Eureka Tetragon 5 Adventure 7-Foot by 5-Foot Two-Person Tent

Other features include a hanging gear loft, two detachable interior storage pockets to keep essential items handy, mesh panels that allow for clip-in accessories, and a center height of 4 feet.

The tent's 7-by-5-foot footprint sleeps 2 people comfortably.

• Seasons: 3
• Sleeps: 2
• Floor size: 7 by 5 feet
• Tent area: 35 square feet
• Pack size: 4 by 25 inches
• Center height: 4 feet
• Minimum weight: 5 pounds, 13 ounces
• Frame: 7.9mm fiberglass
• Vents: 2
• Doors: 1
• Windows: 2
• Walls: 75D polyester taffeta, 800mm coated/uncoated
• Fly: 75D StormShield polyester, 800mm
• Floor: 75D polyester taffeta, 800mm
• Mesh: 50D no-see-um

About Eureka
Although the exact year is unknown, Eureka's long history begins prior to 1895 in Binghamton, NY, where the company still resides today. Then known as the Eureka Tent & Awning Company, its first wares were canvas products--most notably, Conestoga wagon covers and horse blankets for 19th-century American frontiersmen--as well as American flags, store awnings, and camping tents.

The company increased production of its custom canvas products locally throughout the 1930s and early 1940s. The company even fabricated and erected a series of IBM "tent cities" just outside Binghamton, housing thousands of IBM salesmen during the company's annual stockholders meeting, which had outgrown its previous locale. With the advent of World War II and the increased demand for hospital ward tents, Eureka expanded operations and began shipping tents worldwide. Ultimately, upon the post-war return of the GIs and the resultant housing shortage, Eureka turned its attention to the home front during the 1950s by supplying awnings for the multitude of mobile homes that were purchased.

In 1960, renowned explorer Sir Edmund Hillary used Eureka's new and innovative Draw-Tite tent--with its practical, freestanding external frame--in a Himalayan expedition to Nepal (Hillary had climbed to the summit of Mt. Everest only six years earlier). In 1963, Eureka made history during its own Mt. Everest ascent, with more than 60 of its tents sheltering participants during the first all-American Mt. Everest Expedition, where explorers braved fierce 60-plus mph winds and temperatures reached below -20F.

Eureka introduced its legendary Timberline tent in the 1970s, targeting it to backpackers and families. The first to employ the StormShield design, the lightweight, self-supporting backpacking tent became one of the most popular tents in the industry, with sales reaching over 1 million by its 10-year anniversary. Eureka tents have also traveled as companions on other historic expeditions, including the American Women's Himalayan Expedition to Annapurna I in 1978 and the first Mt. Everest ascents by a Canadian and American woman in 1986 and 1988. In recent years, Eureka designed and donated tents to Eric Simonson and his team. The group took two historic research expeditions to Mt. Everest, this time in a quest for truth regarding the 1924 attempted summit of early English explorers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. During the 1999 expedition, the team made history by finding the remains of George Mallory, but the overall mystery remained unsolved. Returning in 2001 to search for more clues, the team found several historical artifacts that are now on display at the Smithsonian.

Amazon.com Tent Guide

Selecting a Tent
Fortunately, there are all kinds of tents for weekend car campers, Everest expeditions, and everything in-between. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Expect the Worst
In general, it's wise to choose a tent that's designed to withstand the worst possible conditions you think you'll face. For instance, if you're a summer car camper in a region where weather is predictable, an inexpensive family or all-purpose tent will likely do the trick--especially if a vehicle is nearby and you can make a mad dash for safety when bad weather swoops in. If you're a backpacker, alpine climber, or bike explorer, or if you like to car camp in all seasons, you'll want to use something designed to handle more adversity.

Three- and Four-Season Tents
For summer, early fall, and late spring outings, choose a three-season tent. At minimum, a quality three-season tent will have lightweight aluminum poles, a reinforced floor, durable stitching, and a quality rain-fly. Some three-season tents offer more open-air netting and are more specifically designed for summer backpacking and other activities. Many premium tents will feature pre-sealed, taped seams and a silicone-impregnated rain-fly for enhanced waterproof camping.

For winter camping or alpine travel, go with a four-season model. Because they typically feature more durable fabric coatings, as well as more poles, four-season tents are designed to handle heavy snowfall and high winds without collapsing. Of course, four-season tents exact a weight penalty of about 10 to 20 percent in trade for their strength and durability. They also tend to be more expensive.

Domes and Tunnels
Tents are broadly categorized into two types: freestanding, which can stand up on their own, and those that must be staked down in order to stand upright. Freestanding tents often incorporate a dome-shaped design, and most four-season tents are constructed this way because a dome leaves no flat spots on the outer surface where snow can collect. Domes are also inherently stronger than any other design. Meanwhile, many three-season models employ a modified dome configuration called a tunnel. These are still freestanding, but they require fewer poles than a dome, use less fabric, and typically have a rectangular floorplan that offers less storage space than a dome configuration. Many one- and two-person tents are not freestanding, but they make up for it with less weight. Because they use fewer poles, they can also be quicker to set up than a dome.

Size Matters
Ask yourself how many people you'd like to fit in your fabric hotel now and in the future. For soloists and minimalists, check out one-person tents. If you're a mega-minimalist, or if you have your eye on doing some big wall climbs, a waterproof-breathable bivy sack is the ticket. Some bivy sacks feature poles and stake points to give you a little more breathing room. Also, if you don't need bug protection and you want to save weight, check out open-air shelters.

Families who plan on car camping in good weather can choose from a wide range of jumbo-sized tents that will accommodate all your little ones with room to spare. A wide range of capacities is also available for three- and four-season backpacking and expedition tents. Remember, though, the bigger the tent you buy, the heavier it will be, although it's easy to break up the tent components among several people in your group. It's also helpful to compare the volume and floor-space measurements of models you're considering.