Is it better to have a footprint for your tent or a bathtub type tent and why?

Have you met my good friend 'Innie'?

Oh no not again. Welcome aboard and please use the search feature on the message board there is countless threads on this topic. Its all everyone's opinion. Save your tent and your wallet and cut a piece of Tyvek as a ground cloth, protect your tent floor, rest well and dry.

quote melion: "Is it better to have a footprint for your tent or a bathtub type tent and why?"

My opinion is that the footprint, floor saver, etc is used to reduce wear on the tent floor and not to stop leakage. There are other opinions. There are also varying opinions as to how effective a footprint is at protecting the floor from damage. You absolutely want the "bathtub" floor. If that leaks, then you go to the "innie". Use a waterproof material to completely line the inside of the tent floor to separate you from the water. Tyvek is one of the favorites around here but I guess it could be anything. As others have indicated, let this post sit here a couple of hours and put on some comfortable clothes, you'll have some reading to do.

A good quality bathtub floor tent to keep you dry.

An outtie to keep the outside of the tent clean. I also use an innie to keep the inside if the tent clean.

A footprint is for the protection of the tent outside bottom against rocks and roots poking a hole through. A bathtub design tent is made to keep you dry. Two different things. Then again what do I know, I'm in a hammock.

My opinion is that footprints are a result of poor design (intentionally or not) on the part of tent manufacturers. If tent floors were designed correctly in the first place there would rarely be a need for anything extra to protect it inside or out.

Now it's become the norm that lightweight tents have ridiculously delicate floors just to make it so the manufacturer can list the tent at a lower weight and then upsell you the rest of your floor after the fact.

quote keth0601: "My opinion is that footprints are a result of poor design (intentionally or not) on the part of tent manufacturers. If tent floors were designed correctly in the first place there would rarely be a need for anything extra to protect it inside or out.


Now it's become the norm that lightweight tents have ridiculously delicate floors just to make it so the manufacturer can list the tent at a lower weight and then upsell you the rest of your floor after the fact."

You got that right!

We use a sheet of 2 mil plastic (from hardware store paint section) as an inner liner. The tent is plenty tough on its own but any fabric can wick some water under pressure, such as your body weight. Probably not necessary but it gives complete assurance that we are dry. And by providing an extra layer to slip, similar to a sock inside a boot, it helps prevent tears or abrasion of the tent floor. Got the innie idea from Cliff Jacobsen's book and am a convert.