I just hit 100 nights in my old tent and the math hit me

I bought that basic two-person dome from a big box store for a trip to the White Mountains six years ago. I never kept track, but I tallied it up last weekend after a rainy weekend in Vermont. It's been through wind, a lot of sun, and one memorable hailstorm. For a tent that cost under a hundred bucks, that's less than a dollar a night. Has anyone else been surprised by how long a piece of cheap gear actually lasted?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly.patricia6d ago

I mean, that's cool and all, but it's just a tent.

fisher.thomas5d ago

Read an article about how our brains see shelter. It said even a thin layer of fabric can trick your mind into feeling safe when the weather goes crazy. That mental shift is huge. It turns a flimsy tent into your own little fortress. That's why the right one matters so much, it's not just about the nylon. It's about the feeling it gives you.

felixhenderson6d ago

I used to agree with you @kelly.patricia until I spent a week in a good one during a storm. The right tent feels like a solid little room when everything outside is chaos. It totally changed how I see them now.