Went on a 20 mile round trip to test out a new tent I bought
Went on a 20 mile round trip to test out a new tent I bought
This is pretty dumb. The number one thing you want is a floor. The rest of the tent is optional.
Think about it. If it’s not raining, you don’t really need the tent. If it does rain, water will come in the sides of a floorless tent. You can just sleep on one half of a tarp and use the other side as a lean-to. If you orient it properly, it keeps out the rain.
I think you’re misinformed. People sleep under tarps and tarp shelters all the time. You have to be a bit more selective about your location, but not much. For instance, if you’re in a large depression in the ground when it rains it doesn’t matter if you’re under a tarp or in a tent you’re still going to get wet if it rains enough. The only time a tent might really save you on that score is if you’re setup on a minor slope where a small amount of water will roll through. You also need to think more about wind.
Still it’s a perfectly reasonable choice for folks with some benefits like weight, better ventilation, and more.