Whereas lots of people don’t hassle with them, most seasoned campers will agree that you just shouldn’t overlook the footprint.
Utilizing one can delay the lifespan of your tent by fairly a bit, plus, you may make one your self for subsequent to nothing. So, there’s no cause to not use a footprint.
Need to discover out extra?
Let’s get began!
What A Tent Footprint Does
A tent footprint (a.ok.a. groundsheet) is a water resistant piece of cloth that lays between the bottom and your tent.
Finally, a tent footprint creates an additional layer of safety and minimizes the potential for your tent flooring getting broken.
They come in useful for quite a lot of causes, which all boil down to 1 important benefit: tent footprints shield the underside of your tent.
From what? Water runoff, filth, and sticks, common put on and tear… The listing goes on and on!
You possibly can pitch your tenting tent immediately onto the bottom, and there’s likelihood it’ll be tremendous.
However, over time, the laborious, tough floor will put on the tent material and waterproof coating down.
Utilizing one will delay the lifespan of your tent, and you may make one your self for subsequent to nothing, so there’s no cause to not use a footprint.
READ: Tent Footprint vs Tarp – Which is healthier?
Benefits Of A Tent Footprint
Listed below are the primary the explanation why you must at all times use a tent footprint when tenting on the path:
Safety
Tent footprints are created from heavy-duty materials and are extra abrasion-resistant than the underside of a tent.
Plain and easy, including one other, extra sturdy layer beneath your tent protects the precise backside of your tent from getting too broken by put on and tear on the bottom.
Regardless that the underside of your tent is fabricated from thicker materials than the remainder of the construction, it’s nonetheless taking over the brunt of the wear and tear and tear.
Over time, this put on may cause the underside of the tent to be much less efficient in protecting water and particles out.
Utilizing a tent footprint will delay the pace of this put on and tear.
Water Resistance
Tent footprints are fabricated from sturdy, water resistant supplies.
If you lay the one beneath your tent construction, you’re including a further layer of safety in opposition to water seeping by way of your tent.
This high quality comes significantly in helpful if you’re in a rainstorm and there’s rainwater working on the bottom beneath your tent.
The footprint will be certain that the water runs beneath it, relatively than immediately touching the tent construction itself.
Insulation
Any camper is aware of that the bottom could be extremely chilly at night time – that’s why we use sleeping pads to separate us from the bottom beneath us.
Whereas maybe not its important function, an added good thing about utilizing a tent footprint is that it provides one other layer between you and the bottom and may insulate your heat.
Additionally learn: How To Insulate A Tent For Winter Tenting
Cleanliness
One among my favourite components of utilizing a footprint? It retains all the mess from the bottom – together with mud, sand, particles, and filth – away from my tent!
On the path, protecting your tent clear helps preserve the remainder of your gear clear. Give it some thought! Your tent, each folded and arrange, touches most of your gear.
If it’s soiled, it may possibly simply unfold filth to the remainder of your gear, as properly.
Plus protecting your tent as clear as doable, makes tent upkeep even simpler.
Having a cleaner tent will prevent time by making certain you don’t must deep clear your tent or reapply waterproof coating as usually.
Dangers Of Tenting With No Tent Footprint
You completely can camp with no tent footprint, however you’re risking potential injury to the underside of your tent whilst you accomplish that.
You’re additionally risking the chance that the underside of your tent will not be as waterproof as you thought.
Even probably the most waterproof coating on the underside of your tent will put on down over time.
Should you haven’t reapplied waterproof coating shortly, it’s very doable the underside of your tent may begin leaking or letting moisture seep in from the bottom.
That is just about the worst-case state of affairs for a lot of campers. The excellent news is that it’s tremendous simple to keep away from – simply use a tent footprint!
Additionally Learn: How To Waterproof A Canvas Tent
Components To Think about When Shopping for A Tent Footprint
Some tents include their customized footprint, however more often than not you want to purchase one.
Most firms will promote a tent footprint for every of their tents. Nonetheless, some firms like Coleman don’t appear to take action, however you possibly can usually discover a shut sufficient match on-line.
Nonetheless, if you happen to can’t be bothered fiddling round with a DIY challenge and also you’ve received your coronary heart set on shopping for a footprint, don’t simply order the primary one you come across.
Take these standards into consideration if you’re purchasing, to be sure you get a footprint that’s going to give you the results you want:
Compatibility
It’d go with out saying, however a very powerful factor is that you just get a footprint that’s appropriate together with your particular tent.
If it’s a must to modify the footprint to suit, you could as properly have simply made a DIY footprint to start with.
Examine the size of your tent flooring to the size of your footprint.
You wish to ensure that the footprint is simply barely smaller than the bottom of your tent, in order that there aren’t any bits and items protruding from beneath.
Materials
Most footprints that you could purchase from tent producer manufacturers are fabricated from both polyester or nylon, very like tents themselves.
The material your footprint is fabricated from have to be waterproof and sturdy.
So far as the latter goes, checking the material’s denier ranking is an effective solution to get an thought of how robust it’s.
The upper the denier ranking, the thicker the material. The thicker the material, the extra resistant it’ll be to put on and tear.
Search for a footprint with a denier ranking of 30 or extra, ideally.
You possibly can at all times merely purchase a tenting tarp and use that as a footprint, however we usually discover that to be a bit unwieldy.
Portability
Should you’re an ultralight backpacker making an attempt to maintain your load as gentle as doable, you’ll undoubtedly wish to take note of the burden of your footprint.
Some footprints can up the entire weight of your tent by as a lot as 20%. That’s a good quantity of additional weight if you happen to’re backpacking and you want to carry your tenting gear lengthy distances.
