Just had a talk with a buddy that made me rethink my whole tent setup

My friend Dave from work told me he spent $40 on a cheap tent at Walmart last spring and it's held up through like 15 trips in all kinds of weather. Meanwhile I've been dropping $200+ on gear thinking you gotta pay for quality to last. Makes me wonder if I've been overthinking camping gear this whole time - anyone else ever had someone totally change how you look at something simple?

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fisher.charlie4mo ago

Have you considered how a cheap tent holds up in a real downpour versus your nicer one?

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ellis.susan4mo ago

Oh "holds up in a real downpour" is exactly the thing. I had a cheap tent from a big box store that was fine in light rain but when a storm hit it just soaked through at the seams. The fly was too short and water would splash up under it onto the inner tent. Plus the floor was thin so even with a footprint it got damp inside. My nicer one has a bathtub floor that comes up like 6 inches and the rainfly goes almost to the ground. No contest when you're stuck inside for hours with nowhere to go.

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