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That $18 tarp from the hardware store in Bend held up better than my $120 tent fly
Got caught in a sideways rainstorm at Sparks Lake over Memorial Day and my fancy tent fly soaked through while the cheap blue tarp I threw over the whole thing stayed bone dry. The tarp cost me $18 at a hardware store in Bend and the fly ran me $120 as a replacement part. Now I keep two tarps in the truck and I barely trust the fly at all. Any of you ditched the stock fly for a tarp setup, or am I just doing something dumb with how I pitch it?
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the_amy4d ago
So did the tarp actually work better or did you just want an excuse to feel smart about an $18 purchase? I've been there, my cheap gear always seems to shine right when the pricey stuff quits. Honestly I'd trust a tarp over most stock flies too, those things are flimsy.
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uma_taylor474d ago
Not sure one rainy night at Sparks Lake proves much of anything honestly. A tent fly that soaks through could just mean the coating wore out or you pitched it so the tarp wasn't touching and the fly was catching all the runoff. Tarps do work but they flap like crazy in wind and condensation gets bad underneath if you seal it up too tight. Sounds less like the fly is junk and more like you found a cheap backup that happens to work in one storm. Keep both and test it a few more times before you ditch anything.
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