Tried a cheap tarp instead of my expensive tent footprint and it worked better

I've been using a $45 tent footprint from REI for years, but last month at Shenandoah I forgot it. I grabbed a $8 blue tarp from Walmart instead, cut it down to size with basic scissors. The tarp held up better against rocks and mud than the fancy footprint ever did. Anybody else find that some budget gear works just as good as the expensive stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

christopher9431mo ago

That $8 tarp won’t last three trips the way my REI footprint has.

elliot_patel1mo ago

Yeah I had a similar thing happen with a cheap foam pad vs my fancy Therm-a-Rest. @christopher943 I get the concern about durability but my tarp is still going strong after a dozen trips with no rips or holes. Sometimes the simple stuff just does the job without all the extra cost.

matthewmartin1mo ago

Honestly that cheap tarp thing is real. Bought a blue one from Walmart for like eight bucks a few years back and it's been through rain, wind, and even a little snow. Still holding up fine, no rips or anything. Meanwhile I splurged on a name brand ground cloth once and it tore on the second trip on a stupid rock. So yeah, sometimes the simple stuff just works better for me.