hugo_jones•2d agoProlific Poster

Last Saturday was the worst camping trip I've ever had. Rained nonstop for 14 hours and my $40 tent from Walmart just gave up.

2 comments

2 Comments

Oh man, that stinks. Did you have any kind of tarp or footprint under the tent, or was it just sitting directly on the wet ground? In my experience, a cheap tent can sometimes survive a downpour if you set it up right, but not if water's seeping up from below. I'm just curious what exactly gave out first - the rainfly or the floor?

benk261d agoMost Upvoted

Actually saw a video by that outdoor gear guy on YouTube a few weeks ago where he tested cheap tents in a simulator that mimicked steady rain. He pointed out that the seams on budget tents are basically just taped, not sealed properly like the expensive ones. After a few hours of water hitting the same spot, that tape just peels off and you get a slow drip right on your face. Also noticed he said the poles on those $40 tents are fiberglass, which can crack or flex too much in wind, making the rainfly sag and pool water. So between the seam tape failing and the rainfly getting floppy from the weight of water, you probably had a double whammy. A tarp underneath might have helped a little with ground seepage but honestly if the rainfly is dumping water inside, you're fighting a losing battle anyway.