I'll offer some of my tent experiences for whatever it's worth. I've owned 4 tents.

-First was a two man canvas army surplus up tent with a Coleman livingroom 'sleepover' type of sleeping bag (cloth exterior and pillow like stuffing). I'd run away from home as a teenager. Rain defeated the tent and soaked the sleeping bag ... my first lesson in being unprepared for the elements. After living wet for a bit I reevaluated the usefulness of shelter, independence, and a roof over my head.

-Next was a Eureka Timberline two man tent ('A' frame) ... not an el cheapo throw away tent but rather an entry level real tent. It was modestly priced and one of my first pieces of 'real' backpacking/camping gear (along with CampTrails external frame backpack, Coleman Peak1 stove, and Vasque hiking boots). I backpacked with the tent, used it for weekend trips, and used it on my long climbing trips as a basecamp shelter. I lost the rainfly at some point and replaced it. Sometime in the last third/quarter of its life the floor started leaking because the water proofing had failed (poor storage? wear & tear? wrong cleaning products?) and I tried treating it with an aftermarket product but the damage was done. I'd make sure I was carefully positioned on my sleeping pad like a life raft, and that my gear was protected, to avoid puddles of water on the floor in heavy rain. (It's possible that my washing it had contributed to the leaking and thereafter I've been cautious about damaging gear by washing: I think more damage can be done by carelessly washing gear than just leaving it dirty ... this holds for tents, packs, sleeping bags, and outerwear ... know your chemistry). I';d always used it with a groundcloth.
The tent died in the Utah desert during a sandstorm. Strong wind and sand. At dusk one could see a column of red sand about 30 feet off the ground in all directions and above that clear sky. I retreated to a friends pickup truck when it was no longer possible to conduct our conversation outside due to sand blowing in our mouths. Not possible to eat without a mouthful of crunching gritty sand between the teeth. Sand in ears. Sand in eyes. Sand everywhere. Red sand managed to find its way inside the (newish) truck's cab and dusted the entire interior, dashboard, and seat. After the inside-pickup-truck hang mode ended I set my tent up and retired for the night. I woke up in the morning to a clear blue skies, sunshine, and sound of flapping nylon on a gusty windy day... a deep drift of red sand had blown inside the tent and partially buried me. Somehow I'd slept through it. It had been so windy during the night I'd blocked out the noise. The tent however was irreparably ripped apart and shreds of nylon were wildly flapping and snapping in the wind. That was the bitter end of the Eureka Timberline. It had served me well for 23 years!

-Knowing what it is to live with a leaking tent, and due to spending longer periods base camping and in diverse conditions, my next tent was a premium two man, 4 season Goretex single wall tent (to reduce weight, but still heavier than its predecessor). Double entrance. Big vestibule for gear. Mesh pockets and gear loft. Plenty of headroom (the Eureka was limited in that regard). This was a huge step up in comfort. I wasn't doing backpacking at the time so the carry weight wasn't an issue. An early season storm during it's maiden voyage saw a torrential deluge of rain for many days on end, the ground became alive with water and rivers appeared throughout the campground. Campers built makeshift gullies, dams, and berms to redirect water around their tents. Many tents had quickly flowing water underneath them. Qualities that were optional in lesser conditions such as well implemented water proofing, seam sealing, and bathtub floors ... now became front and center. The ill prepared were forced to bail out ... or grovel with sopping wet gear. For the 1st time in my life I could return to my tent at day's end knowing that all of my gear inside would be bone dry and I'd sleep cozy, snug as a bug in a rug. This sort of shelter dependability was a game changer ... I no longer had to bear the burden of worry during the day about what I'd encounter at night when I unzipped and crawled through the tent's door. After about a week of cold rain it finally ended. It was replaced by the snow. Cheap tents, lightweight tents, and 3 season tents all struggled greatly or failed miserably. Collapsed and abandoned tents were everywhere (many tents with poor designs and/or cheap poles had simply spiraled down under the weight of the snow and flattened like pancakes in a manner not dissimilar to the demise of the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz). The campground became a tent graveyard. Sad nylon flattened out and covered in mud, ripped tents, tents completely abandoned, dirty wet towels, muddy clothing, forlorn detritus. The tent stood proud. No matter what the weather conditions during the day, no matter the continual freaked distress of other campers' uncertain fates trying to come to terms with their predicaments and trying to plot their possible escape (roads unfortunately closed due to snow), I'd return to my dry tent for a sound night's sleep. This was a game changer. I've since had occasion to see many tents destroyed by wind or snow, usually by a sudden unexpected change in weather conditions.
I was once on foot alone about an hour by high clearance car from the nearest town when an unexpected blizzard came. About a foot of snow dumped and temps at about 0º F and high winds. I'd heard on the news later a couple had frozen to death overnight in their pickup. I was stranded incommunicado. Snow piled high on top of the tent. The tent stood proud. Again, a game changer. Btw, I'd bought the tent used in great condition. The zippers gave me some problems after I'd had it for several years (sand?) and the manufacturer - albeit reluctantly - replaced the entire tent under warranty including a new vestibule (as they had changed the design slightly and the old vestibule no longer fit). I'd got it 15 years ago and have spent at least a year of my life sleeping inside it and out has many many more years of service. In the desert for long dig-ins I put a tarp over it to protect it UV. Having a tent that can provide reliable shelter in all weather conditions is a game changer. An iron clad warranty is of serious value. It's commonplace to observe folks struggling with or cursing their shelters. If you use it, gear of excellent quality is worth the price: if you have the time, patience, and determination great deals can be found.

-Recently I obtained a used 2 man tent considered the gold standard of it's class for ultralight through-hike backpacking. I've only set it up and have not yet slept in it. The 4 season tent above weights approx. 6lbs-8lbs depending on how I configure it. This one weights a little over a pound (not including a pair of trekking poles used to erect it)... it is masterfully designed and mind blowing lightweight. I've never bike toured but this is the tent I'd take. It's a camo pattern so is perfect for stealth camping. (I dislike bright tents). It will not handle extreme conditions like the 4-season tent above but from all accounts it can hold its own in wind, rain, and perhaps very light snowfall. For decades I've gone with burlier, heavier, more fully featured gear that can take a beating year after year and still reliably perform; going ultralight is a game changer. This ultralight gear is made of expensive fabric, but it's more delicate (although easily repaired in the field, a great quality), is not designed to yield as long a useful life as heavier tents, and therefor requires more careful use and campsite selection.

I've seen plenty of people with the $29 dollar Walmart tent or their equivalent and they work fine as long as the weather isn't too challenging, but of course they will not last as long as better made tents due to cheaper materials as well as inferior design and construction. Don't underestimate the effects of wind. If the weather seriously craps the bed all bets are off as these tents become undependable and will most likely fail... I've seen plenty of these tents zapped. If you only expect casual usage, and/or in better weather, and/or have a workable backup plan for when serious weather arrives (ex. bailing out to a hotel) a cheap tent may be a viable option. (I have no info on this, but it may be possible to carefully attach additional guy lines on a cheap tent or otherwise modify it by beefing up guy line attachment points or adding adding ones to make it a little more burly? An large inexpensive tarp from a hardware store might be able to be staked down over the tent to possible yield additional rain if more intense weather is expected? But at a certain point it makes more sense to put ones resources into a higher grade tent which incorporates these features). Otherwise it can serve you well, just don't push it beyond its capabilities and then expect to trust your life to it.


Knowing how to select a camp site to position your tent that yields better protection from weather and environmental conditions, knowing how to correctly stake out your particular tent, and use of enough stakes of adequate design for ground conditions and expected weather all play a role in getting the most out of any particular tent.