Eureka - Solitaire AL 1-Person Backpacking Tent

I didn’t know tents still came with fibreglass poles, I haven’t had one with them since the 80s. The three I’ve bought since then (North Face, MEC, Eureka) have all been aluminum. You could probably just replace the poles of your current tent if you like the tent enough.

I have backpacked for weeks and weeks on the AT and elsewhere with a Eureka Solitaire. It is the best solo lightweight tent if you can't spend much, IMO. Kept me comfortable in heavy rain, snow, and once down to 15 deg F on a North Carolina mountain in April. Never noticed bad condensation. Wonderful ventilation on a dry night with the roof retracted, fine enough in rain. I can keep my frameless pack and stuff inside, with shoes in the vestibule. Being older and not-rich, I care about weight and $, not headroom.

>El Capitan 3 Hands down, the best all-around quality tent I've ever had in my life, and it works in pretty much all weather and temps. I've had it a decade now, regular use, and *not a single fucking problem with it*. Broke my heart when I heard Eureka! was closing shop, but managed to buy myself a little 1-man Solitaire AL at a steal of a price.

I have a eureka 1 man tent. It packs small

"Ultralight tent" and $30 don't belong in the same sentence. I'm sure there are Amazon knock offs out there but I wouldn't trust that garbage out on the trail. My 6.5 pound 25 year old REI finally bit it and I didn't have the money for something decent so I bought a Eureka Solitaire Al earlier this year and its passable. Weighs just over 3 pounds and since Eureka is going out of business they can be found for $60-70. It's a long tent but be warned, its a snug fit. You can't sit all the way up in it so getting dressed and undressed was... interesting. 

So I think it's a decent looking tent for such a low price point. If you're hiking the Appalachian trail and doing 20 miles a day, you'd probably want to invest in something lighter, but for little 3-5 mile weekend warrior trips this weight of tent is just fine. If you want something lighter weight and don't mind a little risk of no replacement parts, Eureka tents are going on great sales right now since they just stopped making more tents. This one is 3 lbs 3 oz and if you can find it in the same price range as the Ozark, is another option (do note that you *need* to be able to stake this one in though, the tent is not freestanding) https://www.sportsmans.com/camping-gear-supplies/tents-shelters/tents/eureka-solitaire-al-1-person-backpacking-tent-green/p/1516335?channel=shopping&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiApsm7BhBZEiwAvIu2X4AKb_MjdaKLqSknwG50Ru7YxB5VTltCHWz64Ru1eUKPbHD0F45p3xoCenoQAvD_BwE

I was going to suggest eureka but they stopped production last year. My first backpacking tent. Very affordable, weight was fine split between 2 people. And my goodness, it lasted waterproof and zippers a very long time. Like most, I have bought and resold a few tents over the years but the eureka one remained in my loaner gear through it all. If you see a 2 person eureka, used, for a very low price, grab it and try it out for your first couple of trips

Just like other people have said I'd go freestanding 2 person. I started with a similar tent. Eureka solitaire. Still have it and occasionally get some use. I'd highly recommend the REI half dome 2+ in that price range. Might be just a hair above but it is super solid and quality

It was a great tent up until the fiberglass pole snapped on a trip last year. I camped in it several dozen times before that, and it's been on many trips with me. The tent is still in great shape, so I contacted Eurica and learned that they sell an aluminum set of poles for it. I bought them and they are much sturdier. Not sure what the tent you have came with, but that would be my only recommendation.

I bought a Eureka Solitaire last season and just got a Eureka Midori 1 this Christmas for a bit more headroom. I saw this one on sale and would have jumped on it but I really wanted a 1p tent for solo overnights. They are decent tents for sure, especially at the price point. They tend to review well and are well ventilated and have a rain fly that offers a vestibule for your extra gear, which is a must for wet weather IMO. No need to pack your tent with extra stuff just to keep it out of the rain. Eureka is generally well respected as a brand, although more on the budget-conscious side, so appealing to the mass consumer base vs. the more niche and ultralight backpacking market. As others mentioned, Eureka is ceasing operations but unsure how impactful that is. I’m not a die hard camper so I don’t know if I would be concerned about replacement parts, etc. years down the line. You may wish to check out Eureka’s Midori and Suma lines too as they offer 2p options, and may even be cheaper. Depending on what you’re looking for.