MSR Mutha Hubba 3-Person Backpacking Tent

MSR Fast & Light Mutha Hubba Tent... 3 people + gear! The mother of all Hubbas. MSR's lightest, most livable 3-person Tent, the Mutha Hubba provides maximum interior space along with 2 stay-dry entrances and 2 large vestibules. Use it as a double-wall Tent for full protection. Check it out: Quick and easy step up with hub system; Flies / doors won't drip inside Tent, so doors can be opened for additional venting options in light weather; Lightweight materials, polyester and silicon-coated nylon, are durable, waterproof and UV-resistant; Floor offers 40 sq. ft., 7' x 5'8", vestibules provide 14 sq. ft.; 3'10" interior peak; Ultralight Needle stakes are virtually unbendable and weigh only .35 ozs.; Tent approx. 5 lbs., 4 ozs. Order your Mutha Hubba today! MSR Fast & Light Mutha Hubba Tent
Customer Review: 2006 Backpacks Editor's Choice
This is the perfect, light-weight backpacking tent for those who care about weight and performance. This tent is not cheap, but it's not overpriced. It has every small detail you could hope for...and the weight and foot print are perfect for 2 or 3 folks. I know this tent won the 2006 Backpacker's Magazine Editor's Choice Award. By the way, this is a my favorite magazine. My favorite things about the tent: 1) The weight. It's as light as i could wish (under 7 lbs). 2) two entrances are great. they include a "no-drip" entry which really keeps folks dry inside. Lastly,...i also have used the tarp on its own. This is my favorite tent out there. May not buy another tent for 5 years.

In our last article, we discussed how to turn your wedding into an event and an unforgettable experience by creating a personalized theme, element, or style. This week, I will describe the specific elements we used to create "A City Theme". In August of 2007 our company had the pleasure of working with a delightful couple who decided upon a "City" Theme. They wanted to feature their favorite cities. These consisted of New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Key West, and Pittsburgh. They held their reception at the Sheraton Station Square Train Station hotel. The reception site itself set the tone as "the train takes you from one city to the next". The guest accommodations and room block was also reserved at this "Train Station" Hotel. Welcome bags placed in the guests' hotel rooms were filled with items relating to Pittsburgh, one of the featured cities, and the couple's home town.

We carried the city theme into the food by placing little table tents (cards) on the butler trays as hors d'oeuvres were passed. For example, we had "mini egg rolls from New York's Chinatown", "Crabmeat Mushroom Caps from San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf", and "Papaya Mango Phyllo Cups from Key West". The DJ played "Viva Las Vegas" by Elvis to represent the famous Las Vegas "midnight buffet" as the couple's own late night buffet came out to replenish the guests. He also played various selections of tropical music to highlight Key West, a few polkas to represent the Pittsburgh traditions, and other music relating to the various cities. A live duo performed during the cocktail hour singing tunes such as "New York New York", "I left my Heart in San Francisco", "Viva Las Vegas", etc. etc. A caricaturist was stationed in the "San Francisco area" (as San Francisco is famous for their artists). He drew the guests in "their own favorite city". This was a huge crowd pleaser and a great conversation piece.

We designed the floor plan so that every 5-6 groupings of tables were featured as a different city. Tables were named after their favorite places in each city and escort cards were made into pretty luggage tags. A cardboard box was turned into a beautiful antiquey suitcase to match the theme of traveling from city to city and to complement the escort cards/"luggage tags". The servers in the different city areas wore black caps that were hot stamped with the logo of that city. Each city was represented by a different bar serving different drinks unique to that area. In the Key West corner, we served frozen strawberry and lime margaritas. In the New York City corner we set up a Martini Bar featuring the Big Appletini, the Cosmopolitan, and the Manhattan. In the San Francisco area we treated guests to an Espresso Bar. In the Las Vegas pod, we served Amaretto and Whiskey Sours along with other mixed drinks commonly given out at the casinos. Finally, in Pittsburgh we offered a variety of Beers including the famous I C Light.

The entire length and height of the back wall was accented by a prop master who built a "Pittsburgh Skyline" that was lit with b-lites from the back. He also created special street signs that were embellished by an artistic photograph of the skyline of each city. These were placed by each city's bar. Custom Skylines of each city were turned into gobos (a lighting term) and shone on the walls surrounding the dining tables. The lighting technician also created a gobo out of the couple's custom logo and monogram-their names in front of the Pittsburgh skyline. This was cast onto the dance floor.

Chocolate coins engraved with the logo of each section's designated city were placed upon each plate. Cocktail napkins, cake and cookie boxes, invitation seals, program covers, and water bottles were embellished by the custom Ann & Sean Pittsburgh skyline logo.

