Spent $150 on a lightweight tent, totally regret it now

I bought this ultralight tent off some online deal last spring for the Pacific Crest Trail section I was planning. First night out it leaked like crazy at the seams during a light rain near Shasta. Tried patching it but the material is just too thin, feels like a garbage bag. Anyone else had luck with cheap ultralight gear or is it always a gamble?

2 comments

2 Comments

paige_harris1mo ago

Yeah feels like a garbage bag" is exactly what I was thinking reading this. I made the same mistake with a cheap ultralight years ago and ended up sleeping in a wet puddle all night. You really do get what you pay for with tent material, the thin stuff just can't handle a real storm.

dylan2651mo agoMost Upvoted

Read a review from a guy who tested that exact tent fabric by spraying it with a garden hose for 10 minutes and it soaked through completely. He said the coating they use on those budget models is so thin it basically just looks waterproof until any real water hits it. Makes me wonder if they even do a proper hydrostatic head test before shipping them out. That puddle story sounds brutal though, had a similar night with a cheap bivy sack and woke up with all my gear damp and cold.