The first backpacking tent that I bought back in 1999 was a one person Eureka Zephur tent. I bought a two person Eureka Apex tent somewhere in the early 2000’s. And I bought a Eureka Backcountry tent to replace the Zephur sometime around 2010. I made the mistake of packing the Zephur while wet. It got moldy. I washed it but it was done for. Eureka tents weren’t always the lightest. But they were priced right and held up well.
I have owned a few tents since then. But I always liked the Eureka brand. Therefore, I was sad when I recently found out that Johnson Outdoors has discontinued the Eureka Brand. I can understand why. There has been an explosion of new manufacturers making tents far lighter and much more technologically advanced in recent years. That’s a good thing. However, the price of camping tents has gone up greatly in recent years. That’s a bad thing.
Johnson Outdoors also makes Jetboil stoves, Old Town canoes, Hummingbird fish finders, Min Kita trolling motors, Cannon downriggers and ScubaPro diving gear. They seem to be a company that knows what the current outdoor trends are and evolves with these trends. I remember that Johnson Outdoors used to sell Camp Trails backpacks back in the 1980’s and 1990’s. They discontinued them in the early 2000’s. Again, it is my opinion that new technologies and more competition caused this. I have owned two Camp Trails backpacks in the past.
So I’m sad that this brand is going away. But I am also excited by all of the new brands of outdoor gear that continue to appear on the market. It is good for us consumers. The new tech and features are great. However, the higher prices, in my opinion, are not.
Mike C
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