Bought a $180 ultralight tarp shelter for the Superior Hiking Trail and it was a total waste
I really wanted to go light for a 4 day trip on the Superior Hiking Trail last September, so I dropped $180 on this ultralight tarp setup that everyone on YouTube says is a game changer. First night near Finland, MN it rained sideways and the tarp flapped so hard I got soaked in my bag anyway. Second night I spent 40 minutes trying to get a taut pitch with rocks because the ground was too soft for stakes. My buddy had a plain $60 REI quarter dome and slept dry both nights while I was shivering. I get that tarps save weight, but I lost sleep and $180 on a shelter that only works in perfect weather. Has anyone actually made a tarp work on a wet trip like that, or did I just pitch it wrong?