I tried using a tarp instead of a tent for a weekend in the Smokies and got soaked

Was trying to save weight on a 3 day trip and figured a cheap tarp would work fine. Set it up like I saw on youtube. First night was great, second night a storm rolled in around 2am and water just poured in from every angle. My sleeping bag weighed like 10 pounds the next morning. Learned real quick that tarp camping takes way more skill than I thought. Anyone else have a gear experiment go wrong like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

tyler_hall922d ago

Funny how that works... shortcuts usually end up taking longer in the end.

alicecooper22d ago

Nothing like turning a sleeping bag into a giant sponge to wake you up in a hurry... bet that was a fun morning hike out. YouTube makes everything look easy until you're getting baptized at 2am in the middle of the Smokies. Saved weight on the tarp, but your gear probably doubled in water weight.