Picked a $40 tent over a $400 one and it actually held up

I was looking at two tents for a trip to the Smokies last fall, the REI Half Dome and some no name brand from Amazon. My buddy kept telling me I'd regret going cheap, but I just couldn't drop $400 on something I'd use twice a year. Got the $40 one, set it up in my backyard first, and it leaked on the first rain. But after I seam sealed it myself with a $5 tube of silicone, it survived three nights of storms in the Smokies without a drop inside. Has anyone else had luck patching up budget gear instead of buying high end?

3 comments

3 Comments

park.robin1mo ago

That bit about seam sealing it yourself really caught my attention. I had a similar experience with a cheap sleeping bag I bought off a clearance rack a few years ago. The zipper broke on the second trip, but I just sewed a new one on by hand with some heavy thread from the craft store. It's not pretty, but it's been working fine for three seasons now. Sometimes I think we get too caught up in buying the perfect gear when a little patience and a trip to the hardware store can fix most problems.

gray61mo ago

Dude, that's awesome you fixed it yourself instead of tossing it. It's way more satisfying to use gear you've patched up yourself.

jennyp1929d ago

Whoa wait, you hand-sewed a zipper?! Like with just a needle and thread from a craft store? That's honestly kind of wild, I would have just given up and bought a new bag.