Had a tent collapse on me during a storm in the Smokies last October

I was camping near Elkmont for three nights. Second night a storm rolled in around 2am with winds I guess around 40 mph. My old Coleman tent just folded over on one side and the pole snapped. I spent the rest of the night in my car with the seat leaned back. Made me think about how much I rely on gear working when it actually matters. Has anyone else had a tent fail on them in bad weather? What do you look for now that you didn't before?

2 comments

2 Comments

reese55116d ago

Forty mph winds snapped a tent pole? Dude that's wild, I've had mine hold up in worse.

blair_butler4716d ago

Oh man, Ngl I kinda just snorted at this. 40 mph winds snapping a Coleman pole is basically a rite of passage at this point. Honestly those tents are great for a sunny backyard but the second a cloud looks at them wrong they fold like a lawn chair. Tbh I had the same thing happen with a Walmart special in the Linville Gorge during a surprise storm. Now I won't touch a tent unless it's got aluminum poles and a rainfly that actually touches the ground.