That $250 'ultralight' tent leaked on my first trip to Yosemite

Ngl I fell for the hype on some fancy DCF tent that was supposed to be the best thing ever. Took it out to Yosemite last spring and woke up in a puddle at 3 AM because the seams weren't sealed right. I tried fixing it with seam grip but it still wet out on me the next night. Honestly for that kind of money you'd expect it to actually keep the rain out. Has anyone else had luck with cheaper silnylon tents holding up better?

3 comments

3 Comments

jana_shah1mo ago

Man silnylon really does punch way above its weight (and price) doesn't it?

betty_kelly91mo ago

Feel for you man, that's a rough way to spend a nice trip. I've had similar luck with a cheaper silnylon tent that's been through some serious storms without any leaks so far. Honestly sometimes the simple materials just work better than the super expensive hype stuff imo.

taylorshah1mo ago

Waking up in a puddle at 3AM is honestly one of the worst camping feelings (right up there with forgetting your stove fuel). I used to be totally on the hype train for those ultralight DCF shelters, thought they were the only way to go for weight savings. But after hearing stories like yours and seeing how well my buddy's cheap silnylon pyramid tent holds up in actual storms, I definitely changed my mind on what's actually worth the money.

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