PSA: That $15 tarp from the hardware store in Bend saved my tent, not the $200 rainfly
I was camping near Sparks Lake last month and a storm rolled in at 2am with sideways rain. My $200 rainfly leaked at the seams within an hour and everything inside got soaked. In a panic I grabbed the cheap blue tarp I bought at a hardware store in Bend for $15 and threw it over the whole tent. Woke up dry while my buddy's high end setup was a puddle. Now I bring two tarps and leave the fancy fly at home. Has anyone else ditched expensive rain gear for basic tarps or am I just lucky?