Eldorado opinion needed…

I have the Bible I tent. I do love it, albeit a bit heavy and overkill for me here in NY.  I scored a great deal on it a few years back, so I keep it. I have not needed it it yet, but I do pitch it regularly to keep me fresh and ready. Last winter I picked up the Black Diamond Hilight 2P tent.. It packs smaller and is slightly lighter. I plan on using it this winter hopefully in a blizzard or good serious storm. Anyway, I believe the Eldorado and the I tent are very similar. One may be slightly larger if I’m not mistaken. They both pitch the same way, poles inside and after you throw it up a few to several times, it will become normal and easier. Also… If you choose to go with the Eldorado.. I happen to have the Vestibule and the ground sheet for it.. $20 should cover all the shipping fees if you want them both.. They have been sitting around for quite some time, so I’m not sure of their worth.. No holes tears or smells, no mildew.. Nothing like that at all.. Basically for free for you if you decide to go that way.. Hit me an email if u want.. Whenever..

Possibly ventilation deficient? Using a flame? Carry a carbon monoxide detector.

I have the Bible I tent. I do love it, albeit a bit heavy and overkill for me here in NY.

I should say so, yes; I mean according to Exodus, that first Bible tent was massive… ;)

On a serious note, I think you’re correct; the Eldorado is kind of similar to the I-Tent.  I think it’s something of a derivation or evolution in several ways, but yeah, very similar overall.  How’s the functionality on yours, and on your Hilight?  I know I can physically fit my bag, pack, boots, etc. in the Eldordo and still have a bit of room to spare for cooking, but it isn’t going to be much.

Also, thanks for the vestibule offer; if I pull the trigger on the BD, I’ll get that from you.  Easy and fast way to see if I like the increased space, despite the weight.

Possibly ventilation deficient? Using a flame? Carry a carbon monoxide detector.

You know, I’ve never once thought about that…which was obviously a stupid oversight on my part.  I was always taught that there was absolutely no situation in which cooking inside a tent was acceptable, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that I was told that fact by people that didn’t want to be in situations where in-the-tent cooking was necessary.

Did a quick Google search and found this little thing in the Amazon.  Might be a good way to go; thanks for the suggestion.  Maybe that and a Reflectix/shovel platform would be enough to keep me from incinerating myself.

Functionality? Well it is bomber thats for sure. It will survive most anything I could get it into here in NY and surrounding areas.  It sets up very fast and easy, after having set it up dozens of times. Plenty of room in there for myself and all my winter gear. Both the I- Tent and Highlight.  The Highlight has more room, its lighter weight and packs smaller.

Here is the Highlight pitched in my yard. I love that the entire entry can fully open on the side like that. It has mesh also, so you have options. The back has a mesh window which you can also leave halfway open or fully closed, seen in 3rd picture. There ate also vents on top that remain open. In my opinion, no issues for condensation due to plenty of ventilation options. The front overhangs slightly over the door, so getting in and out in the rain did not present an issue. Again, I plan on using this tent in SNOW, not rain.. But I have not yet… Hopefully this winter I can put it thru the wringer.

and here is the I- Tent.. again, pitched in my yard.. without and with the vestibule.  You can see how much room in there with my Regular/ Wide pad.  I was so playing around with the hang kit for my Windburner stove.. which honestly,  would NOT ever be needed because there is more then enough room inside for it on the floor, if needed.

Thats about all I got for you. I cant honestly vouch for either tent because I have not had them out in legit conditions on a mountain top.. I have pitched them both plenty of times in my yard with heavy rains and winds.. for days at a time.. and they appear to be perfect. I do plan on using them.. as soon as opportunity presents itself..

Dirt…that’s a LOT of good info and pictures; thank you!!  It looks like the I-Tent actually has way more livability than I gave it credit for…and I’m pretty sure that the Eldorado is actually a bit larger in every dimension than the I-Tent.  It’s hard to tell from BD’s schematics, which I’m pretty sure are incorrect on their website; seriously, look those up and you’ll see the inconsistency.

I’ve never messed around much with hanging kits because – again – cooking inside a tent is supposed to immediately kill me with fire.  Also, yeah…looks like there’s a solid amount of room in the vestibule, should it be needed; that would be a great spot to keep the sharp things, overnight.

1. I’m a little late to this thread, but I wanted to add a little background for this tent. These tents were originally designed and made by Todd Bibler back in the early 80s. He was a top notch alpinist putting up many of the hardest alpine climbs in Alaska and beyond. He sold the company to BD sometime in the mid 90s. As you can see, these tents are designed for the harshest environments on Earth. Yes people cook in them but that involves a certain amount of risk with ventilation and fire hazard.

people cook in them but that involves a certain amount of risk with ventilation and fire hazard.
I would have thought that there were other far greater risks when pitched in that position!

Cheers

Lol. Right? Thats a great spot though!