Am I the only one who had a cheap tarp outlast a $200 tent?

My buddy's fancy two-person tent got shredded by a pine branch in the Wind River Range, but my basic 8x10 poly tarp, rigged with some paracord, kept me dry for the whole 5-day trip. I learned that sometimes the simple, cheap gear you know how to use beats the expensive stuff you don't. Has anyone else had a piece of budget gear totally save a trip?

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hugo_nelson5mo ago

Your point about knowing your gear is spot on, but the tarp didn't really beat the tent. They're different tools. That tent failed because of a specific accident, a branch fall. A tarp wouldn't have stopped that branch from hitting you either. The real lesson is that a simple shelter you've practiced setting up is always better than a complex one you haven't. The price tag isn't the main thing.

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zara_hill465mo ago

But what if the branch hit the side? A tarp setup is open, so it might just glance off the rope or pole instead of crushing the whole shelter. That's a real difference.

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kelly.daniel5mo ago

Reminds me of a buddy who swore by his fancy bivy sack. Got caught in a surprise hailstorm and those tiny pebbles sounded like gunfire on the thin material all night. He said it felt way more intense than just being under a tree.

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