Tent Failure

[kombat]

I just wanted to relay my first storm experience from last weekend.

To be fair, it was a campout in conjunction with a local minor league team. We could setup tent on the field. The only thing was no staking allowed. That was probably a big part of the problem.

Anyway, it started raining, hard but nothing serious. Then the wind started. To the point where I had to stand in the corner facing into the wind to hold the tent down as best as possible. The other corners were moving like crazy. So there was no structural integrity whatsoever and the rain fly wasn't able to do its job properly either. Needless to say the floor was pretty wet. The worst was the door, which was facing opposite the wind. Water was almost pouring in through the zipper, even though the zipper is covered by a flap. A lot of people ended up leaving. If we didn't have an air mattress to keep us off the floor, we would've had to leave too. I used my sweatshirt to mop up as much of the water as I could. That storm lasted about 20 minutes. It was an uneventful night the rest of the way.

The tent is a Coleman. Not sure of the name. I'd have to look at the bag. It's a hex. It was like $88 at Walmart. We've used it before, but this was its first rain. Again, we weren't allowed to stake into the turf so take my experience with a grain of salt.

[MikeB]

Re: Tent Failure

Your experience doesn't surprise me. The price of a tent is determined by the quality of the design and materials. An $80 tent isn't designed for difficult weather. The lack of stakes just makes a bad problem worse. The lack of tension on the fabric probably allowed more water into the tent. I would never set up a tent outside if the requirements required no stakes or tiedowns. When finances allow and if you want to pursue camping, I'd upgrade my tent.

[kombat]

Re: Tent Failure

Thanks. We also have a $150 tent from Costco. But it's bigger and it wasn't the whole family going so I opted for the smaller tent.

The event was through my sons' Cub Scout district. They do it every June. I was thinking the next morning I won't be doing it again unless the weather forecast is perfect. You're right of course. No stakes is risky.

[MikeB]

Re: Tent Failure

I salute you for taking your son on a Cub Scout campout. Scouting is a wonderful way to teach your son about the outdoors. If that situation comes up again, I would suggest that you take either 4 twentyfive pound weights (if you have weightlifting equipment) or 4 bags of watersoftener salt, tie the four corners of the tent to the weights and stretch out the tent. Teach your son to adapt, it's the Scouting way!
Have fun and enjoy your time together. It goes fast.

[Gordie]

Re: Tent Failure

Last summer I was camping out on my land where I'm building a cabin. I was the worst storm I have ever camped in. The thunder, lightning and rain kept me awake until 5:00 am. But I was dry. When I crawled out of my tent with about an hour and a half sleep, the area I was in was copletely swampy. Water was up past your ankles. My good old MEC Tarn 2 tent did the job. I built up the area I was putting my tent on with brush that I had already cleared off my land, I was very thankful I did that or I most certainly would have gotten wet. But I stayed dry until I got out of the tent.

[renodesertfox]

Re: Tent Failure

This is a common occurrence, staking isn't permitted when one is camping on a baseball field. Unless the weather is golden, I wouldn't camp without staking. btw....not everyone read the original thread correctly and I got an extra bonus of laughter from others that claimed it was a cub scout camp and that one never even had a tent failure. Chuckle, chuckle! Heehee.

[MikeB]

Re: Tent Failure

This is a common occurrence, staking isn't permitted when one is camping on a baseball field. Unless the weather is golden, I wouldn't camp without staking. btw....not everyone read the original thread correctly and I got an extra bonus of laughter from others that claimed it was a cub scout camp and that one never even had a tent failure. Chuckle, chuckle! Heehee.

"The event was through my sons' Cub Scout district." ???

[renodesertfox]

Re: Tent Failure

Okay, I apologize! But the point is: to stake or not to stake. I'm not pitching where I can't stake!

[guitarzan]

Re: Tent Failure

You're probably right about it failing because of not being staked down. Another factor might be that it was completely out in the open on that BB field. A tree line or even brush line between you and the wind could have made a lot of difference.

[Johnny Test]

Re: Tent Failure

I think you get what you pay for. $88 buys you something made in a developing country that just should be considered a gimic. Not a real product.

-Johnny

[kombat]

Re: Tent Failure

I think you get what you pay for. $88 buys you something made in a developing country that just should be considered a gimic. Not a real product.

-Johnny

No argument here. We bought it two years ago, wanting to start camping. Last year I bought a Coleman tent at Costco, $150, even though it's listed at almost $300 at Coleman's website. It's definitely sturdier, but it hasn't seen a rain yet so who knows.

[surmisez]

Re: Tent Failure

Okay, I apologize! But the point is: to stake or not to stake. I'm not pitching where I can't stake!

I agree with Reno. We have a Coleman tent, the instant up that does *not* come with a rain fly.

Last year we ended up in our car for a couple of hours because the lightening was so bad. We were concerned that we were about be struck by lightening. The downpours and wind were so bad, that we couldn't even hear each other speaking when we were in the tent. Visibility was maybe 50 feet.

We had staked our tent very well (over a ground tarp) and had a huge tarp over the tent. Our tent was bone dry.

While you get what you pay for, you can buy the best of the best and still have it fail if it's not used correctly. Likewise you can improve upon cheaper stuff as we did by utilizing tarps and decent tent stakes.

I think that even if you had had a more expensive tent, you would have had water issues as tents shed water when the fabric is completely taunt, which translates to tight guy lines staked well into the ground.

[MikeB]

Re: Tent Failure

It the rain is particularly heavy, You have to trench around it to move the water away from your tent. It isn't a boat!

[renodesertfox]

Re: Tent Failure

That's great advice Mike, trenching your tent....been there many times!!

Another point is that one should never use a ground tarp or a footprint plastic tarp larger than the dimensions of the floor of the tent. If the ground tarp is larger than the tent space covers, and sticks out on the sides rain water will slide down the tent, hit the tarp and then the rain will run under the tent. The ground tarp should be tailored to about an inch or two smaller than the floor space. That way no pooling will occur. To fix this, custom fit your ground tarp, using scissors just cut it smaller than your tent. No problemo!

If one has taken an extra tarp and strung it over the tent as an added shelter to protect the tent, keeping it dry, it's still advisable to have the ground tarp smaller in size than the floor-plan of the tent. At night, without a light, one could trip over the excess tarp sticking out and cause major damage, to oneself, others or to the tent.

[GlitterHiker]

Re: Tent Failure

Last year we ended up in our car for a couple of hours because the lightening was so bad. We were concerned that we were about be struck by lightening.

I don't even think twice anymore - as soon as the lightening appears, I get in my car.