Eureka Kahuna 4 Tent

Once I decided that we could travel comfortably in our little car – that I wouldn’t buy a van or a truck and try and convert it into some kind of camping machine – the way forward became simpler. All that money I was saving for a used vehicle could be redistributed to savings and to other gear we would need. We weren’t going to become van-lifers and were perfectly fine with that. All we needed was to upgrade our camping essentials.

First up on the gear list was a tent. In my mind, I still saw us doing mostly camping down the Baja, plus a few spots here and there along the way – a lonely beach, a mountain vista. We weren’t going to be true, capital ‘O’ Overlanders (whatever that meant) but we could be intrepid in our own way. More than what was to come, I wanted to try doing more vacationing close to home. To do that, we would need to become campers.

We actually already had a tent in our possession. I mean, we have camped before. We have some bits of gear and aren’t completely useless. The old tent we had wasn’t even in bad shape. It was a faithful Coleman model that we got from who knows where. The only downfall was it was a tad small and I wanted something expansive. If we were doing this, we would have max comfort.

I was struck with a bit of analysis paralysis. A part of me was lured by the mega tent. They even have models that can attach to the back of your vehicle – pop up the hatch and you can reach from the tent into your car. These tents are huge, with attached ‘porch’ and enough room to stand up. Oh, to be able to stand upright! But would I be able to easily find a space to pitch such a tent? Had I lost my senses?

In the end, I decided against the jumbo tents and balanced size with versatility. I’m still questioning my choice. The tent is too big for hiking, yet not so big that you feel the benefit of the space. Inside, it seems roomy (we got our double mattress in there and gear and never felt cramped), but I wouldn’t go as far as there is an abundance of space. This is fine, as it is a tent after all – you aren’t ever going to be that comfortable. 

So that’s the backstory. As it’s the most important part of a camper’s kit, you really want to get it right. And after two outings, it seems to do its job well. It’s a very ‘airy’ tent, which must just be the style. There are two big doors, with mesh screening only and it is the fly that does all the work. In other words, unless it is very dry and you don’t mind the lack of privacy, you need the fly every time. What the big fly does do, is provide a little cubby at both doors that is both covered and outside the tent, perfect for tucking away your shoes or other gear. In other words, there is a zipper to escape the tent and a second to escape the fly, unless you have the flap rolled back and out of the way. 

Once you see how the tent comes together, set-up is pretty quick, but the firsts time (if you’re like me) might be a challenge. A nice bonus is the carrying case, which abley fits the tent when it’s time to stuff it back in. There are compartments for both tent and fly (they end up being the same size), little pockets for your pegs, and a nice carrying strap so you can sling it over your shoulder.

So did I choose the right tent? I can’t comment yet how the tent will perform in rain (only a few drops so far) or heat – so stay tuned. The best I can say so far is that it’s done its job, didn’t cost too much, and I really like the little mini vestibule (which was a big selling feature for me from the start). I don’t know that it’s a good tent if it were any colder (say lows around 5C), but who wants to camp if it’s colder than that? Updates to come as I get ‘em!

Update Post-Summer Camping 2022: It is a tricky tent for solo camping. It is also enormous for solo camping and an odd choice if this is what you are doing a lot of. The set-up has become easier. It’s appropriateness for warm weather adventures is even more apparent. No issues with the structure itself after a dozen uses. It packs in its bag every time if you take care. The door flaps, while a tad annoying are still better than naught, providing a covered area right outside the tent. The roominess inside is a must for us. The little corner pockets are handy and I can’t believe that this is somehow ‘special.’ Overall, it’s working for us.