That cheap tarp I bought for $15 tore on the second rainy night

I always thought tarps were tarps, but after a storm in the Smokies my cheap one shredded and soaked my whole tent. My buddy's $40 Kelty tarp held up fine. Anybody have a brand they swear by for heavy rain?

2 comments

2 Comments

sarahh481mo ago

Did you see that thread on the backpacking subreddit where someone tested a bunch of those "ultralight" tarps? I remember they said the super cheap ones from the hardware store are basically glorified trash bags. I had the same problem with a cheapo tarp I grabbed from Walmart for a music festival. It was fine for one night of light drizzle, but when the real rain came down it just ripped right along the seam where the grommet is. My buddy swears by the AquaQuest brand, says his has been through multiple monsoon seasons in the Pacific Northwest without a single tear. I finally ponied up and got one of their heavier guylines, and honestly it's been worth every penny so far. That initial $15 lesson learned the hard way, but at least I know better now.

fiona_sullivan291mo ago

Yeah for real, @sarahh48, that cheap tarp lesson is a rite of passage! I did the same thing with a blue one from Lowe's and it shredded in a light wind, ended up duct taping it to my tent poles like a disaster zone.