Who Wins: A Heavy Duty Tarp Or Two Hours Of High Winds?

Yesterday, I dealt with the consequences of deciding to move my belongings from Boston to Portland in a rental pickup truck instead of an enclosed moving van.

I started out with this behemoth truck, an F250 with a full bed (furniture heaven!), then check the weather forecast to discover that moving day was filled with rainy clouds. Leave it to me to pick the one day in April that Maine is expecting record low temperatures, high winds, and sleeting rain. Off to Home Depot I marched to git me a tarp.

They had heavy duty brown with reinforced edges and classic blue, the kind we all know and love. I got one of each. After employing to help of my downstairs neighbor to wrangle the tarp over my furniture and secure it with ropes, twine, and cable, I peered out of my Boston apartment at the snow and wind beginning to threaten my knots. Can you hear my dread and trepidation in the video I sent to my mom?

Luckily, I only had to stop three times to buy extra reinforcement bungee cords, get gas, and tuck a couple flappy corners. Halfway through New Hampshire, I noticed a worn spot from the friction of my desk leg rubbing against the wind-assaulted tarp. I watched it grow ever so gradually over the span of the drive, and once I arrived in Portland it had turned into a full-blown HOLE.

Let's just say I'm happy I went with the heavy duty. As much I love classic blue, it woulda torn apart in no time. Luckily, by the time this hole emerged, the rain had turned to snow and it didn't soak my furniture hiding underneath. Another move under the belt, and a handful of lessons learned.