Overheard a guy at the REI return counter say tents are too heavy nowadays

I was at REI last Saturday returning a busted sleeping pad, and this older guy in front of me was swapping out a big 4-person tent. He told the clerk that modern tents are way heavier than the old canvas ones his dad used back in the 70s. That got me thinking about how I've been buying lighter gear every year but maybe ignoring how tough those old tents actually were. Has anyone else noticed the trade off between weight and durability getting worse over time?

3 comments

3 Comments

spencer_chen68d ago

Were those old canvas ones really lighter though, or just built different?

david7398d ago

My buddy thought he was getting a deal on a super light tent from a small brand, took it out for a weekend and a zipper ripped clean off the first night. He ended up wrapping himself in a rain fly and sleeping like a burrito. That old canvas stuff might weigh a ton but at least it won't leave you shivering in a puddle.

andrewh438d ago

My buddy tried patching a 30 year old canvas tent with duct tape and it actually held up better than his fancy new silnylon one. Something about how they weld that modern fabric just doesn't compare to old school stitching.