Does anyone use a 'footprint' with their tent?

[Catfish1972]

I recently bought a Hilleberg Saivo for a three-man trek in Indonesia and it came with something called a 'footprint' - an extra layer that goes under the groundsheet. I took it along on our trek but now I'm wondering whether it was worth the extra weight (540g in this case).

Has anyone ever ripped their groundsheet and wished they had taken the precaution of using a footprint? Or are they just a waste of space?

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Yes I use a second ground sheet which also doubles as a cover for the roll mat. I've only a small 2 man backpacking tent so the extra weight is minimal.
It does give added protection to the groundsheet & keeps it clean so no problems with clearing off mud 'n' slugs before packing. I have torn & punctured the groundsheet on a few occasions in the past (it is very thin) but not since I've been using an undersheet so I'll continue to use one.........didn't know it was called a footprint though

 

[Nohoval_Turrets]

I think for most purposes they're unnecessary. I have tents that I've been using regularly for years, and their groundsheets are still in good fettle. If you're pitching on rocky ground, then it makes sense to protect your groundsheet from abrasion, but why would you want to camp on rocky ground? Well, there might be circumstances of course, but they seldom arise in this part of the world. Wise choice of pitching spot = no need for footprint.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Wise choice of pitching spot = no need for footprint.

Maybe in the best of worlds but arriving somewhere to camp in the dark in a downpour = pitch anywhere you can in a hurry= the risk of missing something sharp on the ground = bloody good job I bought the 'footprint ' with me

 

[Catfish1972]

Maybe in the best of worlds but arriving somewhere to camp in the dark in a downpour = pitch anywhere you can in a hurry= the risk of missing something sharp on the ground = bloody good job I bought the 'footprint ' with me

That was what I was thinking on my recent trek. Although some of the camping spots were well used and kept clear of everything but moss, the deeper we went into the jungle the ropier the camping spots became. So from the perspective of protecting the groundsheet I found it useful.

Do you reckon it helps with insulation too?

 

[ged]

I don't always use an extra layer under the groundsheet but I always carry one. It's just a sheet of polythene or something like a builder's tarp though, I wouldn't pay over the odds for one. It seems to me that manufacturers must think my money grows on trees.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Do you reckon it helps with insulation too?

In theory prehaps since 2 layers are better than one & that there may be a layer of air trapped between the sheets but in practice I don't think so or only very marginally. Does reduce condensation on the tent's groundsheet though.

 

[Humpback]

When I go canoe camping sites aren't always ideal. We take a piece of cheap tarp with aview to replacing that when damaged.
Alan

 

[wicca]

I use a cheap "camo Tarp" off Amazon as an extra ground sheet under the tent, about £7 and very light. Because I camp often in woodland every slug, snail and other slippery wriggly things plus their relatives move in under my tent after a couple of days. The extra ground sheet makes it easy to evict them and saves a big tent cleaning session when I break camp..

 

[bigroomboy]

I take one if weight is not a big concern just to extend the life of the tent.

 

[rik_uk3]

I do in my Coleman Coastline 8 and have the camping carpets too, great glamping tent I used a plastic tarp under my Hex 3.

 

[bearbait]

I use a cheap tarp as a footprint with the edges folded in so that it's all but invisible under the tent's own groundsheet. That way when it rains it doesn't collect water into a nice puddle under the tent. I find it's also useful to move it about a bit on the ground - before I pitch the tent - to find the most level place for my pitch. Seems easier judging slope with the tarp on the ground than trying on the bare ground itself. It's also good to crawl about on to find and dispose of lumps and bumps on the ground, again before pitching the tent rather than finding a sharp stone just where your thigh goes at lights out. And it's a spare tarp, if necessary.

 

[epa611]

Yes, we have the official Hilleberg footprint for our Nallo 3GT - toggles onto tent and gives extra protection and also covers the porch area. With our canvas tents, just approximate sized tarps from ebay.

I believe in foreign climes they can help protect the tent from being eaten by cfreepy crawlies- a sort of sacrificial layer and not your groundsheet!

 

[Dogoak]

I use an IPK sheet as a footprint, cheap & lightweight.

 

[brambles]

I made my own footprint with polycryo sheet, shaped and hemmed to fit my mountain tent, cost a fiver and weighs very little and easily replaced.

 

[Nohoval_Turrets]

Looks like I'm the only one not using an extra groundsheet. Didn't know I was such a risk-taker

 

[Goatboy]

If nothing else, especially as you tend to leave the inner and outer together on a Hillie it keeps your tent clean, especially when packing in a hurry. Take off footprint, store seperatly and have a bonny clean tent.
Can also be used as a shelter at lunch breaks or turned into a porch extension.
GB.

 

[theoctagon]

Often take a sheet of polycryo with me and use that underneath my laser comp. keeps the bottom clean, weighs very little, and covers the porch area too


Matt

 

[Andy BB]

I actually think its rather funny - the manufacturers highlight their incredibly lightweight tents at a huge mark-up (cos it's ultralight..), then sell you a comparatively heavy footprint because the original floor is paper-thin and flimsy as a result of the weight-shedding, and tends not to be water-proof, just water-resistant!

 

[plastic-ninja]

The manufacturers are indeed having a laugh as the tent gets under 1KG but isnt actually capable of doing the job on anything other than a campsite or a golf course.
I keep a bit of Tyvek in the back of the car which I have used a couple of times to protect the groundsheet from stones but my Marmot Asgard is an older one and has
a good groundsheet attached.My other tent is a MSR Twin Peaks tarptent and has no groundsheet at all.If I think I'll need one I take a Shangri La bathtub floor as well
but it practically doubles the weight!Otherwise I'm in a bivvy bag.
Cheers , Simon