If you ever get tired of the weight of it, don't be afraid to experiment.
When we got married in 1985, I was unemployed, just out of the Army. We only had enough money for 1 night at a hotel in Niagara Falls. So we drove to Alexandria Bay State Park. We got there at 10 pm. Someone was in our campsite. Didn't get them out till 1 am.
I set up 2 shelter halves and made an Army pup tent. Used an oversized green tarp with all 4 edges folded up & in, about 8". Dug a small trench all around tarp that covered tent to direct water away. Also had a 10'x16' tarp with custom grommet holes to coincide with my pup tent stake tips. It totally covered the pup tent and gave us a 8' awning to cover the entrance. Wife was asking if all that was necessary. 2 hrs later a wicked storm rolled in. Torrential rain and wicked wind.
When we got up, we could feel water running underneath the tarp we slept on but we were bone dry. Water was 1/4 of the way up the tires on our Subaru, which was downhill from the tent. There were about a dozen people standing and pointing at me.
Finally, someone yelled "Dude, what kind of tent is that ?" I yelled back, " it a $28 US Army pup tent and 2 - $10 tarps. I was 22 then. So you can still camp & stay dry in extreme weather, with cheap gear, if you set it up properly. Certainly not luxurious but highly functional.
Still married to her, lol.
