That 4-season tent I bought failed on my first real trip up in the White Mountains

I picked up this 4-season mountaineering tent last spring thinking I'd be ready for anything. Took it up to the White Mountains in New Hampshire back in February for an overnight. First night, wind picked up to like 30mph and one of the pole sleeves just ripped straight open. The fabric separated right at the seam where the pole bends. I had to tape it up with gorilla tape and sleep with my backpack against the wall to keep it from flopping in my face. The whole thing cost me $350 and it failed on trip number one. Has anyone else had a similar experience with a budget 4-season tent not holding up in real conditions?

2 comments

2 Comments

patb121mo ago

My Big Agnes tent did the same thing on my first winter trip in the Adirondacks, but I sewed some grosgrain loops over the weak spots and it's been solid ever since lol.

davis.noah28d ago

Is it really that serious though? @patb12 sounds like your fix worked well enough, so maybe this is more of a one-off issue than a real design flaw. I've seen plenty of Big Agnes tents hold up fine in rough weather without needing repairs.