Tarp Under Tent - Common Practice?

[BritKLR]

LOL.....learned about tent "Foot Prints" in Boy Scouts in 1975.......ready for your mind to be blown?

Put a reflective safety blanket under your tent (perfect for a two man tent) and it does several things:

- water/vapor barrier (no condensation on the bottom of your tent in the morning that has to dry before packing it up)
- protects the tent floor from punctures/dirt/mud/sand/snow/etc
- reflects the cold down into the ground and your limited
body heat back up to you (important on cold mornings and long cold nights)
- lightweight and packs up the size of a sandwich
- much cheaper to replace then your tent floor
- use as an emergency blanket by itself
- use as emergency signal blanket
- use as an improvised piece
of medical gear
- lay on ground and toss your sleeping bag on it to sleep without a tent
- sit on it by the fire
- dry place to sit when the ground is wet
- use it on the ground to pack up your sleeping bag, tent, gear so as not roll your gear up in the dirt......
- wrap up in it for warm from the wind, rain, etc...
- etc.....
I learned about this in winter survival school and it has served me well over the years.

 

[BritKLR]

You may need to get out more, it's very common.. if you think that is odd, wait until you see someone using a plastic tarp over the top of a tent for extra protection, truly mind boggling.

You what... a tarp over the top
You're kidding me?

Yep.....Especially when camping at 9500 feet on Lasalle Pass as the rain is coming up the mountain and the snow is coming down the mountain, all intersecting on your tent for the entire night.

Another win for an extra tarp.

 

[Dave in AZ]

Never used one, and don't plan on doing so. A good built-in groundsheet is sufficient in my experience. Plus, a second groundsheet adds weight and volume to what you're carrying.

Terminology... you are NOT using a groundsheet. The groundsheet, or groundcloth, is the tarp we are talking about! If you're just using the tent, that is a tent floor, not a groundsheet... if you've been calling the floor a groundsheet, you've probably heard folks mention it before and been using it wrong since.

 

[Hnoroian]

Wow 18 replies in 3 hours. As others have said yes it is common practice with a ground tent for all the reasons listed. I even stake down a small one when sleeping in a hammock just to put my feet down on a clean firm ground.

Ground prep really helps with the potential punctures, now where did I put my collapsible rake…

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Went camping last weekend and seen something I'd never seen before. An old college friend joined us for the trip. He's pretty new to camping and arrived with one of those pop-up tents that 'pop' into place without having to assemble the poles. He had the thing up in seconds.

However, that wasn't what spiked my interest. It was the bright orange tarp we placed under the tent. 'For next level moisture protection' as he called it. Is this common practice? I've never seen or even heard of someone pitching their tent of a tarp. If your ground sheet is water proof, why would you need to use a tarp.

Just seems like an unnecessary piece of equipment you have to pack up and carry with you. Maybe if you're camping during monsoon season. But if the most you expect is a little light rain I just don't see the point. Any experienced campers in here set me straight?

Always 1 under. 1 over, whenever possible.

I also use one instead of buying a batwing or any other fancy awning.


So, yup. I carry a minimum of 3 tarps every camp trip

 

[ThundahBeagle]

A ground cover (tarp, canvas, blanket or rug) first, helps to protect the floor of your tent. When you walk inside your tent or move around, the canvas moves against the ground, however slightly, it rubs against the ground. As mentioned ^, it also keeps the tent cleaner, less mud, dirt, damp leaves or other dead material from sticking to the canvas. When you take the tent down you don't need to brush off the tent as much to put it away clean.

If you miss picking up a sharp stone or stick before putting the tent up, a good ground cloth might keep you from ending up with a hole in the floor.

A tarp (or whatever) over a tent helps to insulate the tent and it helps to shade the tent, it also helps fight the UV rays from breaking down the water treatment in the canvas and giving it a longer service life. Have you ever cleaned bird crap off the tent? An old tarp or plastic tarp can be cleaned off at home or just thrown away, it gets packed by itself if dirty and saves the tent from another scrubbing.

I was typing when ^ posted

A tarp under should have the edges raised somehow IF rain protection is part of the philosophy, aside from that, spot on...a tarp over keeps the actual rain off the tent as well and takes the impact of any small and twig sized branches that might fall from trees overnight, increasing life expectancy of the tent. I set one edge or end corner lower, preferably facing a downhill slope to let the rain drain off and away from the tent.

Last time I did that was near Acadia. Had to make fire in the rain. A big enough tarp acts like a little front porch. Keeps dry wood dry, etc

 

[ThundahBeagle]

This is something that was drilled into my head as a scout - always put down a ground sheet before putting down the tent, and always make sure it's either smaller than the tent or tucked under itself so that the tent footprint is bigger than the tarp itself.

