Why does nobody talk about how heavy those old canvas tents were

I used to use my dad's old canvas tent from the 80s and it weighed like 25 pounds plus it took forever to dry out. Last summer I finally switched to a Kelty 4 person tent that weighs under 8 pounds and sets up in 5 minutes. Has anyone else made the switch from heavy gear and actually noticed a difference on longer hikes?

2 comments

2 Comments

tarajenkins5h ago

I traded my dad's old Eureka Timberline for a Sierra Designs lightweight tent a few years back. It was like night and day carrying that thing 6 miles into the backcountry. I didn't realize how much I was just tolerating the old heavy gear until I didn't have to anymore.

verafoster3h ago

Wait, so how long did you lug that old Timberline around before you finally wised up? @tarajenkins, I think we've all been there with that one piece of gear we just tolerate because it's what we know. My first backpack was a hand-me-down external frame from the 80s that weighed more than my current fully loaded pack. After switching to a lighter setup, I honestly felt like I was cheating on the trail, but my back has never complained since.