A cheap tent almost ruined my trip to the Sawtooths last July

I bought a '3 person' dome tent on sale for $40, thinking it would be fine for a solo trip. The first night, a light rain started around 2 AM, and within an hour, water was dripping through the fly seams right onto my sleeping bag. The floor felt damp too, like the coating was totally gone. I spent the rest of that night huddled in the middle, using my pack as a pillow to stay off the wet spots. By morning, my bag was soaked and I was freezing, even though it was July. I had to pack up and drive an hour to the nearest town to dry everything out at a laundromat. That 'bargain' cost me a whole day of hiking and almost gave me hypothermia. Has anyone else had a tent fail that badly in just a mild rain?

3 comments

3 Comments

ellis.mia4d agoMost Upvoted

Learned that lesson the hard way with a cheap tent in the Olympics. Now I always do a home test with a garden hose before any trip. Soaked my old living room floor, but it showed me the seams were garbage before I got to the mountains.

anderson.david3d ago

Sounds a bit dramatic for a little rain. Honestly, most cheap tents can handle a light shower if you set them up right. Maybe the fly wasn't on tight.

the_charlie3d ago

Yeah but that garden hose test is key. What's your actual method though? Like, do you set the whole tent up in the yard and just spray it for ten minutes straight, or do you focus on the seams and zippers? I'd be worried about missing a weak spot.