Shoutout to the guy at the REI in Denver who told me to skip the fancy tent

I was getting ready for a week in the Rockies last spring and almost bought this $500 'ultra-light' tent with all the bells and whistles. This older guy in line behind me just said, 'Kid, that thing is a kite in mountain wind. Get a basic three-season from a good brand and spend the extra on a better sleeping pad.' I was annoyed but listened, got a solid Marmot tent for half the price. That advice saved the whole trip. We got hit with 40mph gusts and sideways rain for two nights, and my tent didn't even flinch while I saw a couple of those fancy ones get wrecked in the next site over. He was totally right about the pad too, I slept warm every night. Anyone else get gear advice from a random stranger that turned out to be spot on?

2 comments

2 Comments

rivershah22d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, I need that guy to follow me around. I once bought the most expensive waterproof jacket before a trip, looked like a shiny trash bag, and soaked through in twenty minutes. My buddy's cheap poncho worked better. Now I just feel dumb every time I see it hanging in my closet.

max_davis22d ago

That's the best kind of random advice.