TiHabanero

I have been reading quite a lot of opinions on the sizing for a tent foot print. Some claim make it smaller than the foot print of the tent, some say make it larger. I am looking for people's additional opinions on this since I'm quite certain the responses to my question of "Is your tent foot print smaller or larger than the actual foot print of the tent." will not be AI generated.

gna

I thought footprints were supposed to be smaller than the actual tent by a couple of inches.

gauvins

Mine is a bit smaller than the tent, the argument being that larger footprints catch water falling down the tent walls, which could create a puddle under your floor. Makes sense
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Some people advocate a larger footprint, where you can put your shoes/luggage, as if it were a door mat. I don't

indyfabz

Every footprint that is made to go with a specific tent that I have or have seen has grommets at the corners that are used with the bottom of the tent poles. As such, the footprint is roughly the same size at the tent floor.

I don’t use a dedicated footprint with my touring tents. I have a cheap, 4’x8’ plastic tarp. If there is a chance of rain, I make sure it’s folded under and completely covered by the tent floor and fly.

A while back, someone posted a link to a light, compact floor mat. Not something I would normally consider, but the product actually looked pretty neat.

cyclomath

I use tarp and it is actually more than twice the size of my tent footprint. The idea behind it is that I can also use it as a cover for me and the bike if I am in the open and caught by nasty weather (it's on the rear rack and easy to reach), or as an additional tent protection on the side where the rain/hail is coming from... Sometimes it's just nice to have a large controlled surface (no bugs) when I have to go through stuff for whatever reason.
On normal days, I just fold it below the tent so there is around 20cm (8in) of tarp on each side (slightly more at the entrance). The extra tarp on all sides (especially on the higher side if the ground is not level) is then stuffed underneath the fly sheet so the rain doesn't get between the tarp and inner tent, while the lower part (usually entrance) stays the way it is so the water (if it still gets there) can flow out.

But this is all very individual, like most things. If you are very weight conscious (relative to average tourer) then you'll probably go as small as possible. There are things/types of comfort in cyclotouring that mean a bit more to me than to others and I willingly and gladly pay the price.

saddlesores

If the footprint is larger than the tent, during rain (or heavy dew), water runs down the tent wall and collects on the waterproof footprint. If you're on a soft surface or grass, your body weight will depress the tent floor and footprint, putting the lowest point in the center. Your tent is now sitting in the middle of an artificial lake. Any pinholes in the fabric of the tent floor will allow water to flow in.

A smaller footprint allows the tent wall to funnel the water onto the ground. The waterproof footprint should prevent water from the saturated ground from reaching the tent floor from below.

The last tent I purchased had a ready-made footprint was about 1" smaller all around, attached to the corner poles with tiny resin clips on wee, tiny straps. Before that I just used cheap blue tarp cut slightly smaller than the tent floor.

One drawback to the pre-cut footprints that remain attached is stuff can get caught in between the footprint and the floor. Roll over at night and squanch a mouse and it'll stick there. What's that smell?

Tourist in MSN

Smaller. As noted above, you do not want a puddle on top of your footprint.

I use several different tents, most of them I use a footprint only when the tent is going up on non-grassy ground. I then use them to protect the tent from sharp rocks, etc. I try to avoid setting up tents in mud but it occasionally happens, in that case the footprint makes the tent slightly cleaner.

There is a store in my region that has some huge heavy duty plastic shopping bags. When I shop there, I often ask if I can get an extra shopping bag or two. I use the plastic from those for footprints. It does not cover all the ground under the tent, but it covers the area under my air mattress which is what I am looking for. The bags are similar to large garbage bags in size, but use thicker plastic.

I have heard some people buy tyvek sheeting to use as footprints too.

I only have one dedicated footprint that is sized for the tent. In that case, I can use the footprint grommets to hold the fly and poles in the right places if I wanted to set it up without the inner tent body. I have never done that yet, but some of the tent reviews on line mentioned that option so I bought the footprint.

I also have cut small footprints for vestibule area in case of mud, but those are rarely used. I decided to start doing that after paying a huge amount of money for a tiny campsite at a KOA and my only option was muddy non-grassy ground. In that case I got some newsprint out of a recycle bin to keep the stuff I stored in the vestibule less muddy.

cyclomath

I apparently rambled a bit above - I claim innocence, it was before my morning coffee
What hopefully can be understood from what I said is that, when my tent is all set, the area covered by the tarp is just about the size of the tent footprint, with the parts that stick out are stuffed underneath the flysheet. That way, no water gets between the tarp and tent.

