I have more than 30 years backpacking experience, starting with Scouting as a youth. I am currently the High Adventure Leader for a Scout Troop. I try to get out once or twice a month, plus at least one week long trek each year. My trips are of two types. First, I am hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in sections, and generally use a lightweight approach on these typically solo trips. Other trips involving family involve more traditional backpacking equipment. Terrain varies from sea level to 14,000 feet (4,300 m), desert to mountains, and trail to cross country, occasionally including snow travel.

This is the final of three reports of the Six Moon Designs Europa II tent:

Initial Report containing a detailed description of the tent and my initial impressions.
Field Report describing my use of the tent in the field.
Long-Term Field Test - this report - based on my experiences with this tent during the four months since my last report. While this report can be read by itself, it highlights my views of the tent overall, and does not provide the detailed description of the Initial Report and extensive set-up and use discussions of the Field Report.

Product Description:

Europa II
Manufactured by Six Moon Designs, whose owner, Ron Moak, has thru-hiked the Pacific Crest and Appalachian Trails.
http://www.sixmoondesigns.com
Received September 2003
A single-wall tent made of 1.1 ounce silicone nylon (silnylon) and is available in light blue (tested) or kelly green
Large mesh panels to increase ventilation
Front door is mesh only, without a storm door, but cantilevered to shelter door from rain
Listed weight 33 oz (936 g)
Approximate total packed weight as delivered 30 oz (850 g)
Weight includes:
Tent, with guy lines attached (See description below), 26 oz (737 g)
One aluminum pole with shock cord insert, 3.5 oz (99 g)
Silnylon stuff sack, 0.5 oz (14 g)
Six Easton aluminum tent stakes (available from Six Moon Designs but not included) adds 3 oz (85 g) and brings the total weight to the advertised 33 oz (936 g).
Manufacturer recommends using a ground cloth of Tyvek or some other material, which will add another 6 oz (170 g) or so.
Approximate dimensions measured:
Length 89 inches (226 cm)
Width 59 inches (150 cm) at entrance, 54 inches (137 cm) at back
Height 41 inches (104 cm) just inside front door, 24 inches (61 cm) at rear
Manufacturer says to "seal exposed outside seams with a Silicone based seam sealer" such as SilNet (not included). (See first report for comments.)
Europa II - More photos in Field Report

I have described the tent in greater detail in my Initial Report.

Test Conditions

Three weekends will be discussed to illustrate my experiences with this tent since my previous Field Report:

An overnight on the Pacific Crest Trail, oak and chapparal vegetation, elevation 3,500 feet (1,050 m), low temperature 28 F (-2 C) and fog
A two-night cross-country desert backpack, with camps at 1,700 and 4,900 feet (500 and 1,500 m), low temperatures 54 and 28 F (12 and -2 C), dry.
Having had no significant rain on my outings, an overnight in the backyard to take advantage of a rainstorm for testing, elevation 750 feet (225 m), low temperature 53 F (12 C), 1.3 inches (3.3 cm) of rain, with the ground saturated from earlier storms

Field Test

Set-up: As each of the nights described above involved setting up the tent in the dark, I appreciated how quick and easy it is to set up the Europa:

Stake the front two corners.
Insert the rear pole into the sleeve.
Stake the rear guyline.
Insert the tip of a 48 to 50 inch (122 to 127 cm) high hiking pole into the front grommet and stake out the front guyline.
Stake out the side windows.

My Field Report discusses the need to watch for branches that can snag the thin fabric, and the need for the setting the front pole at the proper height to avoid sagging.

Comfort and Fit: I still find it easy to enter the front door, as the door is not divided by the front pole. The door opens wide, but closes quickly to keep any bugs out.

For me (6'4" (193 cm) tall), there was just enough headroom to sit up and change clothes. To do so, however, I had to sit with my back to the door and put my back right against the front door. Still, in damp conditions (see Condensation below) I found it was hard to avoid bumping against the ceiling while sitting up to change clothes. Sitting with my feet outside the door to put my shoes on, I tended to bump the roof unless I slouched a bit, which made it hard to tie the shoes.

