Eureka Tetragon 9 Family 9-Foot by 9-Foot Four-Person Tent

I shopped for months before I bought this tent, and I have few regrets. Our first outing, the overnight thunderstorm and winds were epic in their proportions: 2 inches of rain blew through the forest within 3 hrs. Here in Florida, that’s standard issue for summertime. I had sealed the fly seams, and the rain didn’t penetrate our tent. But we weren’t entirely dry, and here’s the “caveat:” Eureka says you can “leave the window and door open” during rain because of the door/window “hooded fly.” Don’t do it if the rain is blowing because it will blow *under* the hood, through the no-see-um mesh, and dampen your sleeping bag.

Don’t get me wrong: The rain penetration was not due to any manufacturer’s defect; on the contrary–I opened the door and window zippers just a little for ventilation (it was 80 degrees during the storm). But I paid the price.

Buy this reasonably priced, roomy, features-laden tent and enjoy it as we have. Just don’t open the window or door zippers during a heavy storm.
Rating: 4 / 5

In the three weeks I’ve owned this tent, I have tested it three nights, once under heavy rain, and it did not leak. I like the high quality of the tent as well. Seems like a good balance of features and cost.

Because the poles are so long, it is tricky (but not impossible) to set up without help. However, with two people, it was a snap. I doubt anyone’s going to go camping alone in a 9 x 9 tent anyway!

Rating: 5 / 5

I’ve had several Eureka tents & usually I’ve very happy with them, but this one is a disappointment. Even tho the 11mm poles seem sturdy, during a stiff wind on the first time we used it, the poles all splintered, one breaking off completely in the ferrul. And all of the metal sleeves bent. I’ve used other Eureka tents in higher winds & downpours & never had this problem!

The offset door is a pain to use, reaching the zipper while the fly is on is akward. The weather was very hot during the day & the ventilation was poor, making the tent a sauna! At night it was chilly. The use of the gear loft eliminated the valuable headroom.

On a positive note it showed no signs of leaking, but this is pretty well expected with Eureka. The door mat is a nice feature, but needs to be staked down adding something else to trip over. Comes with decent tent stakes, but I always bring extras anyway.

For the money it’s a decent tent, but having to buy all new poles for it after just one use makes it not such a great deal afterall. It’s back to aluminum poles for me!
Rating: 3 / 5