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That one rainy weekend in the Smokies nearly ruined my tent forever
Last October I camped three nights at Elkmont in the Smokies and it rained for 48 hours straight. My old three-season tent started leaking through the floor by hour 12, and I woke up in a puddle at 4 AM on day two. The seams on the rainfly had fully delaminated and water was dripping right onto my sleeping bag, which cost me $180 and is now ruined. I spent the rest of the trip huddled under a tarp I had to rig with paracord and fallen branches. The worst part was that my campsite was already paid for and I couldn't just bail because I drove 6 hours to get there. Has anyone else had a tent completely fall apart in steady rain like that? What brand held up for you when it really mattered?
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ruby_rivera769d ago
Oh man that sucks big time. I had basically the same thing happen to me with a Eureka tent a few years back in the Smokies actually. That constant drizzle just finds every weak spot. What finally worked for me was switching to a Marmot tent with a full coverage rainfly that goes all the way to the ground. I also started seam sealing every new tent myself before the first trip, even if the label says it's factory sealed. That cheap stuff they put on at the factory just doesn't hold up. Now I carry a small tube of seam sealer and a patch kit in my bag just in case. Saved me twice since then.
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