Eureka! Copper Canyon 1312 Eight-Person 13- by 12-Foot Family Tent

Featuring vertical walls for maximal internal space, this 13-foot x 12-foot (156 square feet) freestanding cabin-style tent accommodates up to eight campers on cots. The tent includes a removable curtain so it can be divided into two rooms as well as being configured as a single room. Two D-shaped doors with side flaps permit private entry into each room and have large #8 zippers with covers for durability and rain protection. Six large zippered mesh windows open for visibility and airflow and close for privacy. Toggles keep window flaps off the floor and out of the way. A detachable awning shades the front. A fly with clear-panel skylights permits stargazing and includes pockets for storing storm guyouts when not in use. A port allows an extension cord (not included) to be run into the tent. A sweep-out point facilitates housekeeping. A hanging gear-loft supplies convenient storage.

Made of 1200mm, 75D polyester, the tent has nine steel and fiberglass poles that slip into sleeves during setup. Frame clips and ring-and-pin assemblies also facilitate setup. Mesh screens out insects as small as no-see-ums. The tent weighs 37 pounds and has a center height of 7-foot-3.

Eureka! tents' standard design features include bathtub-style floors that wrap up the sides to keep water out; nickel sliders and self-healing zippers; and factory-taped major seams to seal out weather.

Key Details:

The spacious Copper Canyon 1312 tent offers 156 square feet of room for sleeping and storage.

• Floor Size: 13 x 12 feet
• Pack Size: 10 x 28 inches
• Center Height: 7' 3"
• Minimum Weight: 37 pounds
• Tent Area: 156 square feet
• Seasons: 3
• Sleeps: 5-6
• Doors: 2
• Windows: 6
• Wall Fabric: 75D polyester taffeta, 1200 mm
• Fly Fabric: 75D StormShield polyester, 1200 mm
• Floor Fabric: 75D polyester taffeta, 1200 mm
• Mesh Fabric: 68D no-see-um
• Frame: 12.65 mm fiberglass and 19.5 mm steel

About Eureka!
Though the exact year is unknown, Eureka's long history begins prior to 1895 in Binghamton, New York, 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 nineteenth 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 during the 1940 and even fabricated and erected the IBM "tent cities" just outside Binghamton. The seven acres of tents housed thousands of IBM salesmen during the company's annual stockholders meeting, which had since outgrown its previous locale. In the 1940s, 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, Eureka's new and innovative Draw-Tite tent, with its practical, free standing external frame, was used in a Himalayan Expedition to Nepal by world renowned Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person documented to summit 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 from fierce 60+ mph winds and temperatures reaching below -20°F during the first all American Mt. Everest Expedition.

For backpackers and families, Eureka introduced its legendary Timberline tent in the 1970s. Truly the first StormShield design, this completely self-supporting and lightweight backpacking tent became one of the most popular tents the entire industry with sales reaching over 1 million by its ten year anniversary.

Eureka tents have also traveled as part of several 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 history, tents specially designed and donated by Eureka sheltered Eric Simonson and his team on two historic research expeditions to Mount 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 finding the remains of George Mallory, but the complete mystery remained unsolved. Returning in 2001 to search for more clues, the team found amazing historical artifacts which 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 take 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 waterproofness.

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 floor-plan that offers less storage space than a dome configuration. Many one and two-person tents are not freestanding, but they make up for it by being more lightweight. 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.

Customer Review: Love this tent!
Also am new to the 'family' tenting vacation. Have done a lot of tent camping as a single person many many years ago so this is a new experience for me. As with many of the other reviewers, I based my decision on online research and other reviewers opinions. Took the plunge with this tent and 'so far' couldn't be happier. We did as most people recommended, read the instructions first, then pulled everything out of the box and sorted the poles then started assembling. From the time it took us to lay out the bungy poles to finally pegging down the tent it took a maximum of 20 mins for husband to have it up (with the help of our little 5 yr old). Will definately be able to set it up faster second time around (and with out the help of our little one :-). Definately am glad that we did not try it for the first time in the dark but am sure if you are used to putting up large tents it wouldn't be a problem, very easy. Slept in it for the one night and just LOVED the open screened roof. Gave a fantastic uninterrupted view of the stars. Don't know what it is like in wind and a bad rain storm but so far we are very happy with our purchase and can't wait to go camping in it.
Customer Review: Great tent
We set up the the tent in the rain, very easy set up. There was an all night down pour, not a drop of rain in the tent, is was very cold at night used coleman heater to stay warm, because of the size of the tent two heaters were needed. Did O.k. trying to stay warm.. I would recommend this tent to anyone looking for a cabin style (big) tent.

