BackpackGearTest.org Review - /reviews/Shelters/Tents/Six Moon Designs Europa II/Michael Wheiler/Initial Report

SIX MOON DESIGNS EUROPA II TENT INITIAL REPORT

By Michael Wheiler

September 17, 2003

Company Information:

Six Moon Designs

Company Web Site: http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/

Product Information:

Product: Europa II Tent

Color: Light Blue

Year of mfg.: 2003

Date Shipped: September 8, 2003

Date Received: September 11, 2003

MSRP: $250.00 US

Biographical Information:

Name: Michael Wheiler
Gender: Male
Age: 47

Height: 5 ft10 in (1.8 m)
Weight: 175 lb (80 kg)

Torso length: 19 3/4 in (50 cm)

Chest measurement: 40 in (102 cm)

Shoulder girth: 49.5 in(126 cm)

Hip measurement: 34 in (86.5 cm)

Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho
E-mail address: jmwlaw@ida.net

Manufacturer Specifications For The Europa II:

Total Weight: 33 oz (935 g) including tent body, rear hoop pole, stuff sack, guylines and six .5 oz (14 g) stakes (not included).
Single wall tent.
Floor space: 35+ square feet
Packed size: Approximately 16.5 x 4.5 in(42 x 11 cm) or 260 cu in.
Canopy and floor material: 1.1 oz Silicone Nylon.
Screens: No-See-Um Netting; approximately 75% of the interior wall space is covered by netting.
Rear hoop pole: Easton Pole 7075 HS shock-corded and pre-bent; maximum length on pole segment is 13.5 in (34 cm).
Front pole: The Europa II sets up using a single hiking stick or pole which is not included or it can simply be tied to a tree.
Rear height (set up): 24 in (61 cm).
Front height (set up): 48 in (122 cm).
Length (set up): 90 in (229 cm).
Rear width (set up): 54 in (137 cm).
Front width (set up): 60 in (152 cm).
Oversized screen door: The front door is made exclusively with netting, i.e., the front door does not have a solid covering and there is no vestibule.
Cantilevered front: The front support pole is set away from the front of the tent creating an angle that shelters the front entry.
Bathtub floor.
Advanced condensation management design: The Europa II uses features of double walled tents in critical areas to manage condensation better.
Two mesh cargo pockets sewn into the side walls.

According to Six Moon Designs, the Europa II is "a true two-person" 33 oz tent. It is touted as a "thinking man's tent" which requires the user to be aware of and understand prevailing wind conditions and weather patterns when setting up the tent so as to orient the Europa II with the rear of the tent facing into the wind. Six Moon Designs also asserts that the Europa II can be used in cold weather conditions.

INITIAL REPORT:

Examination: The Europa II arrived at my home on September 11, 2003 in a small express mail type box. Upon returning home from work to find the box waiting in my bedroom, I immediately opened the box and took the Europa II out of the stuff sack to examine it for damage and/or missing parts. My initial inspection determined that the Europa II arrived in undamaged condition. It looked exactly like the drawings and photographs I had seen on the Six Moons Designs website. I took the Europa II to work and weighed it on our Neopost SE37 digital postal scale. The Europa II and stuff sack weighed in at 1 lb 14 oz (850 g). The stuff sack weighed .5 oz (14 g) and the rear pole weighed 3.8 oz (108 g). The extra stakes I already own and will use with the Europa II weigh .4 oz (11 g). Based upon my review, Six Moons Designs advertised weight of 33 oz (935 g) is accurate. There are six sections of shock corded Easton poles that make up the rear hoop pole. According to my measurements, the total rear pole length when put together is 6 ft 6 in (198 cm).

Initial Impressions and Field Testing Strategy: 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. The tent material is also very slick which makes it hard to roll up without it "squirting" away from me. I am somewhat concerned about my sleeping pad and bag sliding around on the slippery tent floor in the Europa II. As such, I will be careful in trying to find the most level spot possible on which to pitch the tent.

I have already had limited experience with the Europa II during a weekend trip into the Jedediah Smith Wilderness area where we experienced cold and breezy weather conditions but I will report on that experience in my Field Report. During the last week of September I hope to spend a couple of days near Leadore, Idaho. In October and November, the Scouts and I will be camping at different locations near the Snake River. In December the Scouts and I are planning a snowshoeing trek through Harriman State Park. In January, we will be building snow shelters in the Island Park area. Most of these outings, will be in very mountainous terrain--5,500-8,500 foot (1,700-2,600 m) elevation. During these excursions, I will be focusing on testing the durability of the Europa II. Six Moon Designs states that the canopy is made from 1.1 oz Silicone coated Nylon which is "amazingly strong and durable" and the Silicone waterproofing make it "perfectly suited for an ultra-light single wall tent." Given this design, Six Moon Designs asserts that the Europa is a "cold weather" tent. I will be testing the Europa II's design in cold, snowy Idaho Rocky Mountain conditions.

