Sliding on silnylon floors [Archive]

vaporjourney

11-30-2006, 19:22

I've got a Tarptent Rainbow that I"m fairly happy with, except for one annoying issue: pad/sleeping bag sliding around at night. Nothing worse that waking up with your head touching the tent walls, even where there isn't much of an incline at all. Does anyone have a good fix for this? I've tried to put lines of silicone on the floor, in different designs, but this never works. Plus, the silicone seems to wear off after folding it up, and lying on it. Is there another solution? I"m tempted to just either sell the Rainbow, or cut off the silnylon floor, and use a tyvek groundcloth instead. This however ruins the idea of using a bathtub floor to prevent water from creeping in.

halftime

11-30-2006, 19:40

Ewker

11-30-2006, 19:41

I have had the same problem with my tarptent. HOI told me to get that gripper shelf material and place it under the pad. It holds to the floor and the pad. It is very lite weight and you don't need much, maybe a 6" x 6" pc. I have some left over so I will try it the next trip

Appalachian Tater

11-30-2006, 21:16

The silicone stuck to the floor of mine. I also put some silicone on my inflatable pad. One side of the pad is supposed to be non-slip, but it isn't, and the non-slip coating won't let the silicone stick! The sleeping bag slipping on the pad is more of a problem than the pad slipping on the floor in my mind.

orangebug

11-30-2006, 23:59

Same experience. If I have a flat campsite, I am more likely to wiggle off the mat in my sleeping bag than to have the whole kit and kaboodle move.

I've had no trouble with large beads of silicon sealant/caulk on the floor of my tents.

rswanson

12-01-2006, 12:12

Duct tape in a pinch. If you can't fix it, duck it!

Footslogger

12-01-2006, 12:23

Try this ...

http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/Silnylon1/index.html

I was skeptical at first but applied this to all of our silnylon tent floors and it really did work. Easy to do too.

'Slogger

Ewker

12-01-2006, 13:09

Try this ...

http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/Silnylon1/index.html

I was skeptical at first but applied this to all of our silnylon tent floors and it really did work. Easy to do too.

'Slogger

Footslogger, isn't that the same stuff H Shires recommends. I tried it and it still doesn't work. My pad (Insul Mat Max) still slides everywhere on the floor. I even put the stuff on the bottom of the pad..no luck

Footslogger

12-01-2006, 13:13

Footslogger, isn't that the same stuff H Shires recommends. I tried it and it still doesn't work. My pad (Insul Mat Max) still slides everywhere on the floor. I even put the stuff on the bottom of the pad..no luck
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Not sure about the H Shire tie-in. First time I tried it the results weren't that good either. Used a slightly thicker mix and spead it on with a paint brush. NO MORE SLIP ...

'Slogger

saimyoji

12-01-2006, 13:19

I think FD recommended that same stuff in a different thread not long ago. :-?

Footslogger

12-01-2006, 13:21

I think FD recommended that same stuff in a different thread not long ago. :-?

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YUP ...sure did. That's where I got the reference.

Props to FD !!

'Slogger

orangebug

12-01-2006, 13:39

This is one area where duct tape fails to help. It doesn't stick well to silnylon.

Ewker

12-01-2006, 14:12

===============================

Not sure about the H Shire tie-in. First time I tried it the results weren't that good either. Used a slightly thicker mix and spead it on with a paint brush. NO MORE SLIP ...

'Slogger

the only thing sticking to where I applied it is dirt, sticks, leaves, etc :mad:

vaporjourney

12-01-2006, 18:15

If you don't mind the extra weight or bulk of the tyvek you can put it inside tent as a floor liner. Cutting it to to fit the bathtub floor will also give added protection from water entering during a storm. Also helps keep your tent floor clean. Just remove the tyvec liner and shake out the dirt. If you are not happy with the floor you can consider keeping on the tent as a protective footprint for the tyvec.

I had thought of this, but just assumed that the tyvek layer would wind up sliding on top of the silnylon as well, with the weight of the pad/person being on top of the tyvek. I like this option because it doubles as groundcloth for possible shelter usage.

halftime

12-01-2006, 18:58

I had thought of this, but just assumed that the tyvek layer would wind up sliding on top of the silnylon as well, with the weight of the pad/person being on top of the tyvek. I like this option because it doubles as groundcloth for possible shelter usage.

Not familiar with the silnylon floor so you may be right about it slipping. Hopefully turning the edges up will help or maybe fastening the corners in some way. This works well in my tent and as you say it can double for other things. I have been thinking of trying to use as a pack liner or pack cover as well but have not solved that one yet. Good luck!

Appalachian Tater

12-01-2006, 19:29

I used a thin ribbon of full-strength silicone and made lines and dots.

The extra weight of a footprint isn't necessary with a tarptent unless you know the ground is sharp rocks or something.

Nightwalker

12-02-2006, 01:21

This is one area where duct tape fails to help. It doesn't stick well to silnylon.

What about a floor coated with polyurethane, like the Six Moons tents? Any idea what to coat that with?

coss

12-02-2006, 01:50

If you know how to sew, you could sew a silnylon pocket to the floor at both the head and foot end of where the pad should rest. Slide the ends of the pad into the pockets, and you won't slide anywhere as long as you don't roll off the pad. Seal the needle holes in the floor with silicone sealer.

peter_pan

12-02-2006, 09:03

Sounds like a lot of trouble to use a tent.... get a hammock less hassle and more comfortable.

Pan

ronmoak

12-02-2006, 11:31

What about a floor coated with polyurethane, like the Six Moons tents? Any idea what to coat that with?

Actually both of our tent floors styles are constructed with silicone coated fabrics. One is a 30 denier silicone coated fabric like those used on tarptent floors. The standard floor is a 70 denier silicone coated fabric.

The 70D floor tends to be a little less slippery than the 30D floor. Also overtime, the silicone floors tend to get less slippery as dirt gets ground into the fabric.

Ron

kab21

12-02-2006, 11:38

I didn't have a problem on my foam pad in my tarptent. I'm assuming most of these issues are with the inflatable pads. Correct?

You might be able to get the thin insulated pad at gossamer gear and put it in between the pad and the floor. Not sure if this would work, but it might. http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/thinlight.html

Kirk

Webs

12-02-2006, 12:14

my uncle taught me this trick: use a 2'x1' or so piece of the grippy material used in the bottom of bathtubs to prevent slipage. it weighs nothing and you can just roll it up along w/your pad. i think it probably works best under your torso.

Footslogger

12-02-2006, 12:19

Along those same lines ...I'll betcha a strip or two of that waffle rubber you put under rugs on hard wood/tile floors would work too. Means you have to carry something else with you but the stuff is extremely light and works well.

Got the idea sitting here in the living room while scanning posts on Whiteblaze.

Course ...I've already done floor treatment with silnylon on my tents so I don't need it. But thought I'd throw it out as an idea.

'Slogger

Appalachian Tater

12-02-2006, 18:49

Sounds like a lot of trouble to use a tent.... get a hammock less hassle and more comfortable.

Pan

Hammock fanatics who inappropriately post comments like this in a straight forward thread about silnylon floors are "a lot of trouble"!