Great Buy!, 8/12/2008
Reviewer: Brad (Cartersville, GA)
we've had several tents in the past...most recently wenger and eddie bauer. very happy with both (especially considering the prices we paid) but recently found ourselves in need of a new family tent.
after looking at everything (cabela, coleman, wenger, kelti, you name it), we decided on this eureka copper canyon 1512...can't recommend it enough. we are a family of 6 and had more than enough room for 4 sleeping bags, a queen size air mattress (the only way my wife will go!) and room for gear/changing.
first trip out and set up was a breeze. the only thing that was a little tricky the first time was the awning. as with any tent, don't rely on the stakes provided. always buy some real ones, but that being said, this tent went up in about 35 minutes...including fly.
very good air circulation, even when the windows were zipped 3/4. we had some rain on two different days and not a drop in the tent...although i did seal the seams ahead of time.
at $300, i find it safe to say there's not a better deal on the market.
a plug for moab - this was my first experience with them. they had as good or better pricing than anyone else...delivered exactly what they promised...and the order actually arrived a day earlier than scheduled. will definitely buy from them again.
happy camping!
Nice tent, 8/12/2008
Reviewer: Brad (Evansville, IN)
I have had the opportunity to use this tent 3 times this year, each for two-night camping trips. The first time I used it was in high winds (probably 30-40 mph). The tent was pretty difficult to set up in the gusty wind, especially since it was the first time I had ever set it up. The tent swayed quite a bit, even with the guy wires tied off, but the next morning it hadn't suffered any damage or had anything come loose.
The second time I used it, it stormed for several hours, with an absolute downpour of rain for quite a while. The tent stayed totally dry except for about 5 drops in the center of the tent (from a seam in the awning). Given the amount of rain we had, and the fact that I had not applied any deam sealer, I think that was pretty impressive.
The third trip was great weather, finally. By this time, I could set the tent up by myself in about 20 minutes and take it down in 25 minutes. The first time you set it up, the collection of shock-corded tent poles of various colors and sizes is somewhat intimidating. However, it quickly becomes second-nature to set up the tent.
My oldest son (4 years old) and I have been the only ones using this 12-person tent, which was by design so he could have lots of room to play inside if the weather were to turn bad. The interior divider is nice, and allows us to use one side as a bedroom and the other as a multipurpose room. We fit both a queen and a twin sized air mattresses into one side of the tent and had lots of room left over on that side. Three twin mattresses would probably be about the limit for my comfort, though.
Ventilantion is good, and the power ports (zippers to allow entry of an extension cord) are really handy. I never did figure out how to use the gear loft, and the instructions never mentioned it.
The only downsides are as follows, but they are minor:
- This thing is heavy.
- Folding it back up to fit into the carrying bag is mildly difficult - far from impossible, but it involves a mild degree of frustration.
MoabSports had the best price by far, even surpassing Amazon by quite a bit when I bought mine. Shipping was fast. Also, the tent came with a mail-in rebate from Eureka to receive a free matching sleeping bag. I kid you not, the sleeping bag was delivered to me in less than a week from when I mailed in the form. If that was any indication of the level of service Eureka provides, I'm feeling pretty comfortable with knowing I bought the right tent.
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