My $80 tent gave up in rain that was barely falling
Took my new budget dome tent to Big Sur last weekend and woke up with a puddle inside after maybe 2 hours of light drizzle. The seams were taped but the floor fabric felt like it soaked straight through, no ground tarp under it either. Anyone else trust cheap tents on wet ground and regret it, or do I just need a footprint and better site choice?
Took my old Coleman out in the Sierras once and woke up in a puddle too, so I feel your pain on that. The real fix is a cheap polycryo ground sheet under the tent, it costs like $10 and stops all that ground moisture before it even touches the fabric. Then pick a spot on higher ground with some pine needles or grass to keep the water moving away, and your $80 tent will likely hold up fine for years.