Mountain Pass 4 XT
By Steve Mann

Eureka's Mountain Pass tents, the 2XT and 4XT, represent the combination of simple design and strong functionality. Our field testers worked with the 4XT, a four-person, 3- to 4-season tent. The 4XT's smaller sibling, the 2XT, is the same tent, just smaller to accommodate two people. This article focuses on the 4XT.

The 4XT is a free-standing rectangular dome-style tent, with two poles, with a purple and light gray taffeta nylon body and rainfly. The poles slide through two short sections of pole sleeves near the apex of the dome. Clips attach the tent body to the poles over the rest of the pole's length. Setup is very easy-assemble the shock-corded aluminum poles, insert the poles through the partial pole sleeves, and pole ends into the corner grommets, and raise the tent. Finally, attach the clips to the poles.

Ventilation is average or slightly above. Two oval mesh doors, one each on the long sides of the rectangular body, provide cross ventilation. Taffeta nylon fabric panels zip over the mesh to close the doors/windows. In addition to the dual mesh doors, there is a single mesh roof vent. This also can be zipped closed. The fact that the doors and vent have zip-up fabric panels makes the XT capable of light 4-season usage, primarily for cold weather, rather than storms. We do not recommend either XT in snowy conditions, as the two-pole design would not handle snow load well.

Rainfly coverage is excellent. After staking out the fly, none of the tent body remains visible. Aah, that's what we like to see! (Or not see, in this case.) As shipped, you'll need to seam seal the fly yourself, with the supplied SeamGrip, prior to relying on the Mountain Pass to keep you dry. However, we tested the Mountain Pass 4XT in a cold summer downpour with winds in excess of 30 mph with no leakage before we seam sealed the rainfly. All four sleepers inside remained bone dry throughout the night. Despite our success, we recommend you seam seal the fly or be prepared to get wet. A standard wrap-up bathtub floor keeps seams off the ground for added water resistance.

Staking out the rainfly creates two small vestibules with about 19 square feet of space between the two. The vestibules are too small for packs, but are great for storing boots, food and water, or storm apparel. The fly contains several storm loops for attaching guy lines to sturdy the tent against strong winds.

One strong advantage of the 4XT in particular is its weight per person. At 7 lbs 12 oz for 4 people, you're carrying less than 2 lbs per person-very lightweight for the 4XT's 7 ‡ by 8 ‡ feet size. The 4'3" peak height gives plenty of headroom for a 6' tall person to comfortably sit up inside.

The 4XT is great for family camping, either car camping or backpacking. Although smaller than many family tents, the 4XT is be a good choice for those who want a single tent for both purposes.

For one field test, I went to the backcountry of Zion National Park in late Spring with my wife and three children, ages 13, 11 and 9. Because of the children's smaller size the 4XT easily fit all 5 of us, although the packs stayed outside. We were very pleased with the 4XT's overall performance, and particularly appreciated the easy setup when we were caught in a strong summer-like thunderstorm with little natural cover. I was able to setup the 4XT in just a few minutes to get everyone quickly out of the rain and into dry clothing.

Summary: A solid basic three-plus season backpacking tent for 4. The 4XT's strengths are a great weight-to-person ratio, easy setup, great rain worthiness, reasonable price, and adequate ventilation. We recommend the 4XT for family or group backpacking, or a combination family camping-backpacking tent. If you're looking for a 4-person tent exclusively for car camping, the 4XT is probably not the best choice--opt for a larger (and heavier) tent with standing room, larger windows, and more interior space.

Sleeps	4
Peak Height	4'3"
Weight	7 lbs 12 oz
Dimensions	7'6" X 8'6"
Suggest Retail Price	$260

Steve Mann is a contributing editor and co-founder for GearReview.com.

For more information, contact:
Eureka!
1326 Willow Rd.
Sturtevevant, WI 53177
1-414-884-1500