My old tent finally hit 200 nights of use and I'm shocked it's still dry

Part of me says a quality shelter should last forever, but another part thinks modern gear is meant to be replaced. This is a basic 3-person dome I bought for $120 back in 2015. Has anyone else pushed a piece of gear WAY past its expected lifespan?

2 comments

2 Comments

singh.jessica14d ago

My 2012 sleeping bag looks like it lost a fight with a bear but still keeps me warm. Pushing gear past its limit is a point of pride for me at this point. Your tent hitting 200 nights is a total win. Modern stuff is built to be light, not to last forever. Getting that much use from a budget tent is seriously impressive. Makes me wonder if my next tent will even see year five.

wadefoster13d ago

Honestly, 200 nights on a cheap tent is just luck. That fabric gets brittle from sun and weather after a few seasons. It might be dry now, but a big storm could shred it any time. Calling it a "win" ignores that gear has a real safety limit. Using stuff until it fails in the woods seems more risky than smart to me.