Black Diamond Eldorado Review

The Black Diamond Eldorado is one of the most versatile models in our review. It strikes a fantastic balance of remaining reasonably light and compact, yet it's still exceptionally stormworthy and comfortable to hang out in. You can buy a lighter and more compressible model, but if it rains or is super windy, you'll be much happier in the Eldorado. Few tents are as well-rounded. It's light enough for summertime mountaineering and multi-day ski touring, but also stormproof enough for expeditions to the Alaska Range or Peru's Cordillera Blanca, or other winter ascents closer to home.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Set-Up

The Eldorado pitches from the inside, with the ends of the poles inserting into reinforced corners. The poles themselves settle tightly into the corners of the tent, and plastic twist ties wrap around the poles, keeping them in place. The advantage of this set-up is that the poles are well supported by the walls. During times of strong winds or heavy snow loads, the weight is evenly distributed along the length of the pole. This design is one of the key foundations attributing to the strength of this tent, which has been tested time-and-time again on expeditions.

Setting it up may feel a little cumbersome at first, but with a bit of practice, it gets MUCH easier. If the weather permits (AKA not too windy), our testers even preferred to set up it up while standing up (tent draped over our head style) instead of crawling inside the tent while it's laying on the ground. A challenging set-up is one of the few downfalls of this tent, and it does take a little practice to get fast at. To minimize how much snow gets inside when erecting it, care must be taken while pitching the tent.

Weather Resistance

The Eldorado is the strongest two-pole model in our review and offers comparable strength to several three-pole models. The pitch of this tent is bomber and drum-tight once set up, and the poles are well supported by the fabric. Thus, any force from wind or snow loading will be distributed nicely along the length of the poles. The Todd-Tex fabric is ULTRA sturdy and offers full-on expedition-style protection. The side walls are steep, helping this tent shed snow during storms. Its narrow profile and relatively low peak height allow it to handle wind effectively. The six guy points are reinforced and placed at a nice height, maximizing their leverage in keeping the tent anchored in high winds.

This tent is plenty strong enough for use in the greater ranges in places like Alaska or the Himalaya. While its small interior size keeps it from being a good expedition tent on its own (maybe solo), it is plenty strong enough to handle fierce storms and long term camping in exposed locations. While not quite as strong as most of the four pole models we tested, it was as strong or stronger than most of the 3-pole shelters in our fleet.

Livability

There is a slightly above average amount of living space in the Eldorado when compared with the other two-pole single-wall tents. It sports 31 square feet of interior space, more than all the other two-pole shelters in our review, and is only a little smaller than many of the comfort-oriented expedition tents (but has a lot less headroom due to its narrow shape).

When it's nice out, leaving the door of the Eldorado open (with optional bug netting window) is fantastic, but during wet storms, when we were forced to zip it ALL the way up, it handled condensation better than most single wall tents but not all double-wall tents. To help with condensation, there is only one tiny covered vent in the room of the tent. You can only leave the door slightly cracked open since a wire-stiffener in the door flap creates a tiny awning.

The ToddTex ePTFE fabric handles moisture and condensation as well as any single wall tent in our review, which helped make up for not having excellent venting. This is because the Todd-Tex fabric has thousands of micro-hairs in it that help wick moisture to the outside, a design element not seen in any other single wall tent (besides the other BD tents which use the same material).

Black Diamond also sells an optional hooped (AKA poled) vestibule. While the price is a little steep, it makes this tent a lot more versatile. With the additional space, it makes the tent much nicer to hang out in; it gives you more room for your gear, and you can leave the main door completely open to help with condensation management, as it becomes completely covered by the vestibule.

Durability

Like all the other Bibler/Black Diamond tents, this model is bomber. Unlike PU coated fabrics that many single-wall tent manufacturers use, this contender uses a three-layer construction that is not prone to hydrolysis (chemical breakup of the coating) and is much more resistant to tearing.

Delamination will likely happen eventually but we don't know anyone that has experienced a problem with this. Tester Ian Nicholson has used the Eldorado well over 200 days, and it's still going strong. This fabric is thicker than most single wall models, making it more abrasion resistant and less likely to poke a hole through.

Weight/Packed Size

The tent weighs a minimum of four pounds eight ounces and an average packed weight of four pounds 14 ounces, which is a bit heavier than many two-pole shelters.

For the extra weight, you do get more interior space, more durable fabrics, better breathability, and far better strength and storm-resistance. This means the Eldorado is more versatile, comfortable to hang out in, and will hold up better in a storm. While it is a pound heavier, it's still light enough for carrying with you on a route, but if you're looking for a pure bivy tent, there are lighter and much more compact options.

This model is an excellent compromise for climbers who want a light and small shelter, but also want something they could spend storm days hanging out in.

Versatility

This tent works well at a wide range of four-season activities. Its small footprint makes it possible to pitch nearly anywhere, which is an advantage during alpine climbing and mountaineering, where your only options might be a rocky moraine, a tight space between boulders, or a ledge mid-route.

It's light enough for most people to consider taking on climbs and multi-day ski tours in areas with less extreme conditions like the Wind River Range, Canadian Rockies, Tetons, or up a Cascadian volcano, but is strong enough for use on Denali, Mt. Logan, or the Bolivian Andes.

For 3-season applications or use on lower-elevation approaches, this model is one of the best two-pole bivy style tents, mainly due to the breathability and moisture-managing performance of the Todd-Tex fabric.

Value

The Eldorado is expensive and is the priciest two-pole model. We think the fabric justifies it, as no other bivy-style model can match this model's strength or breathability. It becomes even spendier if you decide to buy the optional vestibule. While that is another expense, it does add some serious versatility, even if it lives in your closet, only making an appearance for poor weather adventures. The Eldorado asserts its value because it's tough, livable, and stormworthy.

Conclusion