Can we talk about that weekend my tent collapsed in the rain?

3 comments

3 Comments

Man I used to be the guy who thought you could just stake down any cheap tent and weather the storm. But last spring we had this trip where the wind picked up around 2AM and my tent poles just SNAPPED like twigs. The whole thing caved in on me and my buddy, we had to sit in the car until dawn soaked through everything we owned. That weekend completely changed my mind about spending money on a good tent. Now I check everything - pole thickness, rain fly coverage, the whole setup - before I buy anything. Sometimes you gotta learn the hard way that gear actually matters when you're relying on it.

juliag101mo ago

Wait, is a snapped tent pole really that traumatic though? I've been using a $40 Coleman for like four years now and it's been through some pretty gnarly storms without breaking a sweat. Maybe @jesse_fisher just got unlucky or was using one of those super cheap Ozark Trail specials from Walmart. Not saying gear doesn't matter, but I think people overhype how much you need to spend to stay dry and safe. How many nights a year are you actually camping in 40 mph winds anyway?

umamartin29d ago

Bought a cheap tent once, had the same thing happen to me in a downpour @juliag10, so I just started using a heavy duty tarp underneath and over the rain fly for extra coverage. It ain't pretty but it's kept me dry through some nasty storms since then.