My buddy swore by a $15 tarp, I learned the hard way in the Smokies

A guy I work with kept telling me not to spend big on a footprint for my tent. Said a cheap blue tarp from the hardware store does the same thing. Took his word for it on a 4 day trip in the Smokies last October. First night was fine, second night the ground was soggy and the tarp slid sideways under the tent. Woke up with a wet sleeping bag and a sore back. He's a good guy but clearly never camped in the rain for more than a few hours. Anyone else get burned by the 'just use a tarp' advice or did I just do it wrong?

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averymitchell17d ago

Is it just me, or does this kinda track with how people cheap out on the stuff that actually touches the ground? Like, we'll spend a ton on a fancy tent and then put it on a glorified shower curtain. I mean, the tarp trick works fine for a dry weekend, but the moment you get real weather, it's basically a slip and slide. The whole "just use a tarp" thing feels like one of those life hacks that only works when nothing actually goes wrong. You probably did it right, the advice was just built for easier conditions than what you got.