Does 2 things:

- Protects the tent floor from extra wear and tear
- Provides a moisture barrier from the ground itself

I was never a boy scout but learned a few things from my father who was with the 101 in Nam. If the ground sheet (tarp) is bigger than the tent floor, you can fold it upwards somehow to help keep rain from getting between the tarp and the tent.

Also, I'd love to get a couple of older army rain ponchos. Snap two together to make a tent

 

[ThundahBeagle]

LOL.....learned about tent "Foot Prints" in Boy Scouts in 1975.......ready for your mind to be blown?

Put a reflective safety blanket under your tent (perfect for a two man tent) and it does several things:

- water/vapor barrier (no condensation on the bottom of your tent in the morning that has to dry before packing it up)
- protects the tent floor from punctures/dirt/mud/sand/snow/etc
- reflects the cold down into the ground and your limited
body heat back up to you (important on cold mornings and long cold nights)
- lightweight and packs up the size of a sandwich
- much cheaper to replace then your tent floor
- use as an emergency blanket by itself
- use as emergency signal blanket
- use as an improvised piece
of medical gear
- lay on ground and toss your sleeping bag on it to sleep without a tent
- sit on it by the fire
- dry place to sit when the ground is wet
- use it on the ground to pack up your sleeping bag, tent, gear so as not roll your gear up in the dirt......
- wrap up in it for warm from the wind, rain, etc...
- etc.....
I learned about this in winter survival school and it has served me well over the years.
View attachment 836789
View attachment 836791

A/K/A the "Space Blanket." Love these. Have one for car camping and one in my light day hike pack. The people I'm with call me crazy to keep one in the day pack but I know better. If we get caught by surprise and have to stay the night, run a line between 2 trees, drape 10 inches over 1 side of the line, angle the other side to the ground and secure with either another line or a line of stones, and make a floor with the rest. Like a salt box style, open front tent or lean-to. Make sure the reflective side is facing inside. Start your fire just outside of the space blanket and warmth should reflect all around you as you sit or lie down in it

 

[NOPEC]

A/K/A the "Space Blanket." Love these. Have one for car camping and one in my light day hike pack. The people I'm with call me crazy to keep one in the day pack but I know better. If we get caught by surprise and have to stay the night, run a line between 2 trees, drape 10 inches over 1 side of the line, angle the other side to the ground and secure with either another line or a line of stones, and make a floor with the rest. Like a salt box style, open front tent or lean-to. Make sure the reflective side is facing inside. Start your fire just outside of the space blanket and warmth should reflect all around you as you sit or lie down in it

It is funny how the lingo used to describe things can be slightly different. I have always thought of "Space Blankets" as those very thin mylar sheets with a reflective coating which are folded up very small and are sealed in a plastic bag and are designed pretty much for an emergency, one use only application.

I am currently prepping for a fairly long summer paddling trip and have been going through all of our gear. I noticed some flakes in one of the sealed space blanket packages that we carry in our PFDs and when I opened it, most of the shiny coating has parted company with the mylar. So I guess these things, great as they are, have a shelf life. I am replacing all of ours.

 

[alanymarce]

Uhmmm... what??? Absolute standard practice to lay a tarp under the tent, a "ground cloth" also called. You fold in all edges so nothing sticks out from sides, so it doesn't capture rain.

Every Boyscout is the history of scouting was taught this is the correct way to set up a tent, as well as military training, and every book on camping I have.

My understanding is as follows (I've been camping since the late 1950s on 5 continents; I may well be using terms which were current 60 years ago and may have failed to keep up with camping terminology over time and in different parts of the world):

Groundsheet - a sheet of impermeable fabric on the ground, it can be separate from the tent or built-in (also known as "sewn-in groundsheet", an "inner groundsheet", or a "bathtub groundsheet" apparently - I had not heard any of these three latter terms until today). Initially tents had no built-in groundsheet, this was an improvement over a separate groundsheet. The first tent I owned was made for me with a built-in groundsheet (the tentmaker knew what I meant by this).

Tarpaulin - an impermeable sheet of fabric which can be used as a groundsheet, as a tent fly, to cover kit, and other uses.

Footprint - hadn't heard of this either, here's what I found - "A tent footprint is essentially a groundsheet protector. It is a separate flat sheet manufactured from waterproof tarpaulin. Made slightly smaller than the footprint of your tent so that it can be placed underneath the main groundsheet. Whilst sewn in groundsheets are popular, tent footprints are used for protecting this main groundsheet. Perfect for when you’re camping on rough, wet, or stony ground." So, according to this definition, a footprint is smaller than the footprint (!?). Here's another description - "If the ground is already particularly muddy, you may want to have a footprint – which could be purpose designed or simply a piece of polythene from a DIY store or builders’ merchant – to go under your groundsheet to keep the mud at bay." . Here's another comment - "Protection of the groundsheet from the ground can be ensured by using a tent 'footprint' - a groundsheet for the groundsheet, as it were".

