I recently threw away a damaged popup shelter (left it up and had windy storm at night) and thought I'd salvage the canopy part, cut to use as a ground cloth. Would have worked effectively, but it was just too massive and I threw it away. Bought some 4mm plastic sheeting and cut that to size. Looking back on this week's trip, that too is just too cumbersome. A 7' x 7' (approx) is just too bulky for my liking.
Better options?

I know about Tyvek, but I'm not going to find a 7'x7-1/2' piece. I guess there's always the option of buying a designated ground cloth from ALPS (I have the Koda3). I imagine 2mm plastic sheeting might be too flimsy/susceptible to tearing.

If you Google "tyvek by the foot" you'll find lots of options, typically cut from a 7' width which is fine for most tents.

TZ

I'm a fan of Tyvek footprint/ground cloth/innie/outie. Cheap easy to work with, only need scissors and tape. 8 pack DuPont Tyvek Anchor Tent & Tarp Tie-Off Loops Tape gromets also on Ebay.
Know anyone in construction of home building? Free cutoffs are easy to find, even kits are inexpensive.
Don't like the crinkly sound? Wash in cold water a few times no soap.


butthead

TrailZen: "If you Google "tyvek by the foot" you'll find lots of options, typically cut from a 7' width which is fine for most tents.


TZ"

Perfect, found it -- thanks!

i have never heard about using tyvek for a ground sheet. i know it is "breathable" but
i assume it still holds water if / when it rains. for those of you that use it, are you not concerned at all that if the ground sheet holds water, that your tent floor is now sitting in standing water?
it may sound odd but i use an old shower curtain we were throwing out. not a plastic one. more like a thin cloth curtain. not the lightest thing to use but it is strong so it won't likely puncture, and it allows any standing water to drain through it.
it was no extra cost and it seems to work great. not for an ultralite packer though.

Never a problem if trimmed to fit. Most all maker supplied ground cloth/footprints are waterproof to a large extent.

butthead

Ground cloths under the tent floor (or "outies") are mainly for protection of the floor material from abrasion. I can see Tyvek as a nice, lightweight choice. An oversized plastic sheet (4 mil, maybe) placed inside the tent (an "innie") is ideal for protection against water that will inevitably seep inside.

I found the 4mil to just be too bulky in the pack.
And water seeping inside with a properly placed "outtie" is in no way inevitable.

HowardSprague: "I found the 4mil to just be too bulky in the pack.
And water seeping inside with a properly placed "outtie" is in no way inevitable."

I got a new ultralight (3.2 lb.) Mountain Hardwear Aspect 2 tent for my June Adirondack trip. I did not spring for the high dollar ground cloth, but bought a roll of 2 mil drop cloth at the hardware store for around $6. I think it was 9x12 and there was enough for 2 ground cloths and a bit left over. I used it for several rainy nights without issue. 2 mil works for me and it is light.

i recently was in a a rain storm water did get in between the footprint and the tent creating a wet spot inside the tent . am I better off with a innie or is there a good way to prevent the water from getting in between

Breezybass: " i recently was in a a rain storm water did get in between the footprint and the tent creating a wet spot inside the tent . am I better off with a innie or is there a good way to prevent the water from getting in between "

this was a concern for me as well eventhough my tent has never leaked (yet). that is why i chose to use an old cloth shower curtain. it was just the right size, is strong enough to add damage protection for the tent floor, but will not hold any water as it is not a plastic material. the water will seep through it. it is not the lightest option but so far seem to work well. and it was F.r.e.e. lol

Breezybass: " i recently was in a a rain storm water did get in between the footprint and the tent creating a wet spot inside the tent . am I better off with a innie or is there a good way to prevent the water from getting in between "

Depends a bit on the design of the tent, but in general make certain that the ground cloth does not extend beyond the tent bottom (rain landing on the ground cloth can then pool under the tent). In general high quality tents will offer near complete rain fly coverage over the body of the tent. Some tents offer only partial rain fly coverage and then use water proof fabric on the tent body in the uncovered areas, rain hitting these uncovered areas will drip down the tent wall and pool in your cloth beneath the tent floor. In these tents best to either add an innie or use a porous outie or both.

