Pro tip: I used a car sunshade as a rain fly in a pinch last weekend

Got caught in a surprise downpour at Lake Tahoe and realized I forgot my tent's rain fly. All I had in the trunk was one of those big silver windshield sunshades. I was desperate, so I unfolded it and draped it over the tent's mesh roof, using some paracord to tie it down. It actually worked perfectly and kept us bone dry for the whole night. Has anyone else used something totally weird to fix a gear problem?

4 comments

4 Comments

stella1111mo ago

A soda can tab fixed a backpack? Seriously?

the_max1mo ago

I read a blog post once about a guy who used a heavy duty trash bag as a makeshift bivy sack. He cut a hole for his face and used duct tape to reinforce the edges, said it got him through a cold, wet night on the trail. Your sunshade trick is in that same clever, desperate spirit.

karenwest1mo ago

Sees that kind of thing all the time, honestly. People get creative when they're in a pinch. Like using a coffee filter as an emergency water pre-filter, or a soda can tab to fix a broken backpack strap. It's not about having the perfect gear, it's about making what you have work. That trash bag bivy is a perfect example of solving a problem with whatever's in your pack.

emeryo5828d ago

That trash bag story really hits home. Got caught in a surprise downpour once and my tent fly just gave up, ended up using a poncho and some paracord to rig a sort of lean-to. It was miserable but it worked. There's a weird pride in making it through a night like that with just junk from your pack. Makes you realize how much we rely on fancy gear when sometimes the simple fix is right there.