When looking for an all-around tent for camping in the outdoors, you usually look for a three- or four-season tent. Depending on the extent of your outdoor activity, you should consider the pack weight of your tent, along with the amount of space and protection that the tent will provide for you and your gear.

Eureka (www.eurekatent.com/eureka.html) has been making tents since 1895, and has been providing outdoor enthusiasts with gear to meet the challenge of the outdoors. When it comes to tents, they have a large line to choose from. The tent I would like to tell you about falls under the Performance Backpacking line of tents.

The Mountain Pass XT is a good three-season tent. It is very versatile and sturdy enough to hold up to many weather conditions. Unless you are an experienced winter camper, I would caution you against using this tent in winter conditions.

This tent is loaded with features for your comfort in the outdoors. It comes in two sizes: two-person or four-person. It has a wraparound floor (bathtub) design with the seams above ground level to keep you dry, along with rugged waterproof taffeta nylon fabric. It has a two-pole rectangular design that is free-standing for easy setup. The poles are made out of 8.55 mm 7000-series aluminum. Its rainfly is also made out of taffeta nylon with an 18 square foot vestibule on both sides along with dual entry for equipment storage and easy entrance and exit from both sides. Besides the two doors, the tent also has two windows that both have no-see-um netting to keep insects out. It sets up with a post and grommet design. Along with the door ventilation, it has a high-low ventilation system for climate control inside the tent.

Inside, the tent is very spacious with a floor size of 7 ½ feet by 5 feet, and a center height of 3 ½ feet. This allows more than adequate room to move around inside. Along with the 18 square feet of room that the vestibules provide, there is 37 ½ square feet of sleeping area. It can be fitted with a gear loft. It has clothesline loops, a flashlight loop, and storage pockets that give you lots of space to stash gear.

This tent has the Eureka storm-shield system that provides three important benefits in tent quality: Dry, Tough, and Fast. As I mentioned earlier, its waterproof design as well as its ventilation keep you dry while holding condensation to a minimum. It's tough enough to stand up to the weather and to frequent use. It sets up fast and easily also. Its rainfly also has tie-down loops, which offer you additional structural strength, if needed in bad weather. I found this tent extremely fun to use and was quite happy with all of the additional features that are provided.

Visit Eureka's web site at http://www.eurekacamping.com/

By: Dennis O'Donnell