How to make a DYI tent footprint.

[jason]

This was an interesting article I thought that I would share:

http://kandtadventurizing.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/diy-tyvek-tent-footprint/

[Brian Nystrom]

It's a nice design, but unfortunately, he made it the wrong size. A footprint should be slightly smaller than the size of the tent floor. The reason is simple; if the footprint is larger than the tent, water running off the tent will collect on it and run under the tent, between the floor and the footprint. If it's slightly smaller, water runs off the tent onto the ground and the tent floor stays dry.

[Dan Foster]

From the article: "It may look a little larger than the tent in the pictures, but when the tent is staked out, the tent is about 1 in wider."

[Michael_Crouse]

I have either purchased the factory made foot print or made them out of 5mil plastic. OK the plastic is heavier and it lacks the grommets but it's cheap, really cheap. I bought a big roll and I've made footprints for several of my tents.

[jason]

I have either purchased the factory made foot print or made them out of 5mil plastic. OK the plastic is heavier and it lacks the grommets but it's cheap, really cheap. I bought a big roll and I've made footprints for several of my tents.

Growing up all of our teats had plastic ground cloths. We used to set the tent up in the basement on the plastic, slide the tent a 1/2" beyond 1 or 2 sides where it would fit, then trace the other sides with marker. We used to then cut the plastic a 1/2" inside of the lines, it wasn't fancy but it worked.

[Deb Millar]

We use a cheap blue tarp from Ocean State Job Lots.

Works fine for our big mother 4 person tent.

Deb

[Suz]

Of course, me being me, I have always bought footprints when I bought the tent. I have never had a footprint wear out nor a tent 'wear out'. I have had tents delaminate, have had to seam seal them again.

I just bought a new tent for my niece who is living in Europe and I wanted to enable her backpacking/hiking. I forgot to order the footprint. I then started thinking about making on as I have some silnylon in the attic. Then this was posted. The guy in the post though made his from Tyvek. I would imagine it was noisy and crinkly... Also noted he spent $20 +- on the material and grommets. So, I looked up online and could buy the matching footprint right now for $30. Seems it doesn't really make sense to make one if that's the case.

Mike's idea of the plastic sheeting should be quiet, a bit bulky but quiet. I wouldn't do the blue tarp idea unless I was only car camping as the bulk is really just too much.

Then I got to thinking, hopefully the niece will be home in 5 years and then I decided to forgo the footprint. She will end up selling/leaving her tent in Europe rather than return with it. I bet the floor will still be in good condition at that point!

Edited December 6, 2014 by Suz

[kate]

I have never used anything but heavy-duty trash bags slit open (biohazard bags work well). For the current tent, I used two, overlapped in the middle of the tent space. Whatever protrudes beyond the edge of the tent gets folded under (I once made the mistake of leaving those edges hanging out, which I will never do again!) The plastic lasts a very very long time, and folds up thin enough to place on the bottom of the kayak hatch unnoticed. It doesn't make any sound as I move around in the tent. Also works for multiple tents of about the same size. Never understood why one would buy a footprint, but then I'm a cheap old fogey.

[Michael_Crouse]

You could always try 3 mil plastic instead of 5 mil or do the tyvek without the grommets.

The advantage of the factory footprints is that you can usually pitch the tent in a fly/footprint "lightweight mode", I have never seen anyone do this so it's obviously not much of an advantage.

[jason]

You could always try 3 mil plastic instead of 5 mil or do the tyvek without the grommets.

The advantage of the factory footprints is that you can usually pitch the tent in a fly/footprint "lightweight mode", I have never seen anyone do this so it's obviously not much of an advantage.

I think that one can do that out west where they don't have to deal with the bugs. The only time we don't have the bug's one would want the sides of the tent to keep the snow out.

[BethS]

Actually just a fly can work very well in snow, IF there's enough snow to build a small wall around the tent to keep the wind out. I do this a lot in winter if I'm backpacking below treeline; the tent body doesn't really add much except extra weight, a sturdy fly-tent pole structure w/ snow packed around it works very well. But not so well if there is not enough snow, or if it is raining hard.... as is more likely along the coastline.

[John Martinsen]

The plastic painters drop clothes sold at home Depot and the like make good floors. Great to use with a tarp and bivy for back packing. I've used a MSR Hubba with the fly and floor, no body, for a mid September hike on a section of the Long Trail in VT and it worked well. Can't get it setup as taut as a good tarp so if there is wind you'll hear some flapping, but if you don't want to invest in a lightweight tarp nice to have the option. I love the space and flexibility a good tarp provides, and so many great lightweight tarps available nowadays. Mountain Laurel Designs has the trailstar, which is also available in a large size and would be great for a kitchen\gear shed, and the MSR Twing is great as well lots of space with good protection and fairly lightweight.

IMO ultralight tents, as mentioned in the article, are so focused on weight that they sacrifice strength and durability, so not sure how much a footprint is going to extend it's service life. Nice to have the option of a bodyless setup though. Also wouldn't want to be in an exposed spot, like a beach during a storm, in an ultralight tent. I don't think they're really built for that.