The low hoop end and tripod front support designs intrigue me. I will be checking the durability of the Easton poles and their ability to maintain their shape after several uses. I will also be checking the longevity of the shock-chord after repeated use. South-eastern Idaho is known for its fierce winds--both summer and winter. According to Six Moon 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." The tripod front support pole is designed to be "offset from the front of the tent" to create stability and reduce tent sway. I have spent many nights with tent walls pressed nearly to my face by the prevailing winds. This is an especially difficult problem when the winds are accompanied by rain or snow. If the typical South-eastern Idaho weather holds true, I will be testing how the Europa II handles such situations. In that same vein, I am somewhat concerned about the lack of a solid front door. I will be testing how well the cantilevered front design handles rain and snow storms when properly set up.

In my opinion, single wall tents are problematic in that they have fairly significant condensation problems. As such, I will be closely monitoring the Advanced Condensation Management system in the Europa II and comparing its resulting condensation management with the other tents and hammock I have used. I like the idea of having 75% mesh inside the "lower zone" of Europa II so as to make it more like a double walled tent by providing space between the user and the outer shell. According to Six Moon Designs, this aspect of the design allows for condensation to form on the outer gull wings or on the rear canopy rather than inside the tent. I am very interested in how this design actually works in the field and the draw backs, if any, to having such an open, airy single wall tent.

The Europa II certainly appears large enough to comfortably sleep 2 people or, in my case, myself, my gear, and my dog without too much concern about touching the interior of the tent. It also appears to be large enough for me to sit up inside the tent and not contact the top of the tent. However, I will be reporting on just how "roomy" the Europa II is in my next report.

Six Moon Designs claims that the Europa II is "extremely easy to set up" and can be set up in under two minutes. While I generally am not in a hurry to set up my shelter, I would like to know that the shelter can be set up quickly if necessary due to inclement weather. As such, after a few practice runs, I will be testing the length of time it takes me to set up the Europa II. Additionally, I do camp at least once a month during the winter. I prefer a free standing tent due to the hassles of staking in the snow and/or frozen ground. I will be testing just how easily the single rear hoop, single front pole with guy line Europa II sets up in the snow and cold.

It also appears from the Six Moon Design website that by simply tying the front guyline to a tree, the Europa II can be set up without using the front pole and I will experiment with that option. Given the various trips planned, the site characteristics used for pitching the Europa II will vary greatly and it will certainly receive the inevitable wear, tear, stress and strain of accompanying a guy, a dog, and a bunch of Boy Scouts into the woods.

Additional Biographical Information:

Experience: I have about 37 years of hiking, camping and backpacking experience; my father was a professional Scouter and took us camping/backpacking as often as possible. I am currently a Scoutmaster and camp, hike or backpack at least monthly--more frequently if at all possible (it really helps to have cool stuff that I "have to test!"). I also spend time camping with my family--more in the summer and about once during the winter months but I am working on changing my daughters' perspectives on winter camping.

Current Area of Outdoor Use: Most of my camping occurs in the South-eastern Idaho area but spills over into western Wyoming (Grand Teton National Park) and western Montana. The elevations of the areas I frequent generally range from 5,500 feet (1.6 km) to 8,500 feet (2.6 km) above sea level. The weather in South-eastern Idaho is fairly typical of a high desert plain. Winters are usually cold sometimes reaching -20 degrees Fahrenheit (-29 Celsius). Snow depths vary greatly but are generally over 10-12 feet (3-4 m) in most of the areas where we camp and snowshoe. Springs can be moderately wet and cold. Summers are typically dry and warm (80 to upper 90 degrees Fahrenheit (27-32 Celsius) though this year we have seen temperatures over 100 Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) with occasional thunderstorms. Fall weather is actually the best--crisp mornings, warm afternoons and cool evenings with little moisture.

Backpacking Style:

Until a couple of years ago, I would have been classified as a "traditional" backpacker. I am in a transition stage with regard to my backpacking style. Ever since joining BackpackGearTest I have been learning about the lightweight and ultra-lightweight backpacking styles. As a result, I am really trying to cut down on my total pack weight. I used to carry a pack weighing around 60 pounds (27 kg). I now carry a pack weighing around 40 pounds (18 kg) and wonder why it took me so long to figure out that I didn't need to carry everything I owned! The Europa II should be very helpful in my continuing quest for a lighter pack.

Other Shelters I Own: I own a number of other tents/shelters, including a GoLite Hex 2--a two to three person shelter (see report series on BGT at http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Shelters/Tarps%20and%20Bivys/GoLite%20Hex%202%204-Season%20Shelter/Michael%20Wheiler/); a Hilleberg Akto solo tent (see report series on BGT at http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Shelters/Tents/Hilleberg%20Akto%20Tent/Mike%20Wheiler/); an REI Half Dome two person tent; a Walrus Arc 2--a two person four season tent; and a Lawson hammock.

My thanks to BGT and Six Moon Designs for offering me the opportunity to test the Europa II.

Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Six Moon Designs Europa II > Michael Wheiler > Initial Report

Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Six Moon Designs Europa II > Michael Wheiler > Initial Report