PSA: Don't trust the waterproof ratings on budget tents after my trip to Shenandoah last April

I spent 3 years using a cheap $60 tent from Amazon that claimed a 3000mm waterproof rating. Last spring I finally coughed up $200 for a used REI Half Dome from a garage sale in Richmond. Got caught in a steady 6-hour rainstorm on the AT and my old tent would have turned into a swimming pool like it did twice before. The Half Dome stayed bone dry inside even with puddles forming under the fly. I stripped the cheap tent down later and found the seam tape was barely attached and the floor fabric was basically glorified trash bag material. My buddy bought the same cheap tent after my warning and woke up floating in 3 inches of water on his second trip out. Anyone else find a huge gap between claimed specs and real-world performance on budget gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

james_butler7d ago

Have you ever actually tested that 3000mm rating yourself though? I've had decent luck with a couple cheap tents over the years, and the trick seems to be re-sealing the seams yourself with seam grip before you take them out. My $45 Naturehike held up fine through a three day soaker in the Smokies after I did that, so it might not be the fabric that's the issue.

kai_stone997d ago

Three days straight in a forty five dollar tent?