My old tent finally gave up after a surprise storm in the Smokies

I was on a quick overnight trip near Gatlinburg last weekend when a pop-up thunderstorm hit. I've had this same two-person tent for about eight years, and it's been through a lot, but this was the first time I saw water actually start to drip through the fly seam right above my face. I spent the rest of the night with my headlamp on, holding a bandana up to catch the slow leak. It wasn't a disaster, but it was a clear sign. The funny thing is, I've been looking at new tents online for months but couldn't pull the trigger until this happened. Now I'm finally shopping for a real upgrade. Has anyone else had a piece of gear fail in a way that finally made you replace it, instead of just thinking about it?

3 comments

3 Comments

drews5510d agoMost Upvoted

Ever try to make a cheap camp stove last forever? I used to patch mine with foil and wire, thinking I was being smart. Then it finally quit, mid-boil, on a cold morning with no backup. That moment of holding a cold pot of half-cooked oats was my wake-up call. Sometimes you just need that final, soggy push to actually go buy the right tool.

price.linda10d ago

Oh come on, @drews55, was it really that big of a deal? It's just some wet oatmeal, right?

lilyt2310d ago

Yeah, it seems silly until you're actually stuck. Drew's story about the cold oatmeal hit home for me. Now I see how those small failures force a real fix.