NINE YEAR OLD THREAD WARNING

Cheap tents are often false economy - it's money wasted that could have been put towards the inevitable better replacement tent.

https://www.tarptent.com/product/protrail/

It kind of bugs me, because i think it inflates the prices for everyone. I joined in 1986 and I think I have only returned one or two things, for serious warranty issues. (I've returned unused shoes that didn't fit that I mail-ordered.)

I think REI should adopt a policy of only having X number of returns allowed in a lifetime, or per $1K spent, etc., which might encourage people to save the return privilege for when it is really needed.

As for tents, I've always found REI's own brands to be a very good value.

Unfortunately, I saw this after it was too late.

Ooo, a zombie thread! At least this one is still relevant. I own a higher end tent these days, but it took me a lot of nights in a cheap tent before I got there. There's nothing wrong with a cheap tent. You just have to be OK with the trade-offs. My first touring tent was something like $30. I swapped out the fiberglass poles for AL poles from a nicer tent that I had(bigger, not good for touring). I think the heavy, easily broken fiberglass poles are the one major downfall of a cheap tent. My cheap tent kept me dry on a very rainy first tour. I basically woke up in a waterbed one morning. The tent floor was floating in water. I was dry inside. It was a bit heavier and bulkier than my nice tent, but it got the job done. One thing I would say that contradicts others is that I've found cheaper tents to often be more robust than expensive tents. My cheap tent had a heavy tarp floor. I'm sure I could have skipped using a ground cloth with that thing. Expensive tents are made with thin, light-weight materials. I prefer that when traveling light, but I do have to be more careful with my lighter tent.

My cheap tent was this model, but by a different company, and as mentioned, had basically a regular tarp as the floor. Like a tarp you'd use to cover a pile of firewood, not a backpacking tarp. This one has a thin floor. I noticed some reviews of this one say this floor is not waterproof. Mine definitely was. It lost a couple pounds by swapping out the poles, leaving it at ~3.6lbs or something like that. https://www.amazon.com/Wenzel-Lone-T.../dp/B07CBS6P1F

yes i know, i'm another newb biting on a zombie thread! that out of the way, i always, always, always reply to tent threads with the following:

go get a eureka backpacking tent, and you will never go with another brand. i've taken a lot of flack for this over the years. i DO NOT work for or represent eureka in any way. i have, however, used eurekas for over 30 years or camping in some very rugged and challenging conditions, and through 4 tents they have never let me down. this includes a couple years living and camping through alaska winters with nights down to -30 and waking up to feet of snow trapping me inside.

i have also had my $150 tent out with friends in high class name brand tents and watch them get flooded out, zippers break, seems rip, you name it. the only time one of my eurekas failed me what when it was over 10 years old and well past its prime.

so, because they have never let me down, and because a lot of "real outdoors people" look down their noses at eureka, i make it a point to go out of my way to vocally support them.

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don't mind the ex girlfriend, as the tent has lasted longer! chena hotsprings outside of fairbanks a few years back.

I got a 3-person low-priced Eureka tent some years back, free from a friend that wasn't using it. Later I looked up the specs, weight was as low as many similar higher-priced tents.

yeah, the weight is somewhat close to the more expensive brands. maybe slightly heavier, but realistically, as we all know, if you are backpacking or bikepacking a lot of times your tent is wet in the bag on some days so the weight savings is negligable imho. plus im not a weight weenie so i don't trifle over such matters. somebody a long time ago in this thread mentioned difference in poles, but the eurekas have always had good aluminum poles with them. and i've never had a bungee fail in a pole or had one bend for no reason.

i think a lot of the reason cheap tents get a bad rap is that the people who buy them typically dont have a lot of experience, and as a result don't treat their tent with the proper care. thus, when they pull it out of the bag the second or third time there are mildew spots, or something is ripped or broken. then they go onto the wallyworld website and leave a crap review. folks who drop a lot of money on a tent tend to look after it better so of course they report that they last longer. but it seems that for the most part my eurekas have been constructed with the same materials and quality construction of high-end brands, so it stands to reason that with proper care they would perform as well and last as long. also i always dry my tent out and clean thoroughly after any trip.

Some years back I was surprised to learn that nylon degrades significantly with UV exposure, not that I tour enough to wear a tent out that way. Another thing about tents is that there's so many different features, it's not as if paying more automatically checks off all the boxes. IE free-standing vs staked for one. The Eureka I mentioned was semi-stealth olive drab. Many of the fancier tents are brightly colored which makes sense for back-country backpacking but not great for stealth-camping bike tourists.

We have given our Eureka 4-season tent some hard use in really harsh conditions. It has always been reliable, and is a good value. Eureka, like most manufacturers have tents in a range of costs and quality.

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totally agree there. the simplicity of the eureka models is something i like and think leads to fewer problems. some folks like fancy bells and whistles that you don't get from eureka, and i get that. agreed also about the color thing. my current tent is the sun "something or other" model, and it's bright orange. i miss my green one that was more camo'd. as a result, on my last few trips i have been taking the hammock and not the eureka because, like you, i like to be more stealth when i'm stealth camping!! hahah, but in the campground i don't care what color it is.

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This.
Anything under 100 ain't worth touching.
Always buy at the end of summer when you can get a $200+ tent for 50% off if you hunt well.
My personal opinion is for longevity the $200-300 tents are the go, usually strong but maybe a bit heavier and bulkier.
For lightness and smaller packed size more expensive tents are the go.
You can trade off, expensive larger tent that weighs the same as a cheaper one.

