PSA: stop obsessing over tent weight if you car camp

Everyone keeps bragging about 2 pound backpacking tents, but most people I see at Shenandoah are just hauling them 50 feet from the parking lot. I've car camped for 8 years now and my 12 pound Coleman has survived 30 mph gusts that shredded those ultralight poles. Why trade comfort and space for a number you'll never actually test on the trail?

3 comments

3 Comments

nancy1543d ago

Preach, my 8 pound tent is still going strong after 10 years of car camping.

scott.grace3d ago

Heavy tents are a hassle. 10 years is nice but I'd rather have a 3 pound tent I can actually hike with and just replace it every few years. Car camping is fine but that weight gets old fast.

elizabeth1023d ago

Yep, had that same wake-up call a few years back. I bought a fancy 2 pound tent for a week long trip, and the poles bent the second night in a normal mountain breeze. Switched back to my 6 pound dome and haven't looked back. Sure, it's a bit of a pain to carry when I do decide to hike in, but I'd rather have walls that don't flap like a flag in a storm. My old tent has seen hail, sideways rain, and a few sketchy campsites, and it's never let me down. Different tools for different jobs, but car camping with a big, solid tent is honestly peak relaxation.