanded my backpacking to include more winter trips, mountaineering and backcountry cross country skiing, and participated in the AMC's Winter Mountaineering training program with Chauvin International Climbing Guides. More recently, I have actively studied ways to backpack lighter and more efficiently. During the summer months, my style tends toward very light, but not quite ultralight. I use a hammock or tarp for warm weather, and a small four-season tent for winter trips. Most of my other gear is very changeable, as I am constantly experimenting with gear and techniques.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Eureka Tents
Year of Manufacture: 1999
URL: http://www.eurekatent.com/
Tent Features:
Free standing A-frame design with additional reinforcing center hoop
7000 series shockcorded aluminum poles
Full coverage fly with front vestibule
Zippered back fly with additional smaller vestibule
Patented High/Low door, bottom venting fly
Convertible net roof zippered vent
Post and grommet setup
All seams taped and factory sealed
UV and cold-resistant window on front vestibule
Floor: 1.9 oz (54 g) 3000 mm taffeta nylon
Fly: StormShield “Plus” 1800
Roof: 1.9 oz (54 g) permeable rip-stop nylon
Netting: 40D no-see-um
Weight as listed: 7 lb 4 oz (3.3 kg) packed
Weight as purchased: 7 lb 7 oz (3.4 kg)
MSRP: N/A

Overview:

From a design standpoint, the Eureka Alpenlite 2XT 4 Season Tent appears to be a bit of an anomaly among four season tents. Instead of the more common dome designs, the Eureka Alpenlite 2XT 4 Season Tent is a throwback to the days when A-frames ruled the backpacking scene. But the exterior resemblance is only skin deep. Eureka squeezed many details and features into the Alpenlite 2XT, as well as good tough construction, normally found in far more expensive tents. The Eureka Alpenlite 2XT 4 Season Tent is a fully capable four season tent, stoutly handling cold, windy weather and heavy snowfall.


Fig. 1) The Alpenlite 2XT.


When the tent is set up, the most obvious feature is the full coverage fly. The fly is constructed of heavy-duty urethane coated nylon with reinforcing patches sewn into potential high stress areas and includes several well placed guy points. Giving complete peak to ground coverage, the fly is angled out at either end, making a large storage vestibule at the entrance and a smaller, secondary vestibule at the rear. Both vestibules are accessible from inside and outside the tent, via zippers at the vestibule/fly body seam, from the outside and through typical zippered inner doors. As the tent’s roofline tapers downward towards the rear, the rear vestibule is too small to be used as a practical an entrance or exit. The front vestibule has a small vent, located in the center of the vestibule ridge. The vent can be held open using an attached plastic rod, or closed using the hook and loop strips on the edge of the opening. (Note: In newer models, this vent is replaced by a non-opening plastic window.) The fly is attached to the tent frame using sliding clip buckles on nylon webbing straps, which make adjusting tension and position a breeze.


Fig. 2) A-frame detail: note plastic fitting and adjustable roof vent.

The frame of the Eureka Alpenlite 2XT is the heart of its strength and stability. Essentially a standard A-frame set-up, the primary difference is a third A-frame, set in the center of the tent. This third frame provides two main advantages: 1) a huge increase in strength and stability and 2) by pulling out on the walls of the inner tent body, the frame eliminates the tendency of the inner walls to sag (a traditional problem with the old A-frame tents), thus greatly increasing the effective space inside the tent. The center A-frame is not attached to the main frame, it is held in place by a ring and pin setup at the floor of the tent, and by a series of plastic clips on the tent body and passes over the main ridge pole. The primary frame, also constructed of aluminum, is also held in place by a ring and pin at each of the tent’s four corners, a series of plastic clips where the frame uprights pass along the edges of the tent body, and a plastic fitting at the front and rear apex. The plastic apex fittings are permanently attached to the tent body, so losing them is unlikely. The holes in the fittings are angled in such a way that the aluminum frame is forced into a stressed condition when assembled, making the frame extremely strong and stable. (Note: On newer models, the ring and pins are replaced by a post and grommet arrangement.)


Fig. 3) Alpenlite XT2 frame and body view.

The tent body is constructed with a tub style floor using 1.9 oz (54 g) nylon taffeta with a waterproof urethane coating. The upper body is constructed of a thin, breathable 1.9 oz (54 g) rip-stop nylon. The front and rear door panels both have no-see-um screens. There is a zip open panel at the peak of the tent body. The opening is protected by a non-opening no-see-um screen. The opening can be fully closed or zipped fully open, or any point in between, giving a nice controllable venting option. Interior details include small mesh storage pouches and peak loops for hanging a gear loft.

Over-all construction is very stout, using good quality materials.

Field Experience:

I have used the Eureka Alpenlite 2XT 4 Season Tent for six years, subjecting it to a good deal of rough weather and general backpacking abuse. The tent is beginning to show wear and tear, but it still has years of good life left in it. I consider the wear more of a ‘patina’, giving the tent a used and lived in look. The tent has been through many overnight storms, both rain and snow falls, one snowfall over 10 in (25 cm) during a Catskill bushwhack and has handled the worst weather with aplomb, including temperatures down to -15 F (-26 C). The tent has never leaked a drop or failed in any way. The steep sides of the A-frame design shed snow easily and the additional center frame ensures that the tent is not squeezed in by accumulating snow.

