That REI employee told me to skip the footprint and now my tent floor has a hole in it

I went to REI in Denver last spring to buy a tent and the guy working said I didn't need the footprint. He told me it was just a cash grab and modern tent floors are tough enough. So I listened and saved the $40. Fast forward to last month on a trip up near Estes Park. I set up on what looked like clean dirt but there was a small sharp rock underneath. Woke up to a dime sized tear in the floor. Now every time it rains water seeps in right under my sleeping pad. I should have just bought the stupid footprint. Has anyone else gotten bad advice from a store employee that cost you real money?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_piper1mo ago

Oh man, that's rough. I mean, it's one thing to get bad advice on like, which headlamp to buy, but ruining a tent floor is a whole different level. That sucks because now you're stuck either dealing with the leak or having to patch it, which never looks right. It's just frustrating when you trust someone who's supposed to know their stuff and it totally backfires. Idk why they're so quick to dismiss footprints, maybe it's just me but a little extra protection feels worth it for peace of mind. Sorry that happened to you, especially on a trip up near Estes Park of all places.

sam_anderson1mo ago

Honestly @the_piper, a friend of mine swore off footprints and patched his tent floor three times before just buying a new one.