If you are looking for a very affordable 6-person 3-season tent for occasional family camping, this Eureka Sunrise EX 6 Tent Review is for you. This is a lightweight rectangular and simple construction with a very easy setup.
Key features & benefits
- Very affordable price.
- Great space.
- Electricity port.
- Gear hammock included.
- Two reflective panels to attach to the ceiling.
Who is it for – what type is it
The Eureka Sunrise EX 6 is a three-season camping tool for occasional recreational camping. It provides a reliable shelter for moderate weather conditions, and this is for a really affordable budget-friendly price.
With its 18 lb 15 oz (8.59 kg) of weight, this is a quite lightweight tent, its packed size is great, only 26 x 5.5 inches (66 x 14 cm). But clearly, you will use it at places with a car access, or anywhere where you do not have to carry it long distances.
With the floor area of 100 square feet (9.3 m²), see the dimensions below, it offers enough space for 6 people, but ideally use it for 4, e.g., for parents with 2 kids, maximum 3.
This is a freestanding tent, so you will not depend on the type of ground; you can pitch it anywhere, literally. But stakes are included so use them whenever possible to secure the tent in place.
From the description below, you will realize that this is a hybrid-type, which means double-layer tent only partly, on the ceiling area where the fly covers the mesh. The rest is a waterproof single-layer structure, except for windows and the door. Such a design reduces the weight, makes it more packable (you have less material), and it makes the setup easier.
What is in the name
The EX letters which you see in the name describe the new series. It is different from the previous Eureka Sunrise which was in the sizes for 4, 5, and 6 people. Here in the EX series, you have the sizes for 4, 6, and 8 people.
There are differences in the fabric, the EX materials are thinner, and the waterproofness rating is higher in the EX series. It was 1200 mm in the ordinary Sunrise tents.
The ceiling is completely mesh in the EX tents; it was different in the ordinary Sunrise tents.
Overview
This is a tent with a single door. This may not look as the best option for 6 people, but the door is big and this is not so bad after all. The door is a double layer, with a mesh and with a waterproof panel. The same structure is on the 3 windows which you have on the remaining sides of the tent, the only difference is that window panels roll down, while the door panel roles to the side.
You can keep the panels rolled out and use the mesh only against insects, this is what you see in the picture above. Note that the panels are with zippers and not with Velcro tabs which you can see in the NEMO Wagontop 6 tent. So this is a good design in my view.
Once you are inside, the feeling is that you have a durable and stable structure, and the peak height is quite good, at least for somebody of my size; so you have 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) in the central zone.
Note that the floor is bathtub-type, as you can realize from the pictures, which means that it wraps up the sides of the tent and this gives more protection against water on the ground.
The setup
The freestanding design of this tent is such that the setup is really simple, when you raise the two main poles and attach them to the corner grommets and clip the tent, the structure is self-supporting and freestanding.
The fly is quite small, you remember what I mentioned about the hybrid design, so it covers mainly the mesh ceiling. This implies also that adding it over the tent is easy.
The gear hammock – the media center
This is a bonus with this tent, a useful hanging storage space along the wall, with several mesh pockets for storage where you can put objects like a tablet as well; it is strong enough for such items. See it in the picture below. This is why they call it the media center; kids can watch the stuff from the tablet as the picture shows. Very useful indeed.
Note also that this hammock is removable, and you can put it on any wall, or you can use it in other tents.
The rain fly
You have an awning-style fly, reasonably durable, 63D 190T polyester taffeta, and it looks really cool, and this is what keeps the price down together with poles (see below).
But note that the fly does not go to the ground, and you do not have a vestibule area to store gear. The awnings above the door and above the windows look really good and they are useful, but they are relatively small and you will have to use the mentioned panels in the case of the combined rain and wind.
Inside organization
The internal space is simple and square, not much to stress about it, but you have pockets on all sides, and there is also the mentioned gear hammock.
One peculiar bonus are the two reflective panels to increase the light when you put a lantern on the ceiling; they can considerably increase the light in the tent by reflecting it down towards the floor. In fact, they claim that the tent is illuminated 3 times more with these panels. You will attach the panels to the ceiling with small webbing loops and toggles.
Note that you also have an electricity port with the zipper on the wall, shown in the picture below. So this is something truly useful when you are in a maintained camp area with electricity available. After all, you have the mentioned media center, so this is partly for it.
The poles
The poles are fiberglass, and they are only 12.7/13.5 mm, not so impressive. Such materials need a bit more care than aluminum. So the two main poles are there to create the dome structure, and they make the tent freestanding. The additional 2 cross poles are there to create the mentioned awnings.
Waterproofness
The floor, the fly, the single-layer wall sections, and panels on the openings are 63D 190T coated polyester taffeta with a waterproofness rating of 1500 mm. So this is more than enough for any normal 3-season use. If you are not familiar with the terminology, just to mention that a typical umbrella is in the range 400 – 500 m. The seams are sealed so you are protected.
Please see this short promotion video by Eureka, about their Sunrise EX series:
Specifications
- Type: freestanding camping tent.
- Capacity: 6 people.
- Packed weight: 18 lb 15 oz (8.59 kg).
- Floor area: 100 ft² (9.3 m²).
- Area per person: 16.7 ft² (1.55 m²).
- Floor dimensions: 10 x 10 ft (3 x 3 m).
- Interior peak height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m).
- Packed size: 26 x 5.5 in (66 x 14 cm).
- Warranty: limited lifetime.
- Doors: 1.
- Poles: 2, plus 2 ridge poles, fiberglass.
- Pole diameter: 12.7/13.5 mm.
- Tent attachment: clips.
- Material: walls, fly & floor: 63D 190T polyester taffeta.
- Waterproofness: 1500 mm, coated.
- Mesh: 40D polyester no-see-um.
- Seams: taped.
Summary, rating, pros & cons
So to summarize this Eureka Sunrise EX 6 Tent Review, this is a simple tent but with several useful features inside, like the electricity port, the media hammock, and the ceiling reflective panels. The price tag is simply incredible.
But the tent is without a vestibule, so the livability is below some other tools on the market, like the Nemo Wagontop 6, but see the price here. This is why it is better to use it for 4 people, in this case you will have enough space for gear inside. You might want to see also this Kelty Trail Ridge 6 with two vestibules.
I would not use the Sunrise EX6 in extreme weather, this is a tent built for mild situations. You might want to compare it with yet another tent from the same brand, the Eureka Copper Canyon 6 Family Tent. Please see how I rate this tent:
Eureka! Sunrise EX 6-Person Tent
Pros
- Great price.
- Very easy setup.
- Quite lightweight.
- Great packed size.
Cons
- Only one door.
- Fiberglass poles.
- No vestibule(s).
If you have any question, please note that there is a comment box below. Thank you for reading and have a nice day.
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