Guests sat down for interviews with an outgoing "VJ" and were asked questions pertaining to Ann and Sean's Trips to the various cities. This was a volunteer activity and everyone who participated had a blast giving additional roasts and good wishes to the couple. To further represent San Francisco, the guests were shuttled in a San Francisco style Trolley. To further represent New York, York Peppermint Patties were wrapped in pink organza bags and placed on each seat. An ice sculpture was carved into an intricate Pittsburgh skyline. We placed the sculpture directly in front of a window and the real Pittsburgh skyline was present in the background. A sculpture of blown sugar was featured as the centerpiece of an awe inspiring candy table. The artist created an abstract design of their Pittsburgh skyline logo from this blown sugar. The candy table itself consisted of candies inspired by the city theme. Each was labeled with a tiny table tent. There were Jelly Belly's (discovered in San Francisco), Ghirardelli Chocolates (also from San Francisco), Clark Bars (Pittsburgh), Baby Ruth's and York Peppermint Patties (New York), 5th Avenue bars (to represent large cities in general, Saltwater Taffy (Key West), and many others. The cookie table also offered cookies reflecting the various cities. A few of these included Pizzelles (Pittsburgh), New York mini cheesecakes, and Fortune Cookies (San Francisco's Chinatown).

Katherine Shaw is the owner of Trends To Traditions, http://www.TrendsToTraditions.com She graduated from Theatre and Film school in 1992. Since then she has planned events for the NFL, NHL, the AFL, and the WB network. She is currently a Pittsburgh Wedding Planner, is certified as a Wedding Director through the National Bridal Service, is a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants, and has coordinated over 600 weddings in her career.

For more information on theme weddings and to see more thematic pictures, go to http://www.trendstotraditions.com

Eureka Tetragon 1210 Family 12- by 10-Foot Eight-Person Tent

A great choice for car camping or use as a base camp, the Eureka Tetragon 1210 rectangular dome tent comfortably sleeps eight people and includes a divider to create two separate rooms. The double-coated StormShield polyester fly and the polyester bathtub floor combine to provide excellent weather protection. This free-standing, two-pole tent is quick and easy to set up with its durable shockcorded fiberglass frame, ring and pin attachments, combination sleeve and clip assembly, and color coded webbing.

It's well ventilated, thanks to large no-see-um mesh ceiling panels, six windows, and two doors. The hooded fly provides enough coverage over the front and rear door windows to enable you to leave the window partially open for even more ventilation even in rain. Other features include:

• Twin track zippers for separate operation of the window in the door
• External guy points on the fly help secure your tent in high winds
• Natural green color scheme blends into any campground
• Attached hinged gear loft and two detachable interior storage pockets
• Clothes line loop, flashlight loop
• Mesh panels allow for clip-in accessories
• Tent, pole, and stake bags included

Specifications:

• Area: 120 square feet
• Floor size: 12 feet by 10 feet
• Center height: 6 feet, 5 inches
• Wall fabrics: 1.9-ounce 75D polyester taffeta with 800mm coating
• Floor fabrics: 1.9-ounce 75D polyester taffeta with 800mm coating
• Fly fabrics: 1.9-ounce 75D StormShield polyester
• Pack size: 8 by 28 inches
• Weight: 17 pounds, 11 ounces

About Eureka
Though the exact year is unknown, Eureka's long history begins prior to 1895 in Binghamton, New York, where the company still resides today. Then known as the Eureka Tent & Awning Company, its first wares were canvas products--most notably, Conestoga wagon covers and horse blankets for nineteenth century American frontiersmen--as well as American flags, store awnings, and camping tents.

The company increased production of its custom canvas products locally throughout the 1930s and during the 1940 and even fabricated and erected the IBM "tent cities" just outside Binghamton. The seven acres of tents housed thousands of IBM salesmen during the company's annual stockholders meeting, which had since outgrown its previous locale. In the 1940s, with the advent of World War II and the increased demand for hospital ward tents, Eureka expanded operations and began shipping tents worldwide. Ultimately, upon the post-war return of the GIs and the resultant housing shortage, Eureka turned its attention to the home front during the 1950s by supplying awnings for the multitude of mobile homes that were purchased.

In 1960, Eureka's new and innovative Draw-Tite tent, with its practical, free standing external frame, was used in a Himalayan Expedition to Nepal by world renowned Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person documented to summit Mt. Everest only six years earlier. In 1963, Eureka made history during its own Mt. Everest ascent, with more than 60 of its tents sheltering participants from fierce 60+ mph winds and temperatures reaching below -20°F during the first all American Mt. Everest Expedition.

For backpackers and families, Eureka introduced its legendary Timberline tent in the 1970s. Truly the first StormShield design, this completely self-supporting and lightweight backpacking tent became one of the most popular tents the entire industry with sales reaching over 1 million by its ten year anniversary.

Eureka tents have also traveled as part of several historic expeditions, including the American Women's Himalayan Expedition to Annapurna I in 1978 and the first Mt. Everest ascents by a Canadian and American woman in 1986 and 1988. In recent history, tents specially designed and donated by Eureka sheltered Eric Simonson and his team on two historic research expeditions to Mount Everest, this time in a quest for truth regarding the 1924 attempted summit of early English explorers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. During the 1999 expedition, the team made history finding the remains of George Mallory, but the complete mystery remained unsolved. Returning in 2001 to search for more clues, the team found amazing historical artifacts which are now on display at the Smithsonian.

