If you are looking for a new tent, and want a lot of features without spending a lot of money, the Sunrise 3 tent from Eureka should be first on your list. This 3 person, 3 season tent is new to their 2015 line, and is aimed at campers looking for a tent that is easy on the wallet, full of features, and also easy to set up and take down.
Eureka’s Sunrise series of tents includes models that sleep 3,4,5, or 6 people. Made with the recreational camper in mind, this group all shares the same features, and differ only in size. So although Eureka provided us with the Sunrise 3 for review, keep in mind that all the details (other than the 7 x 7 foot floor size) carry over to the other models.
Construction:
Walls – 75D 190T polyester taffeta, 1200 mm
Fly – 75D 190T polyester taffeta, 1200 mm
Floor – 210D polyester oxford, 1200 mm
Mesh – 40D polyester no-see-um
Setup is easy, even if you don’t like to read instructions. Lay the tent out, pop the fiberglass rods together, and feed one through the top loop of fabric. The ends fit into the corner grommets, and there are plastic clips that snap on at about one foot intervals. Do the same with the other rod, and you’re nearly done. The fly is not a full fly, but it only takes about two minutes to attach in much the same manner. A pair of shorter fiberglass rods fit into pockets stitched on either end. Start at the orange corner, to index it to the tent. Total time for one person to set up the tent with the fly was about 8 minutes.
Inside, you can attach the E!luminate panels, which are shiny silver, and reflect light from a hanging lantern back down into the tent. That’s more light than I prefer, but if you want a lot of light, it’s a big improvement over just a lantern. Attach the Eureka! Media Center, and you have a handy place to store all your odds and ends, plus you can watch a movie on your tablet or similar device. Two vents just above the floor let cool air in, and vents at the peak of the roof let hot air out. This only works when the people in the tent agree on what is comfortable. I would open everything for the most airflow, and as soon as I was asleep, my son would close it all back up. This was in temps from a high of 78 down to a nighttime low of 44, with a fair amount of humidity.
At 9 pounds, 11 ounces, this is not a backpacking tent (although we did pack it a fair distance). A good chunk of that is the 9.5mm fiberglass poles. Aluminum would save a lot of weight, but the Sunrise series is more about car camping and value, so the poles are made to be durable, rather an light. If you don’t need the fly, leave the shorter poles at home and save a bit of weight. Either way, I could see this as a good fit for new parents who are comfortable sharing a tent with a small child, or for the cyclist who is spending a night or two camping while exploring via MTB during the day, and wants to keep their bike inside. And it’s certainly a nice tent for couples who like a little extra room. There is plenty of room for two people plus gear, or three, and a bit of gear. In other words, it’s a 2-3 person tent that could actually fit that many people. I spent a few days camping with my family, and my son and I shared this tent. We had a large pack plus a bulky camera bag, yet there was still plenty of space between us, so much that he really had to reach to hit me when I started to snore. If there was one complaint, it’s that the low 4′ 7″ ceiling made getting in and out a bit of a struggle for me, but that may have had more to do with carrying 20+ pounds of photo gear on my back for most of the day. But like all Eureka products, you seem to get more than you pay for, and it’s made to last. This is in line with their commitment to making time spent outdoors more affordable. If you’re looking for a tent, go to Eurekatent.com to see their full line, which covers nearly every size and budget.
– Brian
I‘d like to thank Johnson Outdoors and Eureka! for providing the Sunrise 3 for this review. Like most people, we have a limit to the funds we can spend on our gear. So to be able to review it, then share that review with our readers, allows us to pay it forward in a way that we hope will benefit everyone.