Tent Footprint or Homemade groundcloth?

“For all my tents, I have always used a groundcloth out of thick plastic sheeting. You just buy a big roll of it and then cut it down to the size of your tent. I've never had any problems with this method, and I can't remember a time when I had a wet tent floor after a rain.

So my question is, how many people have used the pre-made tent footprints that many manufacturers offer now? Do they work well? Are they lightweight? Basically do they work?”

“Matt, I am thinking about ditching the foot print for my clip Flashlight. It weighs 11ozs! It is amazing when you look at it, it is like they gave no thought to keeping it light. Seems like a waste to me after all of the trouble that they went to to lighten up the tent. As far as the Fastpack ability, I have my doubts that I would ever use that. It does work nice though, uses the same stakes as the tent, fits really nice. But just too heavy.
I think that I am going back to plastic or maybe tyvek.”

“Matt, I bought one for my big Kelty Vortex 4 when I first git it. Although I never use it for backpacking, it was nice to have. It seems lighter than a sheet of plastic cut to fit the tent. I just use plastic for my other tents. Much cheaper and it works fine. The groundcloth isn't used so much to keep your tent floor dry, but to protect it from abrasions, rocks, roots and the like. I've seen lots of TrailTalk folks using Tyvek. It's lighter than plastic, although not completely waterproof. Next time I need a groundcloth, I'll be looking for some Tyvek.”

“One other thing about most of the Sierra Designs footprints...you can use most with just the rainfly and have a nice shelter. I think they call it fastpacking or something like that.”

“never used one. Tyvek here, and have never had it wet through. It's alittle noisey at first, but quiets down with use.”

“That plastic sheeting meant for covering windows makes a really nice groundcloth. It seems like mylar and is pretty light and tough.”

“I have used both plastic sheeting and tyvek for a ground cloth. I now have a tent that has a nylon footprint. You can use just the footprint, rainfly, and tent poles for a tent in the bug-free months. It works pretty well. When I'm going to use the tent body I use the tyvek ground cloth and leave the footprint at home. I've not seen much of a difference between using the footprint vs. the tyvek as far as moisture. Either way I have stayed dry.”

“No footprint, but I have cut down plastic for my tents for years. Mainly to keep the tent bottom clean. The lightest, cheapest one I make is from a lawn leaf bag cut down both sides and unfolded.”

“Another vote for a home cut sheet of plastic. I did see the rainfly-footprint plan for my new Mountain Hardware PCT1, but haven't tried it.”

“I'm going more with nothing as a ground cloth.... just extra care about where I put the tent. I don't need the tent floor to last forever - so I can travel lighter, save a little money in the short run on buying a foot print - even if I have to replace my tent a little earlier. I might have a different attitude if I had really expensive tents.

Like ski and others say - the one time a manufacturer's footprint really comes in handy is if you want to pack with just the fly and the footprint - it would be a lot of extra work (and weight) to prepare the ground cloth.

Part of my attitude is formed from using tents less and my hammock more which means my tents will grow old even without a ground cloth..”

“I have a cheapie footprint for my Clip 2. It doesn't have the Fastpack capability, but that means it's lighter. For my new tent, I'm probably going to go with a plastic groundsheet of some sort. One advantage of the footprint is that it stuffs better than most heavy plastics. But I suppose that after some use, a plastic groundsheet would stuff okay.”

“I bought a roll of painters plastic at the hardware store and cut ground sheets for all my shelters...bivy, tent, and tarp. It seems to hold up well and roll up good too.

Works for me!!”

“I use some yellow plastic stuff that actually has little holes in it every so often. So I use it folded. Don't know what it is. Very lightweight. It came packed around the tent and backpack I purchased from bpbaby a couple years ago.... was used to fill out the box. Good stuff!

Never used a footprint, but have wondered about it for the fastpacking.”

“Never heard of tyvek, Where do you get it?”

“Like MSDHiker, have a roll of plastic. Shape it to the bottom of the tent. Good for a long time.”

“Never used one. It seems to me to be a way of screwing some extra cash out of you in that period between choosing what you want and arriving at the register. Unless of course you've already decided you'd like one to fastpack or something, or you'd like more protection. The number of times I've seen someone buy a tent in the store on the advice of the sales gay who says "and of course you'll need the footprint with that."”

“Wow, what a typo!”

“liz, you goob, you can't fastpack a single walled tent.


they don't make a footprint for my mountain pass so i was gonna make one for fastpacking.

skiracer, how did you make yours?”

“I didn't make the footprint that I can use for fastpacking. The one I made was for my Clip Flashlight and is just plastic.”

“I would think it would be pretty easy to make one from tyvek.”

“oooh, ok. gotcha ;)”

“I think that's the second time I've done that one bit.... I promise you there's nothing subliminal going on here.... but then would I know it if.... any way.”