Groundcloth - I had never heard of a groundcloth until today. I found this definition: "Ground cloth is something you put under the tent to protect the tent floor. It may come with the tent or bought separately."

Tent floor - I hadn't heard the term "tent floor" either until this discussion and assume that it means what I call a built-in groundsheet.

To add to clarity (or confusion) here's another description - "In the history of tents, sewn-in groundsheets are a relatively recent development. ... the lack of them meant that tent sides could be rolled up for ventilation during the day. As camping became a recreation, groundsheets were sewn into the sides to form an insect-proof shelter that also kept out drafts."

What I learned when camping as a Boy Scout was to place a groundsheet on the ground below the tent (which did not have a built-in groundsheet). During dry days the tent walls would be rolled up to provide ventilation. When built-in groundsheets became available, this meant that the side walls could no longer be rolled up, however the tent became better protected from the entry of rain or snow and would be less drafty. There was never any suggestion to add a second groundsheet, and I've never used one since.

 

[PlacidWaters]

Simplest definitions, applying to nylon tents:

Tent floor: sewn to the tent body, usually made of the same waterproof material as the fly.

Groundsheet, tarp: anything placed under the tent, usually nylon, plastic, or Tyvek.

Footprint: newfangled word for groundsheet or tarp. Made of nylon, cut sightly smaller than the tent, usually has grommets to attach it to the bottom of the poles.

In my opinion, footprints were invented and given a new name in order to make money on a new product. Any type of nylon or plastic ground sheet or tarp will do fine. On some tents the grommets allow you to assemble the fly to the footprint, without the tent body, to provide protection from rain or sun while saving weight.

If you don't use a groundsheet, you're going to have to unpack the whole tent when you get home and clean the floor. Dirt and abrasion will degrade the floor. If you use a groundsheet, you might be able to dry the tent, floor, and the groundsheet, pack them, and not have to unpack them at home. With smaller nylon tents, you remove the fly and drape it over a line or your car to dry while you're breaking camp. You can leave the tent set up but tip it on one side with the floor facing the sun or wind to let it dry. Hang the ground sheet up to dry. Then pack when everything is dry. Rain or significant condensation under the tent changes everything. Then you have to unpack and dry the tent and groundsheet thoroughly at home.

A groundsheet can also be washed in the shower at home or hosed down in the driveway. It's not convenient to do that with the whole tent. Much better to have a separate groundsheet and keep the tent floor clean, dry, and protected from abrasion and punctures. A $5 sheet of plastic can protect a $400 tent.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

It is funny how the lingo used to describe things can be slightly different. I have always thought of "Space Blankets" as those very thin mylar sheets with a reflective coating which are folded up very small and are sealed in a plastic bag and are designed pretty much for an emergency, one use only application.

I am currently prepping for a fairly long summer paddling trip and have been going through all of our gear. I noticed some flakes in one of the sealed space blanket packages that we carry in our PFDs and when I opened it, most of the shiny coating has parted company with the mylar. So I guess these things, great as they are, have a shelf life. I am replacing all of ours.

The original space blanket was devoped (in Massachusetts, or some company in Mass had a contract to manufacture) for NASA. The earliest one I saw was in early 1970's in my father's station wagon. Medium blue on one side, reflective silver on the other. Thick (for the thinness of the blanket) grid of internal fibers. Thick by today's standards. Might have been mil spec. They fold up pretty small for a blanket but not as small as the marathon runner types.

One side made of the same gold stuff you see on the outside of the lunar lander.

I don't remember those one-use ones appearing until the 1990's?

My Space Blankets are brought along completely independent of my standard tarps. They are for emergency only, unless they are being inspected, demonstrated, or tested

 

[BritKLR]

Sometimes it the small things that matter...

 

[JaSAn]

My 2¢:
When backpacking I keep my base pack weight as low as possible, especially if carrying climbing gear. No extra tarps.

When car camping, canoeing, x-c ski camping I carry 3 tarps.

Under tent: for tent floor protection. Last 'tarp' was a piece of one of those woven matts they sell for RV patio's. Water permeable so can stick out as an entry way rug.​

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Over tent: for protection from things falling from the sky: bird bombs, tree sap!, rain, snow, hail, UV. This also allows me leave the rain fly off for added ventilation in hot weather.​

​

Over campfire: nice to have a dry/shady place to sit and cook. This is a cheap 3mil plastic sheet.​

 

[Dave in AZ]

Surprisingly useful thread! Learning good ideas myself. Realized I didn't have any of those survival space blankets in my rig, had fun digging thru old gear looking for them!