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Hot take: that expensive ultralight tarp wasn't worth my $200
I dropped $200 on a fancy DCF tarp last year because everyone in the forums swore it was the only way to go for weight savings. First trip out on the Pacific Crest Trail near Crater Lake, a branch poked a tiny hole in it during a wind gust. Patched it up with tape but it kept leaking in a light drizzle the next night. My buddy with a $40 blue poly tarp from the hardware store stayed bone dry the whole time. I get that DCF is lighter in the pack, but for that price I expected it to handle basic trail conditions without failing. Am I just unlucky or did I buy into hype?
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holly_brown28d ago
Oh man, I had almost the same thing happen with my first DCF tarp. I switched back to a silnylon one after that and honestly haven't looked back.
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Wait, is this just how everything works now with the pricey stuff? It's like people confuse "expensive" with "indestructible" when really you're just paying for it to be super light or have some fancy tech spec. My buddy dropped cash on a high end camping stove that barely boiled water in a breeze while my old Coleman worked every time. We've all been sold on hype before, it's just a bummer when it fails you on trail where you actually need it.
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