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View Full Version : Ground Cloth Nearly Normal 03-11-2005, 23:15 I was wondering if anyone is using .7 or 1.1 oz silicone impregnated ripstop for a ground cloth? Is it waterproof enough? You can get it thru-hiker.com. Is there anything lighter? I just got a new tarp from Granite Gear and need a light weight ground cloth. Thanks, pete56 neo 03-12-2005, 00:21 i prefer tyvek,aka dupont home wrap,very economical,practical,durable and washable:sun neo Roland 03-12-2005, 05:11 I was wondering if anyone is using .7 or 1.1 oz silicone impregnated ripstop for a ground cloth? Is it waterproof enough? You can get it thru-hiker.com. Is there anything lighter? I just got a new tarp from Granite Gear and need a light weight ground cloth. Thanks, pete56 Pete, There are some trends, that in my view, are just plain silly. The use of Tyvek as a ground cloth, is one of them. To me, the most critical characteristic of a ground cloth, is that it be waterproof. Tyvek was designed NOT to be waterproof! Despite that, some folks continue to pay the inflated prices and outrageous shipping cost for Tyvek, that I've seen advertised on this site. I believe impregnated silicone ripstop is an excellent choice for a ground cloth, and it weighs less than Tyvek. Go for it! Roland cupcake 03-12-2005, 08:24 some people get their tyvek for free. i think using silnylon as a groundcloth is tricky. it's so slippery, and you migrate across it during sleep. silnylon should be waterproof no matter what it's wt. is. some people go the cheap route and use thin painter's dropcloths. of course the thinner, the less durable. chris 03-12-2005, 18:59 There is a thread somewhere callled "Groundcloth ideas" that you might find helpful. My current favorite is a 2 mil painters dropcloth. You can buy a roll from a hardware store for about $5 and make 2-3 ground cloths out of it (depending on how large you like them). While not super durable, it doesn't have to be. Alligator 03-12-2005, 20:30 Chris, Is the 2-mil painters dropcloth just basically plastic? Nearly Normal 03-12-2005, 22:31 Thanks for the response. I may try an emergency space blanket for now. Has anyone tried that? Light and cheap but flimsy. pete56 smokymtnsteve 03-12-2005, 22:33 Chris, Is the 2-mil painters dropcloth just basically plastic? yep...plastic drop cloth..thin Alligator 03-12-2005, 23:11 yep...plastic drop cloth..thinThanks SMS. I thought so, but then I do know painters that use real cloth, so I wasn't sure. erichlf 03-15-2005, 22:39 Gossamer Gear has a ground cloth that is made of spinnaker fabric, but is probably not water proof enough for you. It is however $7. They also have a Polycryo Ground Cloth that comes in a 2 pack for $4. The spinn cloth weighs 2 oz for single(27" x 84") and 4.1 oz for double(54" x 84"). The Poly weighs in at 1.3oz each (32" x 96"). |