I went with a heavy canvas tent over a fancy ultralight one for my Colorado trip

Everyone in my group was pushing for the new 2-pound nylon shelters, but I chose my old 12-pound canvas wall tent. We got hit with a surprise hailstorm near Telluride, and that thick canvas was the only thing that didn't sound like a drum solo. My friends' tents were super loud and one pole bent, while mine was just solid. Has anyone else stuck with heavier gear and been glad they did when the weather turned?

3 comments

3 Comments

paul28622d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, that "drum solo" sound is the worst... glad your canvas held up. @gavin692 has a point about lighter gear, but sometimes you just want that solid feeling when things get wild.

gavin69222d ago

My last trip to the Wind Rivers, my 3-pound tent handled 40mph gusts just fine. Modern materials are a lot tougher than that old nylon stuff. I'd rather carry less weight every single day for the one storm that might happen.

sam_thomas22d ago

Seriously, that's the whole trade-off. You're betting on comfort in bad weather over comfort on the trail every day. I just hate being stuck in a loud, flapping tent more than I hate carrying a few extra pounds.