my $40 tarp beat my buddy's $200 tent in a tahoe downpour

Camped up near lake tahoe last weekend and we got hit with a solid 8 hours of downpour. My buddy brought his fancy 4 season tent and I had my cheap blue tarp with paracord and trekking poles. His tent leaked through a seam on the top after hour three, I stayed bone dry the whole night. The difference was he just set up fast and never checked the ground slope, I spent 10 minutes picking a spot on higher gravel. Also I tied my tarp lower on the wind side which made a huge difference. Anyone else dump cash on gear only to find the cheap setup works better in real storms? What spots do you guys pick first when rain is coming?

2 comments

2 Comments

samrodriguez2d agoTop Commenter

That tarp would've collapsed in real wind, you just got lucky.

amyh122d ago

Samrodriguez is being harsh. Luck had nothing to do with it. I tied that tarp down with extra stakes and rope. Real wind hit it last month and it barely moved. If he wants to test it in a hurricane, that's on him. But calling it lucky just feels lazy.