Eureka! Blue Mesa 1610

This was our first tent purchase for our family of five. There are two adults and three children. We reasearched extensively and decided on this tent. We had considered the Titan, but this tent (with almost equal SPACE) was on sale. It also had three rooms. My wife and I fit our queen mattress comfortably in the large center area leaving a 5 x 9 area for dressing etc. You could fit another full size matress here as well. One child lives in one end with a divider, and the other two in the other end. There is ample space in this tent.

I seam sealed the tent prior to its first use; however we took on some water. When I returned home I applied some waterproofing to the lower half and resealed all seams. On our next weeklong trip we took on no water even though it rained 5 of 7 days.

Part of the issue is that the rainfly needs to extend farther over the edges. I believe the manufacturers decided against a larger fly in an effort to allow more airflow. On each side of the tent there is a mesh screen roof. Without the fly there is good circulation; however with the fly the circulation is reduced, again by what I belive to be an error in design. The rainfly is attached in a way which creates a seal over the mesh roof when the rainfly contacts the tent poles on each end. All that is left are two inch openings at the spot where the fly meets the lower edge of the arch formed by the tent. The fly should rest higher off the tent poles simliar to the Titan and other luxury tents Eureka makes.

I overcame this by placing a small piece of plastic tubing about an inch in diamter which raises the fly off the tent somewhat allowing air to flow through the roof. This made a much more comfortable interior and all but eliminated condensation inside.

The tent fits nicely in almost any campsite and we recommend this tent for a family. Have a large tarp ready in case of severe weather.

I have owned the Blue Mesa 1610 for three years now. It has fantastic room, and the blue and off-white colors are great. We have camped with our family of four in the Florida Keys, Rainbow Springs campground, and Ocala National Forest in the tent. It fits two queen size air mattresses with tons of room to spare. The construction is strong and holds up great to wind.

We have not been in this tent in a really big storm, so I can't report on how waterproof it is, or the fly performance. I have seam sealed the tent for the occasion though. The ventilation is the best I have ever had in a tent, with three doors, a rear window and two top vents.

Ok, now the small problems. You have to use two hands to guide the door zippers, or it will get caught…often. Also, although the bathtub nylon floor construction is a great feature, you will want an 8 X 16 floor saver or tarp to protect the floor because it is thin. You will need help guiding the fiberglass rods into the aluminum pegs for setup. However, after you set this tent up once, you will be able to set it up in ten or fifteen minutes the next time. This is a great family tent.

We wanted to upgrade from our Hillary tent that we purchased at Sears 12 years ago. It held up great and is still in good condition, but we wanted a little bit more room. When the three of us are in there with cots, it's a bit tight.

I've always heard people singing the praises of Eureka! tents, so I looked at their line first. I decided the Eureka! Blue Mesa 1610 was going to be our next tent. I ordered one in and I'm sorry to say, I can't keep it. The tent seems very well made, but it is HUGE! My family and I camp mostly in PA and MD state parks which usually have semi-wooded campsites. I will never be able to find a level spot that is 10' x 16'and clear of trees and roots. I'm exchanging it for the Eureka! Sunrise 11 which should work out much better.

This tent is spacious and easy to set up. The Blue Mesa endures high winds nicely as well. This tent does leak quite a bit, even after using two 2oz bottles of seam sealer inside and out. The door flaps do not extend below the corner where zippers intersect allowing rain to enter. I would buy a different tent if I had it to do over again.