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Eureka!
Autumn Wind 3XD
A 3 man tent with lots of headroom
©
Outdoor Adventure Canada
Exposed on a ridge 30 feet above a large lake was the where this
3 person tent showed its true colors. We were on our annual fall
canoe trip in northern Ontario when half way through our voyage
inclement weather began to roll in. As always, I seem to attract
stormy weather.
Even though I had only
set the tent up twice I was confident that we would still to make
camp before the skies opened up. Our site was not what we would
have considered an ideal spot as it was very high and offered
little shelter from the wind and rain; however, we were quickly
running out of options. Pitching the tent was still fairly easy
even in the wind that was really starting to pick up.
 The
tent has a very large main door and is supported by three poles.
The tent has quite a bit of no-see-um netting which made me think
it would be great without the fly on a starry night. No star watching
for us as the rain had started leaving splat marks on the mesh.
Fitting the fly was straight forward, unlike some tents where
back and front are not so easily established - a substantial vestibule
on the end door makes it a no-brainer.
Looking at the large
end door from the inside you realize how big the vestibule really
is. It was so spacious that when we decided to break camp - it
was still raining the next morning - I was able to crouch in the
vestibule with my 115 liter pack and still maneuver enough to
load most of my gear while protected from the elements.
 The
walls of the tent span sharply upward making the interior very
spacious. A smaller side door made the late night escape to the
privy more convenient especially with the vestibule full of gear.
The added protection of taped seams, 1500mm coating on the fly
and 2000mm on the floor kept us dry. The pounding rain and heavy
winds kept at us all night and gradually switched to a cold bone
drenching drizzle for two days. The Autumn Wind 3XD handled the
bad weather well. We stayed comfortably cozy and were thankful
for the extra space.
With a compression
sack we were able to keep the size to a minimum and at a full
weight of 8 pounds this tent wasn't a back-breaker. If you wish
to split the load by having someone else carry the pegs and poles
then this three person tent will weigh in at a mere 7 pounds 4
ounces.
For more
information about other Eureka models, please go to: www.eurekatentscanada.com.
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