Crua OutdoorsReviews of cruaoutdoors.com

Super company to deal with. The Crua team spent the time to explain which tents suited our needs. We first bought the Tri and then the Loj. Both are awesome tents and totally different to anything out there. Insulation works with heat, sound and light. And we've used them in very extreme weather - hot, cold, windy, wet. Held up every time. Does exactly what it says. Lots of attention to detail in the design. A solid 5 stars all round.

Chris was brilliant to deal with. Not pushy. Great product.

The Crua Tent/Hammock arrived intact and with all the contents. We went camping and my son gave the hammock a test run. The instructions were for an older model, had very small pictures and was over-simplified. However, it was fairly intuitive and my 16 year old figured it out in about 10-15 minutes (probably faster next time). There was some uncertainty as to how some of the some of the lines were anchored but he figured it out. He slept well and was warm during a 35 degree colorado night. He was very happy the next morning although he felt the hammock could have been a little more taut (but that probably will be corrected with a little experimentation on our next trip. (A suggestion for purchasers. It is a good idea to put the straps that secure the tent to the tree in a ziploc bag as they will get sappy from pine trees which can get on to your other gear)

EXTENDED USE UPDATED REVIEW 7/14/2019 **In a nutshell, we bought a Loj, it took three months to get to us, was missing three pieces, leaked severely, had big intentional holes by the door, was missing velcro pieces, no grommets for the inner tent poles to go into at the top, had pin size holes here and there, and definitely is no uv as the fabric had faded incredibly in two months. Crua sent us another tent. Condensation saturated the sleeping area floor, mildewed the inner tent and may have ruined it. A mouse got in through the big openings beside the door, and had babies and defecated in the sleeping area. Crua tried to make it right, but it seems as much a design problem as quality issues. Humidity issues have not been resolved, and a tent of this price that is not completely sealed to bugs, and animals is absolutely inexcusable. Sadly we can not recommend this tent until more thought goes into the construction. PREVIOUS REVIEW: If one is considering the Loj, I can't recommend either way. It will be up to the purchaser. This is an extensive review as there aren't many out there and it needs to be long to be fair. PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW IF YOU START READING in the interest of brutal fairness. The Tent: The Cons: I can tell already this will not be the last tent we will ever buy. It will not last forever. However, it may last longer than other tents out there. The bug mesh, while it might be the best on the market, is already stretching and piling. It is already fading from the sun. This after about 4 weeks up. It is not a fully enclosed tent (odd design). The two side doors are designed in a way that the bath tub floor puckers and leaves softball size open areas on each side of the bottom of both side doors (I believe so that they are wheelchair accessible, but the big front one is too so why they continued for all three doors, it is odd.) This is not a deal killer, not many bugs come in, but we do worry about rodents, snakes, skunks etc, getting in and destroying it. The first one sent to us leaked from the roof, and water permeated the fabric in many locations. There were pin size holes here, and there. It is heavy, and takes a long time to set up (we knew this, so not really a knock.) The orange tie done cords, faded in the sun, in two weeks, I have para-cord that has been outside for 2 plus years through summer and winter, that hasn't faded. At this price point, perhaps the guy lines should be made of 550 fade resistant paracord. The roof might need a double layer of material to ensure waterproofness over time, but then this already heavy tent would even be moreso. Crua worked with us, to get a new tent. More about that later. They are fair brokers. The Pros: All that stuff above aside. This tent is a fantastic space to be in, minus the leak issue on the first one. The windows are fantastic, and tuck nicely out of the way when they are open. It is spacious inside. The vestibule is a very nice storage and sitting space, and the awning adds even more shade space on non windy days. Now they hype the comfort of the sleeping area a lot, but this feature REALLY is fantastic, and exceeds the hype. It is so comfy, warm, super dark, and deadens the sound a little. Our bulldog loves this tent and he sleeps longer in the dark. Sleeping in the tent was a nice experience even at 39 degrees F, without a heater. The new color we received is fantastic, perfect, as it is now similar to the tri's color. Not bright green. The ground cover is very nice, and the tub floor and the extra vestibule tarps are thick and well made. I would give the tent a 4/4.5 stars if yours doesn't leak. The tent needs some type of spredder ridge poles to help keep the water from pooling heavily on roof on both sides of the ridge seam. There is some refinement that needs to be done. I believe this is one of the culprits of our first leak and will be of any future leak. Quality Control and Logistics: This was a nightmare. We purchased the tent in February, said to ship in March, that turned into late April , and then it was finely June 1 before we had all pieces in hand. The tent shipped without 3 pieces, and it took much longer than expected. The replacement tent, still shipped missing one piece (we now have it). The original tent had what we were told was seam sealing tape issues, hence the leakage (not sure this was the only leak issue, it came right through the fabric.) There were half velcro pieces missing on the front windows(as you can image only one side of velcro is useless,) there was an extra clasp on the inner tent (better than being one short), and some other minor design issue that had us scratching our heads. Give this issue 1 star on quality control and shipping. Crua Customer Service - Crua worked hard to communicate with use constantly, and to rectify the situation. Derek even flew to China to personally pack a replacement tent and test it. Again would give them a 4/4.5 on customer service and standing behind the product. However, we are exhausted from the experience. They also tried to make up for some of the issue won't go into how, other than to say they graciously allowed us to keep the full original tent to use as spare future parts, and to avoid the hassle of shipping back. Verdict. It is up to you. If you need a tent that you set up once and leave up, and $2000 is not extremely painful for you, and you want something that might stand instead of a cabin, and you moderate your expectations a little this might be the tent for you. The experience inside is the most building-like and the least tent like we have had and we have had many tents. If you buy, we recommend setting up quickly after arrival and thoroughly examining it. I do have no doubt that if you do have issues, that Crua will listen and work with you.

I staked my tent in a very windy hill, and didn’t drive the stakes all the way into the sod, maybe half way in- as a test. The wind laid the tent nearly flat until I set it at an angle, but the stakes weren’t worried. I left the tent billowing in the wind all day. The stakes are very light weight for hiking and I don’t know exactly how strong they are for driving into dirt, I pressed mine in with my palm, and I wouldn’t want to damage them striking them too hard with a hammer so I’ll bring a sod cutting stake to prepare their location before making them survive the windy North Dakota prairie. Excellent service, good product.

You want to stay comfortable in the outdoors? Get a crua you won’t be sorry ! They hold up to the worst weather and make your stay great !

My girlfriend and I used the Crua Duo for both car camping and hiking in Iceland. We also made use of the Crua Cacoon while car camping. We could not have asked for a better tent. The insulation was great not only for thermal reasons, but also for reducing rain noise and keeping out the light since the sun never set while we were there. The tent itself was very water proof and sturdy. Wind speeds reached high enough that at times we had to lay down to keep from being blown off of our feet. With minimal coverage in the way of wind breaks the tent was fine. Even without getting the chance to dry it for two weeks straight it didn't shown any signs of wear. We have had it for two years now and subjected it to several more trips. Still looks and works like new.

This review request was received after making a purchase on the website. Website is easy to navigate and customer service is quick and professional. Can’t wait for my products!