We are a family of five (I'm pregnant with fourth), with kids too little to be in their own tent. We are torn between the North Face Trailhead 8 and the Eureka Titan. Have heard the Titan's floor is thin and poorly made. My husband is tall, so he likes the idea of being able to stand in , plus the ventilation of the Eureka.
Anyone have any suggestions/experience to help us?
Just read an article on "family tents" in a magazine last night and cannot for the life of me remeber the name...anywho, they awarded first place to a tent by Cabela's as being the least expensive, best constructed and most user freindly...it beat out brands from Keitly, Eureka, LL Bean, and Coleman.
coolcamp wrote: Just read an article on "family tents" in a magazine last night and cannot for the life of me remeber the name...anywho, they awarded first place to a tent by Cabela's as being the least expensive, best constructed and most user freindly...it beat out brands from Keitly, Eureka, LL Bean, and Coleman.
I think for serious camping (meaning being out in all kinds of weather), you can't beat the selections from Cabela's.
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I've had 5 Eureka tents over the years. I currently have the Eureka Condo along with backpacking weight tents (Eureka, REI, Kelty). I've always liked the bang for the buck I get with the Eureka brand.
I've never had a floor wear out (any brand). I've poked a hole in one which was easily patched. Some folks place a tarp under/on top of the floor to further protect it.
My question is whether the floor is a bathtub design or not and if you have a full coverage rainfly. There are less water intrusion points if a bathtub design is used and the full coverage rainfly does a better job of keeping wind driven rain from penetrating.
First. Lightweight floors don't translate to poor quality. The floor of the Copper Canyon is thin and light, but certainly not weak. Carbon fiber is light, but many times stronger than steel.
Now, which tent? They are not really in the same category. Look at the differences. The TH8 has a full coverage fly and the Titan doesn't. That means the TH8 will offer better protection from the elements and will extend your potential camping season. In fact, North Face advertises it as a 3.5 season tent. Which means prety much any weather except snow storms. The Titan has more circulation and will be a little cooler in those hot summer months.
You live in Mass, right? Which I think means you probably won't be tent camping in any other season besides Summer, so a full coverage rain fly won't be much of a benefit. Here in So Cal where the temps are pretty tolerable all year round, we are able to tent camp any time. In the winter I'd much prefer the TH8 because, althougth them temps aren't too bad, the winds are incredible. But, I'd prefer the Titan in any other season. I know, not much help.
As to the design, the TH8 is more of a semi-dome style which means you lose headroom as you near the walls. The Titan is a cabin style so the walls are more upright providing more headroom. But, those vertical walls are less stable in the wind. Still, the cabin style is much more roomy and comfortable than a dome (we own both styles).
You have three kids with one on the way. That's a lot of people and gear in one tent. Take a look at the Eureka Copper Canyon 1512, also. But if you are going to camp in more extreme weather, then the North Face is the way to go. My personal choices for a family of 5+ would be:
April to October - Eureka 1512
November to March - Cabelas XWT. But then, our winter camping is in the desert where the winds are always 20mph and sometimes as much as 50-60.
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Thanks for all the responses, great to get feedback!
Vapor Trail, thanks for turning me on to the Copper Canyon... any idea why it's bigger than the Titan, but more than a $100 cheaper? That raises my suspicions, any ideas? At any rate, it has become a serious contender.
You are right, we only will camp in Summer. Nights can be 57 F... I'm just wondering if, with its mesh roof, it would be too cool for the kids. Just trying to consider every angle... this is my husband and my first foray back to any semblance of camping since we had our first, and I want it to be successful!
Thanks for all your help, and if anyone has further/new advice, I'm all ears.
If I had to guess, the Titan has a more durable floor, more complicated stitch patterns in the windows and aluminum tent poles vs. the Copper Canyon's steel. Still, according to their website the Titan is $160 (msrp) more expensive than the Copper Canyon.
Give them a call and ask. When we bought our Eureka tent I called their customer service department to ask some questions. It was that phone call that sold me. They were great on the phone and helped a lot picking the right tent for our needs.
Too cold? Hmm. Probably not considering your winters. My four year old daughter and I spend the night in our Copper Canyon 10 last Fall in the mountains. The temp dropped to the low 50's / high 40's and we were cozy. The air inside was a little chilly, but inside our sleeping bags we were fine. But, then both of us do like to sleep a bit cool. The other daughter and my wife like it warm. Go figure. Again, call Eureka and see what they have to say.
I've been thinking about getting a Copper Canyon myself, but I'm a little concerned about stability. I camp primarily on the beach and the wind can pick up pretty fast. Are cabin style tents prone to collapsing in the wind? I'm also considering the Eureka Tetragon 1610, but I hate to give up the headroom if I don't have to. Any thoughts?
My experiences are only with the 10x10 version. But should be applicable to other cabin style tents. We camp in the desert in Winter & spring when the winds are howling. Our Copper Canyon is not ideal, nor is any high wall tent, but it did hold up.
When we camp in the wind, and use this tent, we use all eight guyout points. I've noticed the Titan has guyout points on the side walls as well as the corners. That would be agreat addition to the Copper Canyon. Still, if you guy it out well enough, the Copper Canyon will hold up in pretty strong winds.
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