If you want a roomy car-camping tent that feels like a real upgrade from a cramped 4-person dome, the Eureka Evanston Screened 6 is a solid choice. I’ve used it on multiple trips (including heavy rain) and it’s earned a permanent spot in my camping gear.
This is a hands-on review of the Evanston Screened 6: what it’s great at, what’s annoying, who it fits best, and which accessories are actually worth buying. I’m a little over 6' tall, and my biggest motivation was simple: I wanted more room to move around and a setup that didn’t feel like a nightly yoga class just to change my pants.
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Evanston Screened 6 Review Overview
I was previously camping in a 4-person dome tent. It worked, but it was getting old, cramped, and it made wet-weather trips feel more stressful than they needed to be. I wanted a taller tent for car camping and something that felt more livable when you’re stuck inside for a bit.
After spending days comparing options, I chose the Evanston Screened 6. After several trips—including one with heavy rain—I’m very happy with the decision.
Pros & Cons
- Large 10' x 9' sleeping area (best for 2–4)
- Stayed dry for me in heavy rain
- Setup is straightforward (possible solo)
- Screened porch adds real usable space
- Bathtub floor
- Good ventilation and less condensation than my old 4p
- Packs relatively small for its size
- Ceiling hook for light or fan
- Screened porch won’t stay dry in rain
- No true back window—rainfly controls back ventilation from outside
- A lot of guy lines (not hard, just more steps)
- 5'8" center height is better, but not stand-up tall
Who This Tent Is For
- Best for: car camping, couples, weekend trips, festivals, bug-heavy summers
- Also good for: a family of 3–4 who wants breathing room (and doesn’t mind some setup)
- Not ideal for: backpacking (too big/heavy) or people who want a porch that stays dry in storms
Interior Comfort & Space
This is a roomy car-camping tent for an adult couple, and it will fit up to 4 people comfortably on air mattresses. With one air mattress, there’s enough room to climb out the side, which is way more comfortable than scooting off the foot. That matters at 2:00am when someone needs a bathroom run.
The 5'8" center height means I still need to lean over, but it’s much more comfortable than my old 4-person tent when changing clothes inside.
Ventilation & Condensation
Ventilation is quite good with a screened window on every side. The back wall of the tent can’t be closed like the other windows. It’s fully screened and the rainfly controls the amount of ventilation from the outside—stake it out for more airflow, or keep it down.
It’s not as convenient as a window you can adjust from inside, but the added ventilation—plus the larger air volume compared to my old 4-person tent— meant a lot less condensation for me.
Rain Test: Does It Leak?
The tent has stayed dry for me even in very heavy rains. A couple of drops in the corners that might have been condensation was all I found. I’ll use some seam sealer in the corners just to be sure, but there were no leaks or drips from the fly or sides that I could see.
Screened Porch: Worth It?
The screened porch is a nice bonus. It won’t stay dry in rain, but it expands the usable area when it’s dry out. When there are a lot of bugs you can sit and eat or just relax in comfort. Two camping chairs fit easily, and it’s a great place to take off shoes.
I also use the porch like an “air-lock” to keep bugs out. I try to close the porch door before opening the main tent door. That means bugs have to get through two doors, and I keep both open for as little time as possible.
When it rains, water will pool on the floor of the tent’s screened porch. There is a strip of mesh material in the front for drainage and holes in the back corners. You can sweep water toward the front if it doesn’t naturally roll that way.
Some reviews complain that you can’t stay dry in the porch. That’s fair—but I don’t store gear there except maybe shoes. For me it’s a bug buffer, a clean entry area, and bonus living space when the weather is nice.
Accessories I Recommend
Like most tents, the included stakes are basic. I recommend upgrading:
- 6 10" heavy duty tent spikes for the 6 tent grommets in the corners.
- tri-beam style tent stakes for the guy lines.
Easy to Setup (Even Solo)
Although the tent is on the larger side, it wasn’t too hard to set up. It’s basically:
- Laying out a tarp as a groundcloth
- Laying the tent on top and unfolding
- Staking the 6 rings/grommets using the 10" spikes (don’t hammer all the way in yet)
- Connecting fiberglass poles (4 total): 2 black (main tent), 1 grey (screened porch), 1 short (rain fly)
- Sliding poles through sleeves and inserting into pins
- Attaching tent clips to poles
- Adding rainfly pole and rainfly; hook opposite corners first, then attach the rest (easier if stakes aren’t fully hammered yet)
- Staking guy lines with tri-beam stakes
- Staking the loops under the screen door zipper and sides of the door mat
Two people is easier, but I’ve set it up alone in under 15 minutes.
Evanston Screened 6 Dimensions
There are two sections: the main sleeping area and the screened porch. The main area is 10' wide by 9' deep. The screened porch is 10' wide by 5' deep. Together that’s roughly a 10' x 14' footprint.
| Dimensions | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Sleeping area | 10' x 9' | Best for 2–4 |
| Screened porch | 10' x 5' | Bug buffer / shoe zone |
| Footprint | ~10' x 14' | Plan your campsite pad |
| Center height | 5'8" | Taller than many domes, not stand-up |
How Many People Will The Evanston 6 Sleep?
Tent capacity is always misleading. When a manufacturer says “6 person,” they basically mean 6 sleeping bags shoulder-to-shoulder. For the Evanston 6 it would look like this:
A rule of thumb I’ve heard is to subtract 2 from the manufacturer capacity for comfort. Four people is a good fit in the Evanston 6 with room for some gear and easier in/out. You can even fit two queen air mattresses side-by-side, but it’s tight around the curved walls.
A low-profile air mattress is better than a tall one because the walls curve. A queen can work, but a slightly smaller mattress is often smarter:
Personally, I use the Evanston 6 as a 2-person tent with a single air bed and a couple of totes as nightstands. It’s roomy and comfortable, which makes the whole camping experience feel easier.
Final Verdict
I would recommend this tent. It’s not the fastest “instant cabin” style setup, but it packs smaller, it’s manageable solo, the screen room is genuinely useful, and it has stayed dry for me in heavy rain.
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