Mexico is a popular destination for weekend or week-long vacations. It offers a change of pace and is just a quick flight away. If you are planning a trip to Mexico, there are several ways that you can cut costs. In fact, if you follow several of these tips, you may even be able to extend your vacation because of the money you've saved.

The first tip has to do with when you choose to travel. A lot of people like to visit Mexico during the Christmas and Easter seasons. These are considered peak times for Mexican tourism, and the hotel owners and other travel vendors know this. There is so much demand that they can raise their prices and still have people clamoring to get bookings.

If you choose to travel at a different time, you can generally get much better rates. Even traveling right after these peak times can result in an instant and significant reduction in travel prices. You'll find major discounts on accommodations in the late spring and early summer. During these times of the year, the tourist spots will be much less crowded and you may even enjoy your vacation more.

You can also save a lot of money by doing a bit of research yourself and planning your own trip. Depending on your travel style and preferences, paying for all-inclusive tours or staying at an all-inclusive resort may actually result in higher costs. Tour companies may add surcharges above and beyond what independent tourists pay for the same food or services. You may even have more fun by traveling independently and picking where you want to go. There are so many guidebooks out there and good resources on the Internet that you can easily be quite familiar with your destination before you arrive.

Another tip for lowering your travel costs is to find out if your destination is a cruise ship port. If it is, you'll want to avoid doing any major shopping or tourist activities during cruise ship days. On the days that the cruise ship docks, prices for certain things in the port city can sometimes increase. If you're going to be visiting during a cruise ship day, plan a low cost activity like a beach day or visiting a museum.

Before you go, you will also need to get familiar with the exchange rate so you can put your spending into perspective. Generally, you can count on one dollar equaling 10 pesos, but make sure to double check that fact when you arrive. Take a small calculator and convert the money on it a few times for practice in your hotel before you venture out to the marketplaces. This way, you'll know exactly how much you are paying for the things that you buy in your terms.

You should become familiar with the local tipping customs, too, so you make sure to properly pay the people you should and not pay the people you shouldn't. For example, cab drivers normally don't expect tips, but it is customary to tip grocery store baggers. Familiarizing yourself with these types of customs can really help you budget and save.

You will also want to check the major travel sites for coupon codes or promotions. When you book flights and hotels together, you can often save. And some online travel sites will occasionally discount Mexico trips still further during specific times of the year. Do an online search for a coupon code before you book to make sure you get the best deal available.

Jamie Jefferson writes for Susies-Travel-Coupons.com, where you can find Coupons for Mexico Vacations. She also contributes to the Travel Deal of the Day Blog.

Wenger Geneva II 11- by 11-Foot Six-Person Two-Room Family Dome Tent

Need more room? Make your "home away from home" this Wenger 2 - room Family Dome! Sometimes bigger is better. Especially when it comes to camping with the family. The more room you have, the less likely you are to tangle... especially if you have a couple of squirelly kids. This 2-room Dome has room for 6 and is loaded with smart features including a gear loft, climate control venting system, e-port cord access, mud mat, shoe pocket and more. Great choice for family or group camping. Details: Size: 11' x 11' x 68"; Area: 106 sq. ft.; Sleeps: 6; Carry Weight: 20 lbs. 10 ozs. Polyester taffeta tent body and ripstop design rainfly with double pass polyurethane coating; Sonic sealed polyethylene floor; Factory taped fly seams for increased weather protection; Fly attaches to tent with side release buckles; Gear loft / organizer holds your keys, glasses, flashlight and other small items off the tent floor, but within reach; Climate Control venting system allows for the hotter air to escape and cooler air to enter your tent for more comfortable sleeping; E-port for convenient electrical cord access; Flex door (1) and Dutch "D" door (1) for easy entry and exit; Color coded frame to tent connections for easy set-up Includes two inside zip bay windows; Mud mat included to attach to ground in front of door to help keep your tent floor clean; Shoe pocket located near front door to hold wet / muddy shoes or boots; Patented hoop fly frame for increased stability and easy entry /
Customer Review: wonderful tent
I have the original Geneva tent and I now bought this one Geneva II for me and my wife and I love it. lots of room, and very easy to assemble. Add the queen size Wenger air bed, a bottle of your favorite beverage a nice fire to sit around that night and guys you can take your woman camping and you both will have a great camping trip! I am sure you can figure out the rest. The tent is very well put together and lots of neat items and designs added.
Customer Review: Happy Camper
Beautiful tent with every ammenity you could want. My buddies named it the Taj Mahal. Be sure to have at least two able-bodied adults to put the tent up. Great buy for the money. We were even able to get it back into the carrying case for easy transport after breaking camp.

