My switch from a cheap tarp to a proper rain fly after a storm in the Smokies

For years I just used the same blue tarp I bought at a hardware store for $8. It worked okay for a while, but last June I got caught in a nasty thunderstorm near Clingmans Dome. That tarp ripped right at the grommet around 2 AM, and my whole sleeping bag got soaked. I switched to a silnylon rain fly from a local outfitter in Gatlinburg, cost me about $60. The first night I tested it in a drizzle, not a single drop got through. Has anyone else made a similar switch and regretted not doing it sooner?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia_allen27d ago

2 AM in a thunderstorm on Clingmans Dome with a ripped tarp? That sounds like an absolute nightmare, I can't believe you had to deal with that. I've always wondered how people trust those cheap tarps for real weather when a proper rain fly is built for it. Silnylon is a game changer for sure, glad you finally got one.

tyler_wilson27d ago

I mean, a ripped grommet at 2 AM in the rain definitely sounds annoying, but come on. "Absolute nightmare"? It's just a wet sleeping bag lol. You dry out in a few hours.