Just hit 500 nights in the same tent

I bought a basic two-person tent from a big box store for about $80 six years ago, thinking it would last a season or two. I've used it for everything from weekend trips in the White Mountains to a two-week stay in a state park. I logged the 500th night last month and the only thing I've replaced is a single pole section. I always thought you needed to spend a lot more to get something that lasts. Has anyone else had a cheap piece of gear totally outlive your expectations?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_simon1mo ago

That "basic two-person tent from a big box store" story is awesome. I had a similar thing with a cheap daypack I got on clearance. Used it for years as a grocery bag, a gym bag, and for light hikes. The stitching finally gave out last year, but it lasted way longer than any fancy bag I've owned. Sometimes you just get lucky with a piece of gear and it becomes a total workhorse. Makes you wonder how much marketing plays into the idea that you always need the expensive stuff.

the_lisa1mo ago

Ever notice how the cheap stuff you don't baby lasts forever, but the expensive thing you're scared to mess up breaks fast? Like the gear knows it's being treated as disposable so it just... refuses to quit.

spencer_owens581mo ago

Wait, did you just say that tent story is from the_simon? I gotta scroll up and read that again because that's wild. I had the exact same thing with a $30 Ozark Trail tent from Walmart back in college. That thing survived a flash flood, two drunk friends falling on it, and a bird that somehow got inside and tried to claw its way out through the mesh. Meanwhile my buddy's pricey REI tent got a zipper jam on its third trip. Crazy how that works.

milam481mo ago

Maybe my cheap stuff lasts because I expect it to fail?