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The $30 tarp I bought last spring leaked on my third trip - should I have spent more?
A guy at REI told me cheap tarps are fine if you pitch them right, but mine pooled water and tore at the grommets after two weekends. Did I just set it up wrong, or is he full of it and you really gotta pay $50+ for a decent one?
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blake6913mo ago
Honestly, did you stake the corners at an angle or just straight down? I've had $20 tarps last years with a decent pitch, so it's probably more your setup than the price tag.
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reesea493mo ago
Yeah, my first tarp attempt looked like a sad swimming pool and ripped at the grommets too, but that was more about me staking way too tight than the tarp's fault (rookie move). I've learned the hard way that a cheap tarp can actually hold up fine if you give it some slack and use a ridgeline to keep water from ponding up. That REI guy wasn't totally wrong, but for $30 you're basically gambling on your setup skills and a bit of luck with the manufacturing.
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