Eureka! Timberline SQ Outfitter 4

Had a Timberline four years ago. It was a great family camper, but could not handle strong winds.

This was the Timberline 4, which is basically a smaller version of the Timberline 6. It was fine for car camping, easy to set up, roomy, and waterproof. Easy to get in and out of, bugproof, and overall a nice family tent which we used for a couple of years.

Until strong winds arose. We were camping when a thunderstorm with strong gusting winds came up. The poles buckled and I spent the next hour or two trying to keep the tent from collapsing on my family. I don't know if they've improved the poles or not since we had ours (mid-nineties), but the ones we had weren't as strong as the aircraft aluminum poles of nowadays. Plus I think the A-frame design is not as strong as the dome designs seen everywhere. 

I've had other tents since then, and currently have three tents. One is a TNF Polaris, one is a TNF Tadpole 23, both of which are very strong dome tents although no longer manufactured, and one is a non free-standing tent that uses trekking poles (Lanshan 2). All of them handle wind very well.

Background

The Timberline 4 was great, until it failed in strong wind.

This is a very good car camping tent. It works well for two large adults who need some space. It has held up well with rain and hail. The materials are durable. However the poles bent with 35 mile per hour gusts. Eureka replaced the poles at a reasonable price.

I purchased this tent for car camping in the typical state park and national forest campgrounds. I think I have used it fifteen to twenty nights. My camping friends express their appreciation for the comfort. I would trust it with winds up to 25 mph.

Overall I am pleased.

Very weather resistant, easy to set up, and durable. Best for canoe country. Highly recommended.

Assembly is very easy and fast, even with terrible light conditions. Very easy to take down and stuff back into bag. Bag about 8 inches extra room on top with tent in bottom for some extra storage. Good place for flashlights and toiletries.

Window screens are well made and keep out even the smallest of insects. Tie downs on rain fly are well built and seem to handle wind well. Properly staked, the fly doesn't touch the tent walls and dries very fast in the morning. 

Have been using for 12 years, but feels and looks like new.

Background

Possibly the best tent ever built. Camping in the Black Hills of South Dakota we woke to light rain which soon became a torrential downpour, but we never got a drop inside the tent. At one point there was at least two inches of water outside running around the bottom of the tent.