One option for materials is a Cheap footprint from Amazon. Not as light or perfect fitting as a manufacturers cloth, but very strong and durable.

I have been using the SAME 6 mil poly sheeting once the 1980s! It's still fine!
Also...REI has a bunch of different footprints on sale at super low prices in the Labor Day sale now.

rick00001967: "i have never heard about using tyvek for a ground sheet. i know it is "breathable" but
i assume it still holds water if / when it rains. for those of you that use it, are you not concerned at all that if the ground sheet holds water, that your tent floor is now sitting in standing water?
it may sound odd but i use an old shower curtain we were throwing out. not a plastic one. more like a thin cloth curtain. not the lightest thing to use but it is strong so it won't likely puncture, and it allows any standing water to drain through it.
it was no extra cost and it seems to work great. not for an ultralite packer though."

Tyvek is a very common ground cloth . You don't allow your ground cloth to extend past your tent floor to avoid water pooling between your ground cover and tent floor.

Also critical to not getting water through the bottom of your tent is to make sure you're not pitched in a depression. Even if rain isn't falling on your footprint, flow over the ground surface and puddling can quickly get your tent wet. The well defined tent pads at many BWCA camp sites often have this problem.

As for other footprint materials, if you want to go ultralight you can get the plastic window film (often called polycro). Just enough durability to give you a little piece of mind about your tent bottom.

Wow, 6 mil is thick and not too pliable, but no doubt waterproof. I have moved from 4 mm plastic to 2 mm for an innie. Never got wet, its easier to pack, but needs replacement more often.

I use a space blanket as my ground cloth. No problems thus far.

Ultralight backpackers have shifted over from Tyvek to Polycro. This is the plastic used for sealing drafty windows in the winter.

The stuff appears to be remarkably durable. It's way more waterproof than Tyvek. Not expensive either. I'm switching over all my ground sheets to this stuff.

Brian

Blackdogyak: "I have been using the SAME 6 mil poly sheeting once the 1980s! It's still fine!
Also...REI has a bunch of different footprints on sale at super low prices in the Labor Day sale now."

6 mil plastic sheeting has worked fine for me also. Mine are probably from the 1990’s and punctures are easily repaired with tape.

I’ve been using 2 mil plastic as an innie. The polycro looks interesting.

Polycro. Very light and easy to source, it will puncture and rip. I've used it on some backpack trips and a long Quetico trip. Prety much a one trip ground cloth or innie.

butthead

Mountain Laurel Designs is a good source for Polycro

Mountain Laurel Designs Polycro

Six Moons Designs is a good source for a Tyvek Ground Sheet.


Six Moons Designs Tyvek

I know I'm an outlier for these topics, but I don't use one.

I’ve been using Frost King Window Insulation cut to size for an inny inside my solo tent for the last several years. Featherweight and very tough. My dog has yet to puncture it after an estimated twelve weeks of BWCA/Quetico tripping. It is thicker than the 3M treatment.

MacCamper: "I’ve been using Frost King Window Insulation cut to size for an inny inside my solo tent for the last several years. Featherweight and very tough. My dog has yet to puncture it after an estimated twelve weeks of BWCA/Quetico tripping. It is thicker than the 3M treatment. "

I believe I cut mine out of Frost King as well. As far as I'm concerned this is the only way to go for ground cloths now. The stuff is tough enough that there's really no need to carry anything heavier. And light enough that there's no reason to leave it at home.

Brian

cmanimal: "I know I'm an outlier for these topics, but I don't use one."

I know saying this I am dooming myself, but I never use one either when backpacking or canoe camping, and I have yet to have the tent leak from the bottom...

butthead: "I'm a fan of Tyvek footprint/ground cloth/innie/outie. Cheap easy to work with, only need scissors and tape. 8 pack DuPont Tyvek Anchor Tent & Tarp Tie-Off Loops Tape gromets also on Ebay.
Know anyone in construction of home building? Free cutoffs are easy to find, even kits are inexpensive.
Don't like the crinkly sound? Wash in cold water a few times no soap.

butthead
"

I love my Tyvek innies - washed many times and soft as a Tshirt now. But they are a bit bulky. Might take a peek at the Frost King stuff. In my head it's like saran wrap and will stick to itself forever... but it must not be like that in real life.