Imagine a 5-day guided hiking trip through one of the most biologically diverse mountain ranges in the United States. This multi-day trail hike through the Rogue River-Siskiyou mountain range is so unique that it is scheduled just once in May of 2008. While on the 40-mile trail trek, hikers will literally "walk through" incredibly diverse ecosystems, significant historic sites, and view myriad wildlife.

Scientists have described the Rogue River-Siskiyou wilderness range as one of the most plant diverse eco-systems in the United States-rivaled only by the Great Smokey Mountains. The old and complex geology, the global position and transverse orientation of the Siskiyou Mountain Range, which connects the Northwest's Cascade and Coast Ranges, are responsible for creating this incredible eco-system.

Guided by enthusiastic hiker and Siskiyou trail historian, Jim Jackson, the 5-day, inn-to-inn hiking trip is a unique blend of exercise, biology, history, and, yes, comfort. Hikers leave heavy backpacks with the support rafts that shadow them on the Rogue River below. No tents necessary on this trip. Each night, with the exception of the first hiking night, hikers are welcomed into rustic lodges that provide private cabins, hot showers, and soft beds with fresh linens. Basically, all a hiker on this trail adventure needs is a daypack to carry a water bottle, camera, and perhaps an extra pair of comfy socks.

Jackson was the primary trail guide and organizer for the Sierra Club's Rogue River-Siskiyou wilderness hiking trips for over 10 years. He worked in tandem with Whitewater Warehouse, an outfitter on the Rogue River to stage these incredible hikes. It was through this decade-long experience of running the hiking trips that Jackson's desire to organize his "dream hiking trip" took shape. Planned for early May of 2008, the 5-day lodge-to-lodge hiking adventure meanders through the ecologically rich Rogue River-Siskiyou wilderness.

"This hiking experience is like no other...and I have hiked all over the world," says Jackson. "You walk through all the glories of nature on the Siskiyou trail. The diverse eco-systems are just incredible. Over the 40+ miles, hikers see rocky, dry areas, rainforests that are home to some of the most sensitive plants in the world, eye-popping fields of wildflowers and fragrant wild azaleas lining the riverbanks.

"History is everywhere on this hike. Hikers have a chance to look in on author Zane Grey's Rogue River cabin, view a gold mine near Tyee rapids on the Rogue River where 300 Chinese workers once took one million dollars in gold dust, and discover the where battles for "the territory" were fought between the white man and the Rogue River Indians."

Jackson begins his dream hike with a first evening's stay at Morrison's Lodge. "I think it is a must to stay at Morrison's Lodge the night before the actual trip begins. Gives all the hikers a chance to get to know one another and ask questions about the upcoming hike. The Lodge at Morrison's is not far from the trailhead. The meals are marvelous and served outside on a deck with an expansive view of the river. A serene and relaxing experience to start this incredible adventure."

The actual five-day hike begins at the trailhead of the wild and scenic section of southern Oregon's Rogue River known as Graves Creek. Named after the grave of Martha Leland Crowley, the daughter of a pioneer couple, Martha was buried under an oak tree near the creek in 1846. The first five miles of the trail are somewhat rocky so hikers need to have sturdy hiking shoes/boots. The rocky layers are part of the Rogue-Siskiyou formation. They are a result of lava flows and rocks formed by ancient volcanoes, which were active 140 million years ago. High temperatures and pressure have altered and folded these rocks into nearly a vertical position. Signs of this folding can be seen on the steep canyon walls carved out by the powerful forces of the Rogue River over a period of nearly a million years.

