Eureka ICS 2000 Improved Combat Shelter

[Urwaldjaeger]

I just bought a used Eureka ICS 2000 on Ebay. It is hopefully on its way to Sweden from Georgia now and I will be one of few guys with this shelter over here.
I do a lot of hunting and photographing in the north and I plan to use it both for sleeping and as a hide. I´m new with this gear but I know
it represents high quality and that this older version is good because of the footprint and also is becoming hard to find.
I would be happy to hear some experiences and opinions from those on the forum who know something about this shelter. (Nice with pictures from use)
Heres a picture of the tent that I borrowed from the web. Thanks / Olle

[111t]

looks like a eureka backcountry one to me. or at least related...

Mil one is probably heavier and made of heavier materials.

http://www.campmor.com/eureka-backcount ... ku=23890WC

[Urwaldjaeger]

This is not the civil tent.
It is the ICS 2000 One man tent and weights over 6 lb.
The material and fabric is sturdy and thick, almost bomb proof and theres
also an extra foot print included for protection against
sharp stones, sticks etc.
The Eureka Backcountry does not come in woodland camo
and is different in many ways.

[seabee22]

I have spent more time in this tent than I wanted. Here are some interesting things about it.

It floats. By god, it floats. Watched a senior female PO wash down the hill in hers after we told her not to set up there. It floats. What I would not have done for a cameria. It floats.

It will keep you dry in the worst downpour. The bottom is like a bowl and if you dont set up on a spike or something like that it will keep you and your gear dry. Also, do the little trench on the uphill side of the tent like with the old shelterhalf and you will really be golden.

Enough room with the outter tent to get your gear covered. You can get a lot of gear inside it for sure, but the extra covered space is awesome compared to the shelter half of yesteryear.

if all zipped up, it will help keep your body heat contained when it is cold. It will frost on the inside. Trust me on this.

Easy repair with the includes kit.

A bad thing, the poles are very flimsy. I have had to tape cleaning rods to the poles to get a good set up.

Also, it is a feat of intellect and good luck getting all the parts back in the itty-bitty bag that it all comes in.

Beats the hell outta a shelter half. My kids love it when I set this tent up in the house.

Overall a great tent.

[Urwaldjaeger]

"Also, do the little trench on the uphill side of the tent like with the old shelterhalf and you will really be golden."

Thanks for all the good info about this tent. There is just one part of what you wrote that I really don´t understand
Do you mean digging a trench to prevent water from flowing downwards the tent during heavy rain?
Please light me up

[111t]

What you say is true,

while you and I can appreciate the bomb-proof nature of a military-spec tent, on the civilian market a 6 lb solo tent would not sell. So the heavier material has advantages and disadvantages. The woodland camo is nice and i wish i had that on my Backcountry 2. But the drab green color of the civilian tents at least blends in even though it's not camo.

Anyway, Thank you for posting and good luck with your excellent tent!

[seabee22]

You are right on the idea of the trench. Sometimes you might need one that goes all the way around the tent and dig a little exit for the water. Extra dirt goes on the inside of the trench.

Laugh all you want but many moons ago when I was in basic, me and my battle buddy were the only one that did this and guess what it rained....a lot......we didn't get wet.....the others did

I have never carried a civilian tent. I guess if you don't know what your missing it won't bother you. I will have to look into one. But then I will probably throw rocks at the other.

[moab]

Will this tent fit two people if you slept opposite ends?

[majorhavoc]

Will this tent fit two people if you slept opposite ends?

Not if you expect to be friends in the morning. Either that or you will be really good friends in the morning. Really, really good friends.

[squeeky25]

mine leaked worse than a russian sub

[ineffableone]

Will this tent fit two people if you slept opposite ends?

In the world of tents always expect one less than they advertise. They call this a two man which means it is a one man. I have seen a few reviews of this that say it works as a one man and one woman cuddling tent, but if your not romantic with the person don't try to fit them in.

I have yet to see a tent advertised amount of sleepers actually work in the real world, especial with gear.

Long ago I stopped looking at one man tents and only shopped for 2 man tents for my self. I am usually quite surprised when I am in the 2 man tent as to how they would fit another person in there.

[ineffableone]

The big bonus and weight addition to this tent is the black out fabric.

The camo is not just stealth blending into the foliage, everywhere you see camo is blackout fabric. That means you can have all the light in the world in there and your tent wont be a lit up beacon for everyone around to see. These are great tents for going stealth with.

Another bonus of the black out is that it keeps light out of the tent, so you can sleep in day a lot easier if needed.

Sure they are heavier, but you get something for the weight.

In the Zpaw you might wish you could have light in your tent and not be seen, with this tent you can. In Zpaw you might be travelling at night to stay hidden and sleeping in the day, with this tent that is much easier.

[Kutter_0311]

Not sure how closely related this model is to the USMC Combat Tent, but I loved the Combat Tent so much when I was in, I bought one when I got out. The tents I was issued were all made by Eureka, and my personal tent is Diamond(?), but they all seam to work the same/made to the same specs, so I'm very happy. Yours doesn't look like mine under the rainfly, but they certainly share a lot of common features.

USMC Combat Tents will fit 2 Marines, their weapons, and gear.

Granted, Marines are routinely packed into AAV's and Navy ships like sardines. YMMV...

[ineffableone]

a good video review of this tent

[USMCSergeant]

Loved this tent in the service!! Easily fits 2 Marines

[ineffableone]

Just to show the difference from the ICS 2000 this is a video of the newer Eureka TCOP (Tent- Combat One Person) which has duel vestibules, reversible fly (camo one side desert tan other), desert tan interior, mesh only on doors, and black out only on fly and base.



I tend to agree with the assessment of this review, each of the tents have their pluses and minuses. Which you pick would mostly depend on what you want it for, The TCOP would probably work better for snow loads and cold weather, while the ICS would probably ventilate more for summer time cooling.

I think these two tents are a great idea for anyone who can pick one up. Yes they weigh more but you get more durability (UV damage to most civilian tents destroy the tent in one to two seasons) and a feature you don't see in civilian tents black out.

While you might not need one of these for your average backpacking camping trip, they are ideal for your BOB or INCH bag and their durability, stealth, and other features start to out weigh the extra weight.

[ghostrider6]

Just went camping this past week and used the Eureka ICS 2000. Rained and rained hard for 3 days straight. I was very pleased with this tent. Me and my gear stayed dry. The rainfly has the black underside and so does most the tent so I could easily catch some zzzz's during the day. Heard they were good and bought a "lot" with a few of these tents.

[VOODOOKING]

I would love to get one of these tents but the prices seem a little steep for some of the ones that I have found online. I have been all over the surplus sites here in Canada and haven't had any luck. Any help would be appreciated greatly.

[ghostrider6]

I know what you mean. The ICS should not sell for more than $200. I newer TCOP is worth more because it has a doublefly, to keep more of your gear protected, but the only price I see on those are around $500. I have a couple.