BWPaddler: "

butthead: "I'm a fan of Tyvek footprint/ground cloth/innie/outie. Cheap easy to work with, only need scissors and tape. 8 pack DuPont Tyvek Anchor Tent & Tarp Tie-Off Loops Tape gromets also on Ebay.
Know anyone in construction of home building? Free cutoffs are easy to find, even kits are inexpensive.
Don't like the crinkly sound? Wash in cold water a few times no soap.


butthead
"

I love my Tyvek innies - washed many times and soft as a Tshirt now. But they are a bit bulky. Might take a peek at the Frost King stuff. In my head it's like saran wrap and will stick to itself forever... but it must not be like that in real life."

Not at all like Cling wrap products. Maybe in the box, but once used it won’t adhere to itself.

butthead: "Polycro. Very light and easy to source, it will puncture and rip. I've used it on some backpack trips and a long Quetico trip. Prety much a one trip ground cloth or innie.


butthead"

I use mine as an innie and it holds up really well for that. Since I use a down sleeping bag and sleep in a tiny little solo tent, I have the polycro sheet cut extra large so it can come up the sides of my bag just in case of water seeping in the tent in a big downpour.

This habit came from my teenage years when I traveled to Hudson Bay with a down bag, no dry bags (just plastic liner bags), and we all squished into a 6 person tent with 7 people. Being claustrophobic, I always selected the far end on the tent away from the door. I would use my pack liner bags and rain gear under and up the tent side of my sleeping bag to keep me nice and dry no matter what. Worked like a charm.

MacCamper: "

BWPaddler: "

butthead: "I'm a fan of Tyvek footprint/ground cloth/innie/outie. Cheap easy to work with, only need scissors and tape. 8 pack DuPont Tyvek Anchor Tent & Tarp Tie-Off Loops Tape gromets also on Ebay.
Know anyone in construction of home building? Free cutoffs are easy to find, even kits are inexpensive.
Don't like the crinkly sound? Wash in cold water a few times no soap.



butthead
"

I love my Tyvek innies - washed many times and soft as a Tshirt now. But they are a bit bulky. Might take a peek at the Frost King stuff. In my head it's like saran wrap and will stick to itself forever... but it must not be like that in real life."

Good to know. Cheap enough to try it out!


Not at all like Cling wrap products. Maybe in the box, but once used it won’t adhere to itself. "

Gossamer Polycryo (Tent Footprint) Ground Cloths has worked well for the Slingfin Portal so far. Light and only $11.

I use a 9’x12’ 1.2mil plastic sheet (12 oz.) beneath my 8’x10’ tent. A key step I take is wrapping the outer edges around sticks or firewood and tucking them under the perimeter of my rainfly. Any rain that sheds off the rainfly, or runoff from ground higher than my tent, flows underneath the plastic sheet and keeps the tent completely dry. Works very well.

For me, this topic is now irrelevant. I have become a Hammock Dweller! Absolutely no worries about leakage, flooding, ground bugs or animals, sticks, rocks, gullies, slopes, bushes etc. Also no worries about packing down or killing vegetation. I need two trees. That's it. Happy camper.

Blackdogyak: "For me, this topic is now irrelevant. I have become a Hammock Dweller! Absolutely no worries about leakage, flooding, ground bugs or animals, sticks, rocks, gullies, slopes, bushes etc. Also no worries about packing down or killing vegetation. I need two trees. That's it. Happy camper. "

To each their own. You now have to worry about drip lines, tarp leaks, etc. You really don't put into consideration slope or bushes when hanging?

joewhoa: "I use a 9’x12’ 1.2mil plastic sheet (12 oz.) beneath my 8’x10’ tent. A key step I take is wrapping the outer edges around sticks or firewood and tucking them under the perimeter of my rainfly. Any rain that sheds off the rainfly, or runoff from ground higher than my tent, flows underneath the plastic sheet and keeps the tent completely dry. Works very well."

I have long done the same thing. I don’t roll the outer edges of the ground cloth, just use small sticks to hold up the edges of the ground cloth, especially on any up slope sides.

I now use an emergency "blanket." Light weight, hold up OK with repeated use.

chessie: "I now use an emergency "blanket." Light weight, hold up OK with repeated use. "

Same here.