For the last several years, the Alpenlite has been my primary winter tent. I have used the Eureka Alpenlite 2XT 4 Season Tent on a number of occasions during the summer months, but it is heavy and its four season bias becomes obvious in warm weather, as it cannot vent as well as a less protected warm weather tent, mostly due to the complete protection provided by the fly. Accordingly I save it for extended winter camps where gear is towed in on sleds and a base camp is set up for several days.

While rated as a two man tent, I use it as a solo shelter. The tent is not big on space, and I’m a pretty big guy, so I can do a good job of filling it up by myself. The tent floor is 4.5 ft (1.4 m) wide at the front entrance, but tapers towards the rear, being about 3 ft (.91 m) wide at the rear. Also, the roof line tapers downwards towards the rear. The peak headroom is 3.25 ft (1 m) at the front entrance and tapers down enough that there is insufficient headroom for sitting at the rear. Having to share the tent would mean very close quarters and the gear would have to be stored outside the tent. The front vestibule is big enough to hold boots and a small pack, but is quickly filled by a large pack, assuming it fits at all. On a number of occasions, I have cooked my meals in the front vestibule. There is sufficient room to do this while sitting in the tent entrance and it can be quite cozy during a winter snow storm. I’d make a point of lighting the stove outside the tent, then moving it quickly inside the vestibule once it has settled into a steady flame, although this is less critical with the modern canister stoves. (To quote the usual caveat: using stoves inside a vestibule or a tent is dangerous and not advised! That being said, no one has offered an alternative during a real bit of nasty weather). The rear vestibule is theoretically handy, but I rarely use it for storage. Its primary use by me is for ventilation or an optional place for my boots when the weather has gone south and I’ve pulled all my gear into the tent for the duration. This allows the larger front vestibule to remain free for cooking.

    
Fig. 4) Front door and vestibule.                                       Fig. 5) Rear ‘door’ and vestibule.

Ventilation during winter months is one of this tent’s strong points. The vestibules at either end can be opened wide, allowing for a tremendous amount of cross-ventilation. I often use the inner doors in various open positions to promote ventilation as well, as the very good protection provided by the fly allows me to keep these open, depending on the severity (and direction!) of the weather. The roof vent is truly useful, if a bit more subtle. One of my favorite winter tricks is to use a candle lantern inside the tent. I hang the lantern from a loop adjacent to the opening and generally open the vent very slightly, allowing the warmer air to pass out very slowly. This is surprisingly effective in burning off the condensation, usually found in the form of frost during winter camping. In addition, it makes the tent interior a bit warmer, reducing condensation considerably. An added bonus is returning to the warm glow visible through the tent walls when returning from visiting the neighbors!

There are various loops located in the tent peak which are handy for hanging a flashlight and they will accept an optional gear loft. I have used the gear loft, and I like it, but the full gear loft intrudes heavily into the available space and I tend to leave it home. I have considered trimming the loft in half, the intent being to hang the shorter version in the rear portion of the tent roof, where it would be less intrusive. This is still on the ‘to do’ list though.

The tent is relatively easy to set up, thanks to the pole clips and lack of fabric pole tubes, but I recommend a few practice runs at home before setting out. The poles are not color coded and all the bits are different sizes, but easily identified. Setting the tent up in the dark has been no problem providing I use a good headlamp. The insertion of the main ridge pole can be a bit fussy, as the frame is under stress (by design) when assembled and the ridge pole is the last bit to go together, but it is really not problematic.

The tent normally packs down to about 8 in X 23 in (20 cm X 58 cm). I have found that by packing the poles separately and being a bit more careful folding the tent body and fly, I can get it down to about 6 in X 18 in (15 cm X 46 cm).

Things I Like:

1 – A lot of tent for the money.
2 – Well made with quality materials.
3 – Many clever, functional features.

Things I Don’t Like:

1 – A bit tight on space for a two person tent. Two average sized people would probably fit, but they better be good friends.
2 – Respectable weight for a four season tent, but still heavy.

Summary:

The Eureka Alpenlite 2XT 4 Season Tent has got to be one of the best buys on the market in a very respectable 4 season tent. When I set this tent up at base camp, it is with full confidence that it will handle any winter weather likely to be thrown at it, while I remain snug and comfortable inside. I would look for a different tent if I had to share, as there is room for two only if the other is my wife and most of the gear gets left outside! As a solo tent, the Eureka Alpenlite 2XT 4 Season Tent is positively palatial, however.

Most tents of equivalent capabilities are much more expensive, often by hundreds of dollars, yet the Alpenlite gives up little in the way of toughness and quality. I highly recommend this tent be considered by anyone getting ready for a winter backpacking adventure.