“-- where can you usually find tyvek?
(i'm wondering too, indiana john)”

“Indiana John - Tyvek is the stuff they wrap around new houses before they put the plastic siding on - it is like plastisised paper. Do a search on trail talk

dawn”

“New houses, I've not used the stuff but on all the prefab bits you see Tyvek written in huge blue letters.”

“You can get Tyvek and Home Depot, Menards, Lowes just about any place that sells siding for your house.

I have a footprint for my MSR Micro Zoid. Fits perfect. I could have made one and have in the past for other tents. I just got lazy on this one.”

“Yam. Here is a link to a Kite Making supply outfit. Their Tyvek is the soft kind.

http://www.intothewind.com/”

“thanks Griz!! i will check it out!”

“"You can get Tyvek and Home Depot, Menards, Lowes just about any place that sells siding for your house.

Wounded Knee
09:42:16 AM
05/02/03

You can't buy cut pieces of it at those places. You will have to buy the huge rolls of it they sell to contractors or get quite a few people to go in with you on it.

Yam, drive around Nashville and look at the new homes being built and I am sure you can find some or maybe if you flirt with the guys at the construction site they may give you some of the tyvek.”

“I always use a groundcloth to protect my tent from punctures. IMHO, plastic is too easily punctured and thick plastic is too heavy.

My wife found some lightweight backpack material on sale at a yardage store and I used that for some of my tents until it ran out.

Now I use Tyvek I got from other TTers (search the threads). I am happy with Tyvek so far.

The home Depot near me (in Fullerton, CA) doesn't carry it.”

“yam - you can get it at home depot or most hardware stores. Or, you can find a fellow TT'r who bought a roll of it, and gives it away!

I usually use the French Constitution as my groundcloth.”

“i'll do my best to make you proud!! i'll hit up all the new home sites and try and work my charm!! :-)”

“So has anyone ever punctured the bottom of their tent?”

“i will have you know everytime you bash my forefathers, i cry a little......”

“Then I guess I will send some kleenex along with the tyvek.”

“ynami I had a tent that was leaking like a seive so i punched a hole in the floor of the tent to let the water run out. Works great but he water backs up sometimes. I'm thinking about making the hole a little bigger. I used an acetalene torch to melt the edges of the hole so it doesn't fray.”

“hmm, see I can image how tent floors can puncture, I've just never seen it happen. I would imagine a little seam grip would repair it fairly easier too. I guess wear and tear would be another issue.”

“Yam, the advantage of the softer Tyvek is that it doesn’t crinkle when you roll over in the middle of the night. The stiffer stuff is real noisy.”

“It seems like the mountains here in CA have lots of sharp stuff that can puncture a tent floor (rocks, pine cone spines, etc.). You want to keep the floor free of holes so if it does rain, you will stay dry.”

“I know I'm gonna get slammed by some folks, but why just use plastic for groundcloths? I've been using it for flies and tarps for over 30 years,I like it,, nice to see the stars through, and wildlife at night,, never had it wet through either.I've never had it tear on me either, even in high winds,, fortunately, it's cheap to replace too when it finally does wear out”

“wow....you really ARE a swamp yankee, aren't you?”

“TYVEK
Tough, lite, folds into a small package....

The price is right too!”

“strat, you goob, I was talking two different tents in my post. I use the plastic (if that's what it is) under both for a groundcloth. But for fast-packing, was referring to my Sierra Designs 2-person Nightwatch NOT the Exo. Sheesh, can't tell this guy anything... lol”

“Plastic sheeting... 3 mil, I think. I use black because it dries quicker.

It's probably overkill, but that SD Lookout has lasted almost a dozen years. I forgot the groundcloth just One Time and had to patch 3 holes in the floor.”

“I bought the groundcloth for my Zoid 1 so I can use the tarp like fast pitch without the tent body - when I feel like it.

Previously I have used tyvek and visquine.

I just bought one of those new neat sheets - kind of like a clothy plasticy picnic blanket, supposed to be water resistant I think.”

“i have used everything from those flimsy little ponchos you find at the grocery store to the noisy little space blanket that NEVER folds back up to its original little package.
i recently bought a tv and it was wrapped in some sort of white opaque plastic/thin foamy like sheet.
It was the perfect size for my tent bottom when i cut down the sides and opened it up. I have been using it as it is really light, packs down well and repels water nicely. Give it a shake and moisture and debris snaps right off. We shall see how it holds up.”

“I don't mess with a groundcloth--it weighs something. I have had the nylon on my tent go crispy before the floor wore out. They sell sticky backed nylon patchit material should you need it.”

“I would've thought groundcloths would be de riguer out there in Cacti Country! <G>”

“Ummmm I don't put my tent in the cactus?”