Things I think are essential and have used in anger:
External pitch, using either straps or a footprint. i.e. being able to put up the outer without the inner. So you can set up and pack down in the rain or set up a shelter for lunch.
Decent vestibules, one per person, symmetrical so there's no arguments.
Side vestibules, no crawling out the end over your gear.
Lots of mesh. Ventilation. You generally don't ride when the weather is freezing. Decent roof vents to reduce condensation if it is cold.
Bug proof.
Double ended zippers on the vestibule/s so the top can be opened for extra ventilation.

Other advice. Worthwhile maintaining a good tent if it's heavily used., UV kills tents. Using something like Nikwax Tent and Gear Solar Proof as a sacrificial coating. 3 months use will see a tent fading. Do this and it'll be the floor failing that will see you replacing the tent. Eventually the PU coating will wear out and it'll start leaking.

One of my best touring tents for two was the Alps Mountaineering Chaos 2. $125 including the footprint. Floor started weeping after about 6 months daily use. Still might use it for the next tour, hopefully not much rain, dunno, risky.

Way to go Doug! You're rocking it! I like Your trip pics.

Pitching a tent under tree cover or at the end of the day and packing it in the morning greatly prolongs the life of your tent versus keeping it pitched throughout the day or sleeping in in the morning and packing it by 10 or 11 am. :-)

Doug, that too is a neat photo, very impressive spot isnt it? Did you shovel out a bit to make the ground more level or were you listing like the Titanic inside (I suspect you shovelled, thats still angled quite a bit around the tent)
cheers

DO: be careful of deadwood in trees or dead-trees that may fall, especially in wind.

Another example of less-is-more ;)

Ain't no way I'm getting up at 3am in northern Japan to save a tent! They should have two time zones but they don't.

Oh and always store tents loosely stuffed into a larger bag, not folded the same way. Even better if you have room to hang them up. Creases in the same area aren't good, nor are hard folds.

When I bought a tent for riding the TD route a few years back, I opted for a Eureka Midori Solo. Ideally it would have been a DW Moment but the extra $200.00 would have only shaved off a tad over a pound. I liked the Solo so much that I picked up the 2 person version for my wife and I to use when bikepacking. The tub design is also a key feature if you get caught in torrential downpours.

But as mentioned... More $$$$'s means less ####'s

You guys are gonna make me want to check what Eureka has for tents just for $hits and Giggle$ :-) ... like I need another tent in the house :-)

If I take a day off and stay at the same site for two nights, my tent is not coming down just to save it from some UV. It is staying exactly where I put it in the first place.

In hotter weather I often look for a shady spot that is flat enough for shade for the rest of the day, but that is because of my personal comfort, not the tent.

I have been known to take a minute or three to take my panniers and sleeping bag out, unstake and move my tent to a much nicer, cooler shady spot--for both me and tent, if easy to do.

Northern Japan, I'll actually get the compass out to work out where the @##$ sun is gonna come up, so I can pitch the tent in the morning shade, means it sometimes sits out in the middle of the campground. You see all the other campers putting their tents up in the afternoon shade, poor buggers. Getting cooked out of your tent at 6am sucks.
That tent and gear Solarproof I mentioned above does work, and also increases the water repellency a heap, so is great for old tents that wet out,wetting out increases condensation on the inside of the fly. Easy to apply too.

Thanks for the tip...suncreen for tents! Does it go on the fly too?

After a 90° day that looks so refreshing. Challenging too, wow. Next season I gotta take a couple lessons so I can handle moguls.

on the fly, on the outside of the floor and on the footprint. Can do the inner as well, makes it water resistant. Well the non mesh bits anyway. Every Nikwax product I've used does what it says on the tin.
I use my gear hard, but maintain it too...

This winter I splurged on Nikwax stuff, washed the jackets & ski pants etc with the DWP stuff plus did the DWP spray; base layer refresh on the undies. A bit pricey but yes, it all seems to work so it's much cheaper than buying new garments.

An expensive, well designed , tent will survive in very windy conditions that will tear a cheap tent apart..

Had a Hilleberg. Leaked at the corners from day one. The fabric they use sags in heavy rain. The only good thing I can say about the company is they fairly gave me a refund after pretending the leaks were condensation.

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.

I have used several tents over the years and have done well with cheap ones. As someone mentioned, wind protection mostly has to do with how well you stake a tent down if you have a full fly.

My first was an old A frame two man pup tent that worked great but was a bit heavy and required a lot of staking. I eventually gave the inner to my brother to use with a tarp but kept the sil nylon fly.

The second was a pretty pricey 2 man dome tent for climbing. It was good, but still heavy (ish) and cramped for two as it was a small circle - say "cosy two".

Next was an actual $29 free standing Canadian Tire tent. The fly was small for rain and wind but ok for summer use. It was super simple and suprisingly light after I upgraded the fiberglass poles for Al ones that cost $50 at MEC. That made a big weight difference.

I recycled my first tents 30 Y/O nylon fly for better rain coverage and to include my bike underneath for theft protection. The bike acted like a tent pole and I could see it clearly through through the mesh. It looks crazy but when I don't care about the bigger size/weight it makes an excellent base. The fly gives full coverage and if staked good wind protection.

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Then I decided to go lighter still and last year bought a 1 man North Face Stormbreak 1 tent on sale for $129 (regular $160-170). Very light if you take all the unneccessary doo dads off, super easy to set up, a good fly and small (3'x7'). To get good rain coverage you need two stakes, full wind 4.

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I love the north face stormbreak! i think the main differences between a cheap and an expensive tent are usually weight and quality. but i think that "expensive" is kind of extreme. tents like hilleberg aren't necessary for MOST people. and a GOOD quality tent isn't really expensive at all. you can get a really good tent for $150-$200, it will just be heavier than more expensive ones.