Hey All. We've used a Eureka Timberline 4 man tent for years. It's time to be replaced and wondering what everyone out there is using.

I love my CCS Lean for canoe camping. Not everyone's cup of tea, but it is my favorite tent to use during summer, and 2nd overall.

I've had an REI Taj 3 for years. Been a good tent for us.

My buddy has an REI Half Dome 4. Nice and roomy. Both get the job done.

Consider an Alps Taurus 4 Outfitter. It has a heavy-duty floor, # 10 zippers, and two large vestibules. It weighs several pounds more than a Timberline 4, but less than a Timberline 4 Outfitter. It is not a backpacking tent, but works well for canoe trips.

I moved to a copper spur 3 from timberline outfitter 4 - which I still use for car camping.

I just replaced our 20 year old Eureka Timberline 4 with... a Eureka Timberline 4.

Yes, it's still relatively heavy for its size, and the new model is a downgrade to a single door, but, seriously, it's worth it to once again have a drier floor under the innie.

There are a wide variety of options for 4-person tents from ultra light backpackers to ones suitable for car camping only. What is best is going to depend on what is important to you.

Personally I never cared for the Timberline due to the floor layout and narrow shoulder room, but they are a sturdy well proven design and loved by many.

I bought new tents last fall and it came down to the Marmot Tungsten 4P and Sierra Designs Meteor 4. The Tungsten is a little bigger, heavier, roomier, and more durable, but still reasonably light for its class. The Meteor packs smaller and is lighter which is nice. Ended up buying the Tungsten 4 for the kids and Meteor 3 for the wife and I and it has made for a good combination. The Tungsten has been on sale for $299 a few times over the past year and I believe the Meteor has been as well.

Outdoor Gear Lab Marmot Tungsten 4P Review

The Wise Adventurer Tungsten 4P Review

This is our first season with both tents so I can't offer much feedback other than they both worked fine in moderate rain and wind and setup is about as easy as it gets. I always use a footprint, the Tungsten comes with one while it was extra on the Meteor.

Thanks for all the information!

I have been very pleased with our Marmot Limelight. You will have to purchase additional stakes.

Tryin: "I have been very pleased with our Marmot Limelight. You will have to purchase additional stakes.


"

We also use the Marmot Limelight (3 person) tent for 2 of us.
Been very happy with it.

The Limelight 4 was discontinued. The Limelight 3 now has an interesting design where part of the vestibules are interior space. I decided I preferred a standard vestibule but I can see the appeal.

I should also note that I needed four additional stakes for the Tungsten 4 and two for the Meteor 3.

Soledad: "I love my CCS Lean for canoe camping. Not everyone's cup of tea, but it is my favorite tent to use during summer, and 2nd overall. "

+1

I have a REI Half Dome 2+ SL, which I think is excellent bank for the buck, so I would imagine the 4 is as well. With that said, it's a bit heavy for my liking and I plan to change it up next year to something lighter. I trip alone with my dog, but he gets hot so the 2+ offered a little more room inside.

I’ll put in a plug for the BA Copper Spur. It’s pricey but lightweight and roomy.

Stoic driftwood 3 or BA copper spur 3.
The stoic is made by marmot for backcountry, they use heavier(more durable) materials than the BA so it weighs in at around 2lb more. If you can afford it the copper spur is the absolute sweet spot for size/features/weight, but if you have a dog you may want to use an interior ground cloth to protect the floor from nail punctures.

StLouisPaddler: "I’ll put in a plug for the BA Copper Spur. It’s pricey but lightweight and roomy. "

+1 I've owned three Big Agnes tents. Two Seedhouse solo tents for backpacking and a Copper Spur 2 for canoeing. Absolutely no complaints.

We've switched to hammocks, but when we use tents it is Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 for 1 person and HV UL4 for my wife and I. The 4 man tent is under 6 lb and the 2 man is 3lb complete packed weight. Hard to beat, and they stand behind their tents. They have both survived 70+ mph wind and many torrential downpours.

Just get another Timberline. Look at the mid level SQ. 2 doors. Spreader bar up top.

Timberline = lots of mass for limited usable interior space. Good at shedding rain, but nearly all modern tents are at half the mass.

Banksiana: "Timberline = lots of mass for limited usable interior space. Good at shedding rain, but nearly all modern tents are at half the mass."

You are absolutely correct and I do not disagree with that point at all. But isn't the ability to fudge on weight one of the benefits of canoe camping? I have a 3 pound Nemo I take hiking. I wouldn't make it across the trial head parking lot with my 4 person timberline strapped across back.

DAC: "Hey All. We've used a Eureka Timberline 4 man tent for years. It's time to be replaced and wondering what everyone out there is using. "

Big tents were necessary when we had 2 adults, 2 young boys and a dog on every trip. The youngest moved out of the big tent and explored his own small tent, then bivy bags, tarp camping, cowboy camping and hammock camping starting at about age 12. The youngest followed a comparable path Just a couple years later. I have been nearly exclusively hammocking for the past dozen years. A giant tent for just my wife and dog is way too much.

The tent on the top of our pile is a TarpTent Stratospire 2 . It weighs a bit over 40 oz. so works well whether we are canoeing or backpacking. It is designed for use with hiking poles but I bought accessory poles for our non-hiking trips. It is perfectly sized for 2 adults + 1 child or dog but small enough to serve as a roomy solo tent as well.

I initially considered replacing our large family, stand-up inside sized tent but realized we are much better and happier campers without that burden.

Good Luck

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL4 Tent - As with most 4 person tents, you will not get 4 people in it unless 2 are small children. This tent has stood up to many nights and even some pretty bad storms. I have never had any issues with it.
Pros: I believe it weighs in at 6 lbs, very easy to set up, two doors so you don't have to crawl over each other and very durable for an ultralight tent.
Cons: Very expensive $750 w/o the footprint. Only has a Floor Area of 57 ft2 (there are other 4 person tents with more room)

kenpark23: "


You are absolutely correct and I do not disagree with that point at all. But isn't the ability to fudge on weight one of the benefits of canoe camping? I have a 3 pound Nemo I take hiking. I wouldn't make it across the trial head parking lot with my 4 person timberline strapped across back. "

I agree, but if I'm going to carry the weight I'll take more usable space with a steeper walled tent.