Rainfly failed on me at 2am in the Smokies

I was camped at a backcountry site near Cades Cove last October when a storm rolled in around midnight. The supposedly waterproof seal on my rainfly just gave up... water started dripping right onto my sleeping bag. I ended up scrambling to rig a tarp over my tent with some paracord I had in my pack. It held for the rest of the night but I was soaked and chilly by morning. That experience taught me to always test gear before I trust it in serious weather. Has anyone else had a rainfly suddenly fail on them during a trip?

2 comments

2 Comments

west.henry1d ago

Four years and that Cades Cove storm still haunts my dreams.

olivia_allen1d ago

Older gear fails at the worst moments like that's a universal rule lmao.