Beamer and I actually had a problem when we left the Dinosuar National Monument campground with the sun shining and all was well. At least, that is what we thought. While we were gone it seemed that a micro-burst came up (because the rain left a inch of water around the campsite). That micro-burst actually tore through the campground, upsetting a number of tents.

It also bent our 14.5 mm aluminum alloy poles quite a bit, but it also caused a major tear in the mesh and tent covering – one that could not be fixed with “duck tape.” That was the end of that camping trip, but fortunately it happened just a day before it was culminate.

Even though the guy-lines were out, and pegged properly, the sudden micro-burst was a doozy. Some of the tents were actually flattened in that campground, and there were others that had blown away. The lesson learned: always have guy-lines out if you will be leaving the tent. You never know when the unpredictable will happen.