1) The tent itself
2) A fly
3) A tarp of some type

You don't want to rely solely on the tent itself. That's asking for a problem. Every tent sold today comes with a fly fitted for that particular tent (exception...single-walled tents but they're used for cold weather and backpacking).

I find that most flys do not provide enough overhang and the rain sheds on the tent walls. That's not good. Moreover, the airflow in and out of the tent is limited.

I prefer a tarp, or wing, over a tent for two reasons. First, you can buy a tarp that is much larger than the tent so the tent will never have a drop of rain hit it. And second, because the tarp is large enough you don;t need to use the fly. Windows do not have to be zipped up so air flows in and out of the tent even in a downpour.

Just be sure to get a large enough tarp and tie it to trees at an angle so water sheds downhill from the tent.

Good luck.

Coleman says it all. Use to be good stuff until Walmart came along. There tents are made of the cheapest materials that can be found in China. Just touching the material with your bare finger from the inside during even a drizzle will cause them to leak at that spot. Same goes for 90% of the cheap tents made.

craig76 says
"I haven't figured out why they make the fly smaller then the tent."

You must not be looking at or wanting to buy a good quality tent. They are hundreds of good tents that have a FULL rain fly and are water proof.

I have used Eureka Timberline series tents for years. Seal the seams and you will not have to worry about getting wet even in the worst conditions.

If I had to carry a tarp or piece of plastic to keep a tent dry. Then what in the hell am I carrying the extra weight of a useless tent for?

Most of it has been said, but I'll add that with tents you generally get what you pay for. I wouldn't buy a new tent that costs less than ~$150. And if the place you're shopping for tents has more than a few tents for under $100, I probably wouldn't recommend getting your tent there.

That's not to say that WalMart, Target, and the like don't have some serviceable tents, but they sell more bad tents than decent tents. And many of the nicer tents sold by more outdoor-oriented stores have lifetime warranties in case you ever snap a pole or have the shock cords go limp.

The above may sound harsh, but a tent is THE piece of gear that can make the difference between a horrible camping experience and a fun one. All it takes is cutting a trip short once, or having to hang sleeping bags out to dry, and the cost difference between a nice tent and a cheap one seems trivial. I can tell you that sitting in a nice Kelty tent during a pretty severe thunderstorm knowing we would stay dry sure beats my old cheap tent where you hoped you wouldn't get too wet.

All that said, a tent with a full rain fly is a must. The fly should come almost to the ground on all sides. If there's an open side at the door, the fly needs to have a pretty good awning/overhang so rain doesn't easily drip/blow onto the tent itself. Most good tents have taped/sealed seams from the factory but I usually use SeamGrip on floor corner stitching to keep the holes made by the threads from getting enlarged by stress/age. A footprint and/or tarp under the tent can help keep water out from under then tent floor. These MUST be smaller than the perimeter of the tent floor so any water shedding off the tent/fly walls doesn't run onto the tarp/footprint and then between it and the tent floor.

Depending on the temperatures you camp in, you might look for tents that have vents in the rain fly. There are even some tents that have zippers in the tent that provide access to the rain fly vents from inside. If it's raining out and the tent gets steamy (or cold), you can open or close the vents without having to go out in the mud/rain.

So I'd recommend getting a new tent: no tarps to try to hang and make sure they don't collect water, no Easy-Ups to lug around, just a good tent/fly/footprint combo that does the job right all by themselves.

This time I did some research and thought back through my experiences. I concluded that my tent:

should be of decent quality so I don't have to worry about rips and broken poles

was made of water resistant fabric

had a good fly that completely covers the tent

has a large brim or awning above the door and windows

has screening at the top to allow circulation

is big enough so some gear and a folding chair can be inside

is tall enough (6')so I can get dressed while standing up - I'm old

is easy to set up for those midnight camping experiences

I also bought a 12 x 16 tarp. Why?

it keeps everything dry and clean

if you need to set up in the rain, you can quickly get the tarp up and then set up your site beneath it

on rainy days you have a nice dry area to sit, read, eat, etc. Spending too much time inside the tent makes for a bad day.

best part - found the tent as an open box special for $74.99

harry