Day one takes hikers 11 miles down the trail. The trail is in very good condition in this first section-three or four feet wide-so hikers feel at ease even though the trail proceeds right along a ledge carved out of the cliff. Views of the river here are excellent. On this section of the trail there are very few trees so it can get extremely hot in July and August-which is why May is such a great time to hike the trail. Whiskey Creek with its historic cabin is the perfect place to take a lunch break. Hikers leisurely stroll across the crystal-clear creek by way of a footbridge and explore the historic cabin while a spectacular riverside lunch is being prepared.

The trail gets narrower in the afternoon and with more afternoon heat. Hikers are happy to be greeted by Whitewater Warehouse's upscale camping accommodations (Black Bar Lodge is closed many evenings in May). An incredible riverside dinner of bourbon-basted Oregon salmon, country biscuits, homemade raspberry jam, and organic green salads await hikers. Cots, sleeping bags, pads, tents are provided. Wine and beer, in moderation, are served with dinner.

The next morning hikers arise to a country breakfast served overlooking the famous Rogue River Horseshoe Bend rapids. The hike to Marial Lodge is a beautiful 13-mile hike. The trail in this section is in fine condition, again in sparse forest, and has fewer up and down sections than the previous stretch. The scenes are as beautiful as the day before, with even more wild flowers, including many "hen and chickens" succulents and gold/brown wild iris. Lunch is near Zane Gray's cabin giving hikers an opportunity to experience history firsthand. The Rogue River Ranch museum is also located on this stretch of the hike-living history is everywhere. Upon arrival at the first riverside lodge, Marial, the friendly caretakers, Pat and Lori Cameron, greet hikers. Private cabins with bathrooms/showers and comfy twin beds await hikers. The Rogue River lodges date back to an era when fly-fishing on the Rogue was en vogue. So the atmosphere is rustic but clean and the food is outstanding.

On morning three, hikers enjoy a leisurely breakfast and head out about 1 p.m. for Paradise Lodge. This is a shortest hiking day-just 5 miles. Once at Paradise, the afternoon can be filled with short hikes around the area (led by Jackson) or spent relaxing at the Lodge. Again, a wonderful dinner and breakfast await hikers with private lodging accommodations. Paradise Lodge has no road access so all supplies are brought in by boat. Even guests must arrive by boat, hike in, or land their airplane there. Paradise has its own grassy field used as an airport, complete with runway markers and a windsock.

Since yesterday was a short hike day, hikers don't tend to be so hungry for breakfast on this morning. Still, it is hard to resist the homemade bread, ham and egg country breakfast buffet. Moving down the trail on the fourth day hikers end up at Clayhill Lodge...a hike day of about 7 miles. This day, below the hiking trail, hikers have bird's eye views of Huggins Canyon and Brushy Bar rapids on the famous Rogue River. Private cabins, snacks, dinner and breakfast are offered at Clayhill. Clayhill Lodge was featured in 2006 on Public Broadcast System (PBS) as an "Adventure Lodge of North America." The series still runs periodically on PBS.

Day five begins as hikers linger over an excellent breakfast and lots of coffee. This section of the trail can have rock slides and downed winter trees. Wear long pants because poison oak can be prevalent here. The canyon is not so narrow here and hikers are quite often away from a view of the river; separated from it by a marshy area. The trail eventually joins a road, paved this time, and it is an approximate 7 miles hike to the take-out. Hikers arrive around 1:30 p.m. and eat a fabulous riverside lunch served by WWW guides. Vans take weary but happy hikers back over the mountain to waiting vehicles parked at Morrison's Lodge.

Joy Henkle has spent two decades as an outdoor writer for magazines, newsletters, websites, and more recently, blogs. Over much of the last decade, her travel expertise has been focused on Oregon's unique and diverse Rogue River region. Visit her at Whitewater Rafting Blog or Whitewater Warehouse