Amazon.com Tent Guide
Selecting a Tent
Fortunately, there are all kinds of tents for weekend car campers, Everest expeditions, and everything in-between. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Expect the Worst
In general, it's wise to choose a tent that's designed to withstand the worst possible conditions you think you'll face. For instance, if you're a summer car camper in a region where weather is predictable, an inexpensive family or all purpose tent will likely do the trick--especially if a vehicle is nearby and you can make a mad dash for safety when bad weather swoops in! If you're a backpacker, alpine climber or bike explorer, or if you like to car camp in all seasons, you'll want to take something designed to handle more adversity.

Three- and Four-Season Tents
For summer, early fall and late spring outings, choose a three-season tent. At minimum, a quality three season tent will have lightweight aluminum poles, a reinforced floor, durable stitching, and a quality rain-fly. Some three-season tents offer more open-air netting and are more specifically designed for summer backpacking and other activities. Many premium tents will feature pre-sealed, taped seams and a silicone-impregnated rain-fly for enhanced waterproofness.

For winter camping or alpine travel, go with a four season model. Because they typically feature more durable fabric coatings, as well as more poles, four-season tents are designed to handle heavy snowfall and high winds without collapsing. Of course, four-season tents exact a weight penalty of about 10 to 20 percent in trade for their strength and durability. They also tend to be more expensive.

Domes and Tunnels
Tents are broadly categorized into two types, freestanding, which can stand up on their own, and those that must be staked down in order to stand upright. Freestanding tents often incorporate a dome-shaped design, and most four-season tents are constructed this way because a dome leaves no flat spots on the outer surface where snow can collect. Domes are also inherently stronger than any other design. Meanwhile, many three-season models employ a modified dome configuration called a tunnel. These are still freestanding, but they require fewer poles than a dome, use less fabric, and typically have a rectangular floor-plan that offers less storage space than a dome configuration. Many one and two-person tents are not freestanding, but they make up for it by being more lightweight. Because they use fewer poles, they can also be quicker to set up than a dome.

Size Matters
Ask yourself how many people you'd like to fit in your fabric hotel now and in the future. For soloists and minimalists, check out one-person tents. If you're a mega-minimalist, or if you have your eye on doing some big wall climbs, a waterproof-breathable bivy sack is the ticket. Some bivy sacks feature poles and stake points to give you a little more breathing room. Also, if you don't need bug protection and you want to save weight, check out open-air shelters.

Families who plan on car camping in good weather can choose from a wide range of jumbo-sized tents that will accommodate all your little ones with room to spare. A wide range of capacities is also available for three- and four-season backpacking and expedition tents. Remember, though, the bigger the tent you buy, the heavier it will be, although it's easy to break up the tent components among several people in your group. It's also helpful to compare the volume and floor-space measurements of models you're considering.

Customer Review: Eureka 10x12 tent
This is out 3rd tent and we are extremely happy with it. We have been in driving rains and high winds. We love the fact you can open all 4 sides for super ventilation. Easy setup but does require 2 people or you will crack the fiberglass poles ( I know that from experience).
Customer Review: To Kenya and back with no problems
I have yet to use this tent, but I loaned it to friends traveling to Kenya. It survived the international flights both ways and proved to be a roomy and sturdy home for them during their stay there. Pretty good endorsement, I'd say.

One of the biggest parks in Southern Africa, the Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park was established through a treaty signed in Windhoek between South Africa and Namibia. This treaty meant that the border between the two countries was opened where the Namibian Hot Springs Game Park met with the South African Richtersveld National Park. The cooperation has resulted in the creation of a massive tourist attraction.

With over five thousand square kilometers of land, the Richtersveld National Park is a massive display of the unique beauty of this dry region. The park is perhaps best known for the Fish River Canyon, which people often compare to the American Grand Canyon, yet the biodiversity of this arid region cannot be ignored.

In the early hours of the morning a fog moves in from the Atlantic Ocean, providing moisture for the hardy succulents that make a home for themselves between the rocks that give this area so much character. The expansive mountain dessert region is host to an impressive variety of smaller reptiles, birds and animals. Some of the plant life is unique to the area, and visitors will appreciate the character-rich quiver trees, tall aloes and peculiar half-mens which stand firmly in defiance of the elements.

When visiting the Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park make sure not to leave without spotting the Rock Hyrax, the entertaining Ground Squirrels, the Jackal Buzzard or Hartmann's Mountain Zebra. There are many projects being developed by the park's management, including guided vehicle tours, hiking trails, camping areas, river rafting and canoeing, mountain biking, horse and camel trails as well as botanical, ornithological, geographic and cultural tours. Contact the park to ensure that your activity of choice will be catered for.

The formation of this park, and in particular the incorporation of local people into the park's management, has been sighted as a role model system and as a fresh way of operating conservation areas. There is also talk of expanding the park in the future, possibly to the extent that it will incorporate or merge with Iona National Park in Angola and the Augrabies Falls National Park in South Africa. Such expansion would see the formation of the world's third largest conservation area, covering some nineteen million hectares.

It is essential to have a high clearance vehicle to access the park, with a 4x4 being by far the best option. City vehicles or sedans are not allowed into the park.

Visit the spectacular mountain desert of the Richtersveld National Park on the border between Namibia and South Africa.