Camping by myself, I had plenty of room for all my equipment inside the tent. There was enough room at the foot of my sleeping bag to keep it from blocking the rear window, while there was still room at the front to store small items like eyeglasses and a headlight. While I have not actually camped with a second person inside this tent, my adult son and I (both of us on the large size) determined we would have just enough room to be comfortable, although our packs would have to stay outside, our sleeping bags would push towards the side mesh windows, and it would be very difficult to change clothes sitting up.

Weather Readiness:

The front screen door tends to sag just a bit, apparently from the weight of the zipper. This causes a small strip of mesh between the side wall and the zipper to run close to parallel to the side wall (roof) rather than to the front. During one night in a rain storm (1.3 inches overnight), I experienced some rain penetrating the mesh at this point. In the morning, there was a small quantity of water at the front edge of the floor - enough to be annoying, but not enough to soak a bandana while wiping it up.

According to the manufacturer, "The 2004 model of the Europa II has an additional flap of material sewn on the front of the tent and tapering down to the stakes." This is claimed to eliminate heavy rain entering at this point.

I have ordered the new "optional, removable vestibule" which should be available soon. According to the manufacturer, "This vestibule will provide additional privacy, weather protection and protected storage for gear. The vestibule is removable so you can opt to carry it or not depending upon weather conditions. The vestibule will also fit on the existing Europa or Europa II tents. We are trying to design the vestibule to provide the extra protection with out compromising the ventilation of the tent." As this is still in development, I was not able to test the vestibule, but expect it to improve my space in inclement weather.

Because the tent seams are single stitched, it is important to seal them as instructed with a silicone sealer such as SilNet.

The tripod formed with the offset front pole and two front stakes is claimed to reduce sway in high winds. The tent was very quiet in the light breezes I have experienced.

In the morning, I also found I had set up the tent with the rear of the tent in a small swale. Rain water accumulated which rose above my ground cloth and hydrostatic pressure pushed some water up through the floor of the tent where my knees had created pressure. This is just a reminder not to pitch your tent in a puddle, and not a fault of the tent.

Ventilation and Condensation: Other than tarps, this is probably the most airy tent I have ever slept in. With ample mesh on all sides, there is excellent air circulation while being quite protected from rainfall. It is almost like sleeping outside. In spite of dampness on the roof of the tent on a damp morning, I have only on two occasions had any condensation inside this tent, and I do not think any tent would have avoided condensation in these conditions. One time was when the temperature was about 28 F (-2 C) and fog drifted in. I awoke around midnight and sat up, brushing the roof with my sleeping bag and picking up a bit of moisture. The condensation was gone with the fog in the morning. The other occasion was during the rain storm. The ground was already quite saturated from a week of steady rain, and the temperature a moderate 53 F (12 C). I suspect ground moisture condensed on the roof, and with humidity at 100 per cent the condensation was still there in the morning. In neither case did the humidity inside the tent feel greater than that outside, thanks to the great ventilation provided by all the mesh on the tent.

Quality: Other than the repair necessary during my first trip, I have had no problems with the quality of this tent. Six Moon Designs' products are made by people who spend a lot of time with their products on the trail. Ron recently told me, "We're currently reworking our inventory of tents to add additional reinforcements for the pullouts. I want to eliminate the problem you experienced with the stake loop pulling out." (See my Field Report.)

Summary: I am very impressed that Ron has designed a real tent that weighs so little. So far, I have been very comfortable in the Europa II, and expect it will travel with me often. "I really like this tent!"

Note Regarding Model Changes: The tent tested is a 2003 model. I have included information provided by the manufacturer regarding changes which will be made in the 2004 model tent. I have not seen those changes and have not been able to test any claims made about those changes. Therefore, such information is provided for information only.

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Long Term Report

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