Affordability
And, after all, you wish to be sure you don’t find yourself spending an excessive amount of cash on a footprint.
In spite of everything, you possibly can simply make one your self filth low-cost.
So, if you happen to can’t discover one that matches your tent at an inexpensive value, it’s price placing within the tiny little bit of effort it takes to make one.
Care & Upkeep Of Tent Footprints
As a result of they’re fabricated from extra sturdy supplies, tent footprints don’t want fairly as a lot upkeep as tents.
Nonetheless, they nonetheless want a degree of cleansing, restore, and correct storage to remain in tip-top form!
Cleansing & Drying
For probably the most half, the tent footprint gained’t require an excessive amount of effort relating to cleansing.
If there’s a mean quantity of filth on the footprint, you possibly can both brush it off together with your fingers, or use a moist material to scrub the soiled areas.
If the tent footprint is very soiled, you possibly can clear it identical to you’d deep clear your tent.
To do that, get a big bucket of heat water and add a small quantity of tent-specific cleaning soap.
Gently wash the footprint within the heat, soapy water and rinse till clear.
Tent-friendly soaps you should use for deep cleansing embody: Nikwax Tech Wash, Grangers® Tent + Gear Wash, or GearAid® Revivex.
As soon as the footprint has been cleaned, lay it out in a sunny, dry spot till it’s fully dry. Making certain the footprint is completely dry will assist forestall mould and mildew development in storage.
Making Repairs
Since your tent footprint is your tent’s first layer of protection in opposition to the bottom, it’s doubtless that it’ll acquire tears or rips all through its lifespan.
If the tear is pretty small, you should use tent restore tape, or duct tape, to patch it up.
These are probably the most frequent sort of tear seen in tent footprints and are pretty simple to deal with.
Nonetheless, if the tear is on a bigger dimension, patching it up may not be as efficient.
Bear in mind, one of many footprint’s important functions is to maintain water away out of your tent.
If the tear – even when repaired – seems prefer it gained’t stand as much as working water, it’s time to get a brand new footprint.
Additionally See: Learn how to Patch a Tent: Fast and Simple Options for Rips and Tears
Storing
The primary purpose of storage is to forestall mould and mildew development in your footprint.
To do that, you’ll wish to loosely fold your footprint and place it in a cool, dry surroundings.
The unfastened folds will guarantee that there’s house left for water or condensation to flee – even in storage.
The cool, dry surroundings ensures that the footprint as an entire is avoided damaging parts, together with warmth, extra moisture, and daylight.
Finances-Pleasant DIY Footprint Options
Should you’ve received an costly tent and also you need it to final you a very long time, you ought to be utilizing a footprint.
Some tents include footprints included, however you is perhaps left to determine it out by yourself.
Should you select to purchase a footprint, you may get one particularly designed on your tent. This makes it tremendous simple to make use of, because it’s the right dimension, and so they’re normally pretty light-weight.
That being mentioned, utilizing a tenting tarp or making a footprint by yourself can work simply as properly.
Plus, you may make one for a fraction of the value, and also you’ve most likely already received a tarp, which is nice information for campers on a funds.
Among the finest issues to make use of as a footprint embody:
- A floor tarp
- Polycryo
- Tyvek
- Shrink movie
How To Make Your Personal Footprint: Step By Step
To make your DIY tent footprint, right here’s what you’ll want to collect:
- A chunk of cloth that’s bigger than the bottom of your tent
- A marker
- A pointy pair of scissors
- Your tent (or the size and a ruler)
When you’ve collected all of these items, you’re able to get began. And that is the way you do it:
- Take a chunk of whichever material you’ll be utilizing
- Place your tent on high of the piece of cloth
- Take a marker and hint across the edges of your tent
- Now, make a second line that’s round 2” narrower on all sides than the primary one
- Subsequent, take your scissors and minimize alongside the second line
And there you may have it! Your footprint is all accomplished and able to go.
The true secret’s simply ensuring your footprint is smaller than your tent backside.
If there are any bits of footprint protruding from beneath, it’ll acquire rainwater.
FAQs
Does Each Tent Come With A Footprint?
Sadly no, not each tent comes with a footprint.
Should you want one on your tent, you should buy one from an outside store, or make one for your self with the directions included above!
Can I Use A Footprint From A Totally different Tent Model?
Sure! So long as the footprint suits the dimensions and form of your tent, it will likely be efficient!
Can A Broken Footprint Be Repaired Or Ought to It Be Changed?
It relies on the injury. If it’s a small tear, you possibly can doubtless patch up your footprint with restore tape and use the footprint once more.
Nonetheless, if the footprint has any massive tears or rips, it’s unlikely that it is possible for you to to patch it up so it may be used successfully once more.
On this case, it is perhaps time to spend money on one other footprint.
Can I Use A Greater Footprint Than My Tent?
No, you don’t want to make use of a footprint that’s larger than your tent.
It’s because rain can accumulate in any puddles on the fabric that “peeks” out from beneath the tent construction.
These accrued puddles can create standing water beneath your tent, which could be worse than not having a footprint in any respect!
Can I Use A Smaller Footprint Than My Tent?
Sure! It is suggested that almost all footprints are barely smaller than the tent they’re used with.
Nonetheless, if the footprint is considerably smaller than the tent, it can doubtless not be efficient.
What Now?
Tent footprints are at all times a good suggestion. They’re a really helpful piece of tenting gear that gives additional safety on your tent and retains it clear as properly.
Plus, you possibly can simply make one your self out of cheap supplies, so, there’s no excuse to not have one.
Take excellent care of your tent, and it’ll function your private home away from dwelling for years to return.
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