Prowler 

This is what I use. Works well for me. I cut the material to be an inch or so less than the tent floor. Note: when setting up camp, place the tyvek (or any competing house wrap material) printed side down. Moisture moves from non reprinted sided “out”. Yes, the printing makes good advertising on new construction houses but the house breathes better that way too.

djb

despite what you wrote, your photo shows your blue tarp extending further out than your rain fly.
the rain will drip onto your blue tarp and then under your tent floor, caught between the tarp

I have generally make my own footprints from large sheets of plastic, slightly smaller than the tent floor, and if I use a larger footprint, I just fold the excess underneath, with fold turned under the plastic footprint, towards the ground, to make sure it doesnt turn out past the fly and start funneling water between the tent floor and plastic

andrewclaus

Back when I used to carry one, I had a Tyvek footprint that was quite a bit smaller than the tent floor.

This is off topic so please feel free to ignore: But I don't use one anymore and life is better. I'm better at site selection, and there's one less wet dirty thing to pack up. The guy who makes my tent, Henry Shires, also repairs them and he says he virtually never gets a tent back for a floor repair. His website mentions that footprints are optional.

cyclomath

Actually, the water would go away from the tent, because the ground is not level (it is lower towards the lower right corner of the photo). That is why the tarp is not folded and completely stuffed underneath the flysheet.

In any case, we agree that the tarp should be set up in such a way that no water would be allowed between it and the inner tent. The actual size of the tarp is not important, so long as the extra parts are on the side of the tent where terrain profile would take the rain away from the tent.

djb

Ok, I prefer to tuck them under and don't need to think past that when setting up the tent.
Thanks for clarifying, good for someone looking at the photo who hasn't used footprints before.

ScottCommutes

I have never heard the term "footprint" before in this context. I would call this sheet a "groundcloth". The footprint of a tent, to me, is the area that it covers on the ground.

I think that a footprint/groundcloth is cheap and sacrificial. It exists to protect the tent floor from rocks and sticks and has little to do with keeping anything dry.

I do the same thing with my home ice rink. I save an old liner (no longer watertight) to go underneath and protect the new liner from tears.

I would advise getting a footprint/groundcloth slightly smaller than the tent so that it collects as little water as possible. Rolling up the edges of a larger piece of material to get it out of the rain is OK, but this creates the possibility of water pooling up in it.

staehpj1

I quit using a ground cloth (footprint) years ago. I found that other parts of my tents tended to wear out or otherwise fail before the floor did any way. So my approach would be patch the floor as necessary. Then when/if required recoat the floor. If it eventually got too bad for even that use a ground cloth inside the tent. Size it big enough to turn up a little around the edges. I have never actually resorted to either recoating or using a ground cloth inside though.

I am pretty easy on floors though since I crawl in shoeless directly onto the sleeping pad and pretty much only read and sleep in the tent.

indyfabz

You must not look at tents offered on line. A specific “footprint” is often offered if one is manufactured.

E.g.:

https://www.rei.com/product/216298/r...with-footprint

Here is a whole bunch of “footprints” on offer:

https://www.rei.com/search?q=Tent+footprints+

I have 2 tents that came with free “footprints”. One is a 13 lb., 4P base camp tent too heavy to tour with. The other is a 3P hybrid that I took on a few tours with the ex. Weighs in at over 6 lbs.

TiHabanero

Cyclomath, thanks for the visual as it clearly explains things. Never thought about using the foot print as a work mat as well. Good thinking. I now know what I am going to do.

sbrudno

I kind of agree. I don't camp much in the rain so the tarp is for protecting my tent and allowing for stuff I want to leave outside to have someplace to rest and air out (shoes, sometimes shorts, etc.). IMHO

indyfabz

+1. When I first started touring I had never camped before. On the third night of the trip we were supposed to get rain overnight. One of the seasoned participants in the group noticed me setting up my tent with the tarp extending beyond the tent floor and fly. He was nice enough to school me.

Chr0m0ly 

this is a new piece of vocab to me, too. A footprint is what the tent covers when it’s set up. I think this new use started when they had a product to sell that matches the tent’s “footprint”. I’ve always cut a blue tarp down to the size needed for my “ground cloths”.

ScottCommutes

I'll go further. Assuming a tarp under your tent is only to protect the floor, it could be small (you only put it where the rock is) or even in two pieces.

Another idea is to roll you sleeping back up in the tarp to keep your bag dry.

indyfabz

The terms has been in use for well over a decade, at least. When I bought my 3P Sierra Designs tent for a 2009 tour it was on clearance from Moose Jaw, so it came with a free "footprint." (Might as well include the footprint if the tent is being discontinued so you don't have them hanging around the warehouse.) MSH was using the term when I bought my Hubba Hubba around the same time, but I didn't pony up the extra money. My Bedouin 4P, also from Sierra Designs, also came with a "footprint." I bought that in 2007 for Cycle Oregon I was doing with a friend. (They carried gear, making a 13 lb. tent possible.)

str

What is the question?¿