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Pro tip: don't cheap out on your tent footprint like I did.
Last summer I had to choose between a $30 generic footprint from Amazon or a $75 one from the same brand as my tent. I went cheap because I figured it's just a piece of fabric. First night in Olympic National Park, the generic one ripped along the seam after a light rain and soaked my tent floor. I spent the next morning drying everything out on a rock. Lesson learned. Has anyone else had a tent accessory fail on them like this?
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taraw1622d ago
Olympic is brutal on gear, that wet coastal mist gets into everything. I had a similar issue with a cheap footprint in the Hoh Rainforest, except mine just disintegrated under the tent after one night. Did you end up going back to the brand specific one, or did you find a third option that actually held up?
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henry_palmer2414d ago
Disintegrated after one night? That's wild. @mark676's painter's tarp sounds way smarter.
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mark67621d ago
Bought a heavy duty painter's tarp from the hardware store and cut it to size. Cost me twelve bucks and has outlasted two tents so far. The key is getting the thicker mil ones, not the thin blue junk. I seam sealed the cut edges with regular old silicone caulk too. Been using it for four years now through rain, mud, and even some snow without a single tear. Sometimes the cheap stuff just needs a little DIY love to be tougher than the expensive gear.
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