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MSRP:  $250.00 US

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Report Preview:

I have now used the Europa II on three separate trips.  Based upon this limited experience, I can safely report that the Europa II is very compact and extremely light for a two person tent.  No shelter that I own even compares in those two categories.  I can comfortably sleep in the Europa II with all of my gear and have room to spare.  It would be tight quarters for two adults and their gear.  Given the ongoing drought conditions in South-eastern Idaho, I have not had the opportunity to use the Europa II in extremely wet weather.  However, based upon my experience to date, the Advanced Condensation Management system in the Europa II does eliminate water build-up inside the tent in most circumstances. The tent material is very slick which makes it difficult to roll up and stuff.  Unless it is pitched on fairly level ground, the material also tends to facilitate sleeping bag slippage toward the low end of the tent.  The mesh door on the Europa II does not promote privacy.  Finally, movement inside the Europa II without contacting the tent material is not easy given its design.

Field Report:

Specifications:


According to Six Moons Designs, the low rear hoop was designed to allow "wind flow over and around the tent, reducing shuddering, while still being high enough to keep the canopy off your sleeping bag."  (See photograph below).


Although I have not yet had the opportunity to use the Europa II in the high winds so common here in South-eastern Idaho, I have noticed that the tent only slightly fluttered during the mild winds I did encounter.   I also discovered that the Europa II sagged about midway between the rear hoop and the front door.  It did not sag enough to contact my sleeping bag but there was also no weight from snow or rain on top of the tent either.  This is another aspect of the Europa II that I will continue to monitor for the long term report.

I next used the Europa II in October when we camped with the Scouts at Twin Bridges near the South Fork of the Snake River.  The temperatures were mild.  I found a much more level spot for the tent.  Again, I had no difficulty pitching the Europa II.  Prior to retiring for the evening, we had a number of other visitors from other Scout Troops who had to spend a few minutes checking out the eye catching design of the Europa II.  Given the milder temperatures, I attached the "outer wing gull" on the windward side of the tent to a nearby bush so as to open up the venting capabilities of the Europa II.  I had a very restful evening in the Europa II and found absolutely no condensation on the inside walls of the tent.  Taking the tent down was easy but when rolling up and attempting to stuff the Europa II, the slippery material kept trying to squirt out of the roll and out of my hands.  However, once placed in the stuff sack, the Europa II is very compact and can be easily packed in my Nimbus Ozone along with my other gear.  (See photograph below.)


My last outing with the Europa II was in November near the South Fork of the Snake River closer to Idaho Falls at about 4,549 feet (1,386 m) in elevation.  The weather was much more unsettled on this outing as we had snow flurries and cold temperatures.  By bed time, the temperature was 26° F (-3.33° C) and the tent was already covered in frost.  I was able to pitch the tent on a very flat surface and slept very comfortably.  Although I noticed the wind gusting through the tent from time to time during the night, I doubled up my sleeping bags by placing my Mountainsmith Wisp inside my Golite Fierce.  I also slept on a 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick soft foam pad.  I was warm and comfortable to the point that I didn't want to get up at 6:45 a.m. the next morning to help fix breakfast!  However, upon attempting to arise, I found a fairly thick layer of frost inside the tent across most of the solid fabric.  It began to feel like it was snowing inside the tent every time a part of my body contacted the frosted surface.  This was especially true and especially annoying while I was trying to get dressed. 

I decided to check out the other tents to see if they had been similarly affected by the frost.  The first tent was a four person dome tent with a rainfly and no uncovered mesh.  Upon inquiring of the occupants as to whether they had frost inside their tent, they quickly confirmed that they had no frost inside their tent.  I began to postulate theories as to why the two tents differed in this regard.  After letting me ramble for several minutes, one of the Scouts finally laughingly added that "perhaps the difference was because they had turned on a tent heater before they got out of bed!"  After polietly thanking them for their helpful comments, I checked on the next tent.  It was a three person dome tent with a rain fly that covered an open mesh top.  After first learning that these true Scouts had not used a tent heater, they advised me that there was moisture in the mesh but no frost.  I noticed, however, that the exterior of the rainfly was covered with frost.  It appeared that the moisture in the mesh was due to condensation.  Based upon this investigation, I was left with the conclusion that the open mesh door on the Europa II allowed the interior of the tent to become covered with frost as the moist air coming off the river contacted the cold tent material.  With the cold temperatures, I had to roll up and stuff the Europa II still covered in frost.  While the task was more difficult and slippery than usual, I was able to stuff the tent in the sack and place it back into my pack.  After I arrived home, I hung the Europa II in the garage and it was dry by the following morning.

So far, the Europa II is showing no signs of wear (but I am pretty careful with my equipment).  The zipper on the front door continues to function properly and easily.  I am usually with a bunch of other guys and so I'm not generally concerned about the large open mesh door from a privacy stand point.  However, in mixed company, this feature could prove to be a bit inconvenient.  I have not been in weather sufficient to test the ability of the cantilevered open door design to protect the user from blowing or hard rain.  Nevertheless, at this juncture, I am very impressed with the Europa II as a warmer season backpack tent.  It is extremely light weight and very compact.  It is designed to take advantage of the cool evening breeze by providing the user with cooler temperatures at night and less condensation in the morning.  The jury is still out on whether I will continue to take the Europa II with me on winter outings.

Improper Set-Up:

While the Europa II is not difficult to erect, it can be set-up improperly.  The user should review the Six Moon Designs web site section on how to properly pitch the Europa II.  The front pole needs to be adjusted to give the tent canopy the proper slope.  Additionally, the gull wings on each side should not be pulled too tight.   If the tent appears to have a broken back (see photograph below), the tent has been pitched improperly.  The tent should look more like the picture at the top of this report.


Future Testing Plans:

For the long term report, I plan to use the Europa II on at least one more serious winter campout.  I will be snowshoeing into Harriman State Park in December.  In January we will do an overnight cross-country skiing trip at Kelly Canyon and I will likely build snow shelters in February in the Island Park or Warm River area.  I would like to see how well the Europa II handles a serious Idaho wind/snow storm on one of those trips.  I am interested in seeing how well the rear hoop pole handles the stress.  I am also interested in how much more sag there is in the middle of the tent with some weight from snow or rain.  I plan to continue experimenting with the "outer wing gulls" to regulate circulation inside the tent.  Given the right weather, I would like to see just how much protection the cantilevered front door design actually provides to the tent's user.  I also plan to try tying the front door out to a tree instead of using my walking stick just to see if there are any advantages or disadvantages to that set up.  I will continue to look for signs of wear and tear as well.