Eureka Spitfire 1 or Bilgy Tent

Anyone have any experience with either of these? There wasn't much in the archives.

A friend of mine recently bought the Eureka Spitfire 1 (who thinks up these names?) and likes it so far, and the price is pretty good. A Tarptent Moment would be preferable, but not in my budget.

I have enough silnylon and mesh to make a Bilgy tent or similar...just not sure I want to. I really like the idea of the side entry on the Eureka.

I have a Ray-Way style tarp and net tent, and it's light enought to use solo. I find it a little fussy to set up, though, or maybe I'm just tired of it

I have made a bilgy (single) shelter a long time ago (actually the first taptent pattern I ever used, I normally make my own...)But I couldn't get used to it. The front entrance was too narrow with the central pole, and the shelter felt too low. Side entries are much more convenient.
I think I recycled the fabric into other pieces of gear, finally...

I own a spitfire, it was my first tent when I got into bp-ing. I've had zero problems with the thing really. Pretty easy setup, decent ventilation w/ the peak vent, decent amount of room at mid-tent for pack, etc., and the materials are all pretty beefy compared to my contrail (obviously). It's not super light, but it's not obscenely heavy, and as far as I was concerned, was a pretty decent value for what it is/cost.

Only real "problem" I had with it, was that sometimes I'd shift towards one end of the tent, resulting in either my feet pushing on the mesh, or my face really close to the mesh/fly. One resulted in cool feet, the other resulted in condensation. Dotting or striping the floor with some silicone probably could have prevented that, but there's definitely not much wiggle room for tall individuals in there. I'm 5' 11" at best, and there wasn't much room for error before I was touching one end, especially if I was on a thick inflatable pad.

If you have the material, check out the tent I made---it's on our website under equipment. We like it a lot, and it was designed to be roomy enough for my wife to feel comfortable.

Eureka Spitfire will keep you dry from storms, but probably soak you from condensation, as it is very airtight...lots of complaint about that on some of the message boards

We have a Eureka Apex that we like a lot---and the Pinnacle Pass also might work, and is lighter.

I feel it's pretty ignorant to call the spitfire airtight, especially if you're basing that entirely on internet forum hearsay...it's no more or less airtight than any other double walled solo tent. If you're in calm conditions, you're going to see mild condensation, but I've used mine from warm summer nights to sub-freezing conditions, and have never noticed "bad" condensation by any means. The worst of it was when mild to moderate condensation built up on the nylon reinforcements that stretch out the netting at the nose of the tent...all told, the condensation buildup would not have amounted to more than 2-3 drops. If that's enough to be "soaked" you have other problems.

I know nothing about tents, but I think you ground dwellers are courageous to sleep on the ground.

Please feel free to attack what someone says, but not the person. Attack the message and not the messenger.

Thank you, carry on.

Thanks, Food.

My feelings are not hurt. :^).

And while I am happy that TaM has not had problems with condensation, I think that may depend on who camps where, and when!

I didn't think I should have to diagram the sentence for people to understand that I was not calling anyone names, rather asserting that forming a conclusion based on hearsay is, by definition, ignorant. If I ruffled any feathers, consider this my apology.

If he had said he himself woke to a condensation rainstorm while in such a tent, I'd simply be curious as to the circumstances. I have personally never heard of many people having such extreme condensation problems as balzaccom alluded to, but again with the hearsay.

The bottom line in my experience, for the coin, the spitfire is a solid little tent, especially for an entry-level user. Is it as complete, lightweight, and well thought-out as its double, triple, or quadruple priced brethren? Nope, it would be priced similarly if it were.

I couldn't find it on your site, other than one picture in the "tents" section. Did you at one time have some instructions for it, or am I confusing you with someone else?

The one in the pic looked like a similar concept to the Bilgy tent, and I was figuring to just make something similar and not use the actual Bilgy pattern. I think the inner part is a bit too narrow for my liking. I do want to use dedicated poles rather than my trekking poles, giving me the option of not taking the poles or using the trekking poles while the tent is set up (sticks not always available.)

I don't think condensation would be a big problem, although I can imagine some condensation forming at the head and foot end of the vertical part of the "bathtub" floor. The rest is mesh, so probably any condensation would form on the fly and not be much of a bother. I think. It looks as though you could get some wind-driven rain coming in through that top vent, whether it was closed or not.

HI Billk

I don't have plans for the tent, just photos. It's really very simple--a single sheet of waterproof riptstop forms both the floor and the roof (and the wall at the foot of the tent) ..and then I sewed in the bug neeting for the rest.

But just to clarify a bit more on this discussion. On two separate occasions, I have had condensation in THIS tent. Once it was particularly serious, on a hike in Henry Coe Park in the Coast Range in January. Admittedly, everything I could see in the morning was covered with condensation--trees, grass, logs--my tent. But in the Sierra, that has NEVER been a problem.

Which only goes to show that it really depends where and how you use your tent!

Given taM's very different experience, I would suggest you check with some folks who have used these tents where you are going to camp--I assume in Oregon? That would be your best guide to work will work there.

I couldn't find the above mentioned homemade tent as listed under "equipment", and wasn't sure what "equipment" actually referred to.

balzaccom

Do you have a couple other pictures of that tent you made?

I'm about ready to carve up a Eureka 11x11 family camping tent and make a tarp for taking my three kids out with me, but what you have sounds better and it also seems like it would assuage my wife's fears about losing kids in the middle of the night from under a tarp.

I was going to go with a Timberline, but I'm realizing that I'm pushing my maximum limit for weight (carrying all the gear, you see) and I want to lighten up a bit and take the kids.

Steadman

Here are a few more shots of the tent:

http://picasaweb.google.com/balzaccom/HIteCove2010#5451470271589451746

http://picasaweb.google.com/balzaccom/BoundaryLakeYosemite09#5365884113797083170

http://picasaweb.google.com/balzaccom/BoundaryLakeYosemite09#5365884149951025426

http://picasaweb.google.com/balzaccom/BoundaryLakeYosemite09#5365884076254249554

As you can see, I tacked on a narrow border of extra material around the edge of the roof, so that I had a little more overhang...but it's pretty basic.