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When I car camp, we always bring a ground cloth to put under our tent even though our tent has a built-in ground tarp (bathtub style). I've gone backpacking a few times, and don't take a ground cloth with me because I don't want to carry the extra weight. I've been on weeds, dirt, and rock and the tent floor has worked fine without being on a tarp, but now I'm wondering if I'm doing it all wrong. What do the rest of you do?

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:) my tent I use doesn't have a floor. Never have to worry about a thing. When I use my big tent doesn't have a floor either and I can put up a cot, folding chair and fold up table in there without worrying about poking any holes in the floor. The only ground cloth I use is a rubberized gum blanket that I use to keep ground moisture from coming up and getting my clothes/blankets wet/damp.
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I use a ground cloth/pad. Two thoughts:

1. It is likely more tear resistant than a tent floor and if it does tear, cheaper to replace.

2. A dryer tent for packing. Without ground cloth, you might see tents turned on their sides in the morning to dry bottoms before packing. Of course if it rains...

My $0.02,

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Hello

 

For tarp tent camping or tent camping. I have been using a piece of tyvek cut just 12" over the floor or tub size of the tent. Its light weight, pretty durable, but not the cheapest. It does pack down super small, but shows the dirt. It can be washed in the clothes washer in light cycle. Matter a fact, I wash my new tarps to soften them and they lose their loud crinkle sound.

 

 

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Always tuck the ground cloth under the tent otherwise you end up with an indoor swimming pool every time! Every bit of rain that rolls off the tent will get caught in the ground cloth and go under the tent! Major mistake most newbies make. I was at Centennial Jambo and walked by a contingent that obvious tented seldom in the rain. Ground cloths sticking out all over the place. I talked to the SM about it making the tuck in suggestion. He was not very courteous, kind or cheerful about the comment. After the first rain, he came back and apologized. :) Then he went back and helped the boys dry their things out. The sad part of the whole thing was it wasn't even that heavy of a rain, but the tent collected up its fair share of the moisture and it all ran under the tents.

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Always tuck the ground cloth under the tent otherwise you end up with an indoor swimming pool every time! Every bit of rain that rolls off the tent will get caught in the ground cloth and go under the tent! Major mistake most newbies make. I was at Centennial Jambo and walked by a contingent that obvious tented seldom in the rain. Ground cloths sticking out all over the place. I talked to the SM about it making the tuck in suggestion. He was not very courteous, kind or cheerful about the comment. After the first rain, he came back and apologized. :) Then he went back and helped the boys dry their things out. The sad part of the whole thing was it wasn't even that heavy of a rain, but the tent collected up its fair share of the moisture and it all ran under the tents.
Good to know. If I'm staking, I have to tuck the ground cloth under, but if I don't need to stake I've always just left the tarp hanging out to give me a place to put other things that I don't necessarily want sitting directly on the ground. I'm a fair-weather camper, though, so it hasn't been a problem yet.
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Always tuck the ground cloth under the tent otherwise you end up with an indoor swimming pool every time! Every bit of rain that rolls off the tent will get caught in the ground cloth and go under the tent! Major mistake most newbies make. I was at Centennial Jambo and walked by a contingent that obvious tented seldom in the rain. Ground cloths sticking out all over the place. I talked to the SM about it making the tuck in suggestion. He was not very courteous, kind or cheerful about the comment. After the first rain, he came back and apologized. :) Then he went back and helped the boys dry their things out. The sad part of the whole thing was it wasn't even that heavy of a rain, but the tent collected up its fair share of the moisture and it all ran under the tents.
You can be a "fair weather" camper and still experience rain. I have often camped with beautiful, clear days, and had a shower in the middle of the night.

 

Even a heavy dew on the ground cloth can end up under the tent.

 

It does not matter if you are staking down your tent or not.If moisture gets between the ground cloth and the tent floor it will cause the inside of the tent to get anywhere from slightly damp to sopping wet.

 

I seems that you have just been very lucky.

 

If you want to protect something left outside, get a tent with a vestibule, and put down a cheap throw rug under it.

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I bet you care more worthless weight than a groundcloth when backpacking.

 

I buy the footprint for the tents I own....and have bought them for the troop tents.....Extra cost sure, but they are the correct size and boys don't treat them like sheets of plastic

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I have a big square tarp that fits under my biggest tent. If I'm using a smaller tent, I just don't unfold it as many times... I want it under there for protection but nowhere near the edges. I am constantly amazed at folks who love having their little "porch" surrounding the tent!

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Noted outdoorsman, canoeist, and distinguished Eagle Scout Cliff Jacobson recommends using the ground cloth INSIDE your tent. He says it's not a floor protector, but rather a way to insure dry gear inside your tent. Sounds logical, but I've yet to try it....

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