Crua OutdoorsReviews of cruaoutdoors.com

We bought the expensive Loj... many issues but main one is all doors (including bug mesh) close with velcro not zips which is very difficult to close so comprimising bug protection. Unfortunately issues with loj have not been resolved to our satisfaction and I have given up the fight...there are so many good points about crua's products, temperature control, quality of materials.. but they are not good at giving a full description of their products on videos or on the website.. so I'd advise all purchasers to ask very detailed questions in writing and keep a record of answers before purchasing. There is no way to see the tent before you buy and if it isn't what you expected and doesn't work for you its an expensive mistake II wish them well, they have so much promise but I won't be buying from them again. They won't accept a return unless we pay fee and postage.

I purchased the crua duo + reflective flysheet. When it arrived I set it up indoors and noticed it had a really nauseating toxic smell unlike any other tent I've owned. I aired it out for 3 days with the window open and the smell was the same. I contacted crua support with questions and they were very vague and unhelpful, telling me to use the tent outdoors and that the smell would probably lessen overtime. They also assumed the smell had already lessened by airing it out even though I specifically told them it hadn't. The toxic smell was so strong that being in the tent at all gave me a headache so no, I wasn't going to actually camp in it like this! Crua attributed the smell to "mandatory chemicals that need to be used for safety compliance". Funny, I've bought several new tents over the years and none remotely smelled like this. Crua has a policy that they deduct money from a refund just for having received the tent, but they deduct even more if the tent has been used outdoors. I decided to cut my losses and just return it (return shipping costs are also on the customer). What I wanted was some kind of assurance but instead they put all the risk on the customer (despite bragging about doing the opposite on their site). Trusting this company was a pricey mistake. Yes, they refunded me for part of the purchase etc but I was most disappointed about how customer support does little else than point to their policies. It doesn't feel like they care and they certainly weren't thinking along. At the very least they should put on their site that tents have a strong smell that some people might find offputting - that would have been enough for me to know not to purchase.

We ordered a tent and fly over 2 months ago. When we finally got through to Crua after one month they said it would be here in October. (When I called customer service the recording says that voicemail hasn’t been set up yet!!) Called a month later and was told we will get it in November. No communication from Crua sending us updates on our purchase or apologizing for the delay via email. The reviews show they have a good product but not sure when you can get the product!

I’ve been waiting on my order for months now. I order a crua tri back in mid July. The expectation was for the tent to be shipped in august, but received no update on my order until late August mentioning the delay is due to a quarantine in the area of where the poles are manufactured. I just received a call the following week confirming the tent is all ready to go and will be expedited to me directly from the manufacture that week but when emailed from the customer service in Ireland the following day, they said it will be an additional two weeks. I was excited to hear it’s on its way, but my hopes were too high I presume. If you’re planning a trip for colder weather, I would not plan until the tent has arrived. The communication seems to come from two different sources so there must be a disconnect somewhere regarding timeline/ expectations on ETA.

Took forever to receive had to contact PayPal

The crua cacoon max duo is an awesome tent not for warm weather gets way to hot inside and doesn't stay cool as it is advertised not very happy with my experience the second time of use first time of use worked great but only cause it was under 70 outside in arkansas.

I'm so disappointed with the rain fly for the crua hybrid hammock. I've adjusted it several times to keep the rain from coming in from each end to no avail. If it wasn't for my sleeping pad I would have woke up wet. I had to use my tarp I had brought for a dry outdoor area to hang over the hybrid leaving me to very little area for cooking. I only gave it an extra star cause the hammock is super comfy just wish they would have used more fabric for each end to cover the ropes. If I could return it I would.

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.