Overheard a guy at REI in Denver say his tent collapsed on him last week

I was in line at REI last Saturday and this guy was telling the cashier how his $80 tent folded up during a storm near Estes Park. He said the poles just snapped like twigs when the wind kicked up around 2 AM. It made me realize I've been skimping on tent quality for years, just grabbing whatever's cheap on Amazon. Has anyone else had a tent fail on them in bad weather?

3 comments

3 Comments

lindag3329d ago

You ever buy something thinking "eh, it'll probably hold up" and then it absolutely does not? Same thing happened to me a few years back with a no-name tent from one of those flash sale sites. First gust of wind and the thing just folded over like a cheap umbrella. I spent the rest of the night in my car shivering and questioning every life choice that led me to buy a 30 dollar shelter. Now I just stick with brands I've seen hold up in actual storms, even if it hurts the wallet a bit more.

patricia_gonzalez29d ago

Yeah, it's like how we cheap out on tires too and then wonder why we're in a ditch.

ellis.faith29d ago

Whoa wait, you spent the whole night in your car? That's next level commitment to a bad purchase. I mean, I've had cheap gear fail on me before but I usually just pack it up and head home, not camp out in the driver's seat. Your patience is honestly kind of impressive, even if it was miserable.