Eureka Expedition Sentinel

Eureka Expedition Sentinel
on the Connecticut River

I finally found some information on my father’s old tent. It’s a Eureka Expedition Sentinel 2-person, four-season mountaineering tent. Spec’s are:

Size – 6’ x 8’ (but tapers down to 4’ at the ends)
Height – 3’ 10” in middle
Weight – 7 lbs. 6 oz.
Fold Size – 6’ x 20”

Inside view

It is a symmetrical tent with screened doors at both ends for easy entry/exit and good ventilation. The middle of the tent has a hoop allowing for more head and shoulder room. From this center hoop the body of the tent tapers down to Timberline style A-frames. The aluminum poles are shock-corded and break down to 20”.

The full fly is slightly hooded at both ends. It creates the second layer of the tent’s double wall construction. Air circulates freely in the space between the tent and the fly minimizing condensation and increasing insulation. There are 2 hooks on each side connecting the fly to the tent that pull out the side walls creating additional room inside. 

Under a tarp on the Moose River Bow

The tent is held down with 6 stakes, and the fly is held down with 4 S-hooks at the corners and 6 stakes along the sides. There are also 10 D-rings on the fly to attach guy lines. The tent is pretty bomb-proof in the wind without guy lines, so I've never used them.

With its hybrid hoop/A-frame design, the Sentinel was similar to the three-season Alpine Meadows, but with lower ends and heavier materials. The Alpenlite might be seen as its successor.

Eureka advertisement from the 1980's featuring a Sentinel like mine

Links:

My Pictures

Video from WisconsinEric

Eureka Shuts Down by the OutdoorGearReview