Ground cloth

[bishopj]

Do you take ground cloth with you and why do you. I can see where you might need in a shelter but that the only place i could see for it.

:-?

[Charlie D]

I used a ground cloth to keep the bottom of my tent clean. No other reason.

[AUhiker90]

shelters are nasty so if you choose to stay in one bring a tyvek groungcloth and it will also prolong the life of your tent

[garlic08]

I don't. There have been other threads on this topic. Try a search.

[bigcranky]

I often use a tent, and still find a ground sheet useful for all sorts of things. Packing up on a morning when there is heavy dew or snow on the ground, I can sort and organize my gear on the ground sheet before packing. When I stop for a break and the ground is wet, out comes the ground sheet. If I want to stay in a shelter, you bet that ground sheet is going under my sleeping pad. For less than 2 ounces, it's pretty handy.

[LoneRidgeRunner]

I have the footprint made specifically for my tent and I will not go without it. It protects my tent floor for 1 thing. A damaged foot print in much less expensive to replace than a tent, and it keeps my pad and sleeping bag clean in a shelter. I only use shelters when no other choice anyway. Such as hiking the AT through the Smokies. There is only 1 campsite on the AT there at Birch Gap and if you want to tent camp beyond there it involves leaving the AT for a mile or 2 many days to a campsite.

[Papa D]

A groundcloth will prevent water from wicking through your tent floor, if you are under a tarp, the main way you get wet is from ground water, so yes, I think a groundcloth is important - I also use it under my pad in shelters and to sit on when having lunch or whatever. I use 6 mil Tyvek House wrap from a building supply store. It is very light - I think the piece that is in my pack now weighs 3 or 4 oz.

[flyer]

i also use mine to write hitch hiking info like where i need to go. It really helps keep the tiny hole from sticks and pine needles from damaging your tent

[Ontiora]

I used to bring one, but after awhile I realized it wasn't necessary (unless it's exceptionally rainy) otherwise it just takes up space.

[garlic08]

Here's an excerpt from www.tarptent.com FAQs:

Q: Should I order a groundsheet?
A: It depends on the conditions you expect to encounter and your style of camping. The sewn-in flooring is remarkably tough and does not usually require a separate groundsheet. We just never see floors come back for repair. Tyvek groundsheets are very tough and great for sleeping out or taking a break but generally heavier than you need just for floor protection. For use on very rocky ground and desert conditions where puncture wounds are possible, a light--2 mil plastic is fine--floor protector will do the job.

This is a guy who makes tents for hikers in the west, in rocky and desert conditions. Quite a few PCT and CDT thru hikers use his products. He says he never sees floor damage. Not seldom--never. My silnylon tarptent floor has about 6000 trail miles on it, a good number of those in the Arizona desert, all without a ground cloth, and it looks like it's ready for 6000 more--not a scratch on it. That stuff is tough.

In my experience, if I've pitched camp in an area where my tent floor will soak through, I've made a mistake (and I've made plenty of those). In those conditions a ground cloth doesn't help much and becomes one more wet dirty thing to pack up. Over the miles I've learned to pitch in well-drained sites and the tent floor is not an issue.

[10-K]

Maybe it's just a semantic distinction or people really mean different things but when someone asks me if I carry a ground cloth what I immediately think of is the sheet of tyvek that I carry to sit on while I eat lunch when it's wet, arrange my gear on in the morning, etc.

I never put anything under my tent floor but that's not why I carry the tyvek.

So, yes I use a groundcloth but not under my tent floor.

[LoneRidgeRunner]

Here's an excerpt from www.tarptent.com (http://www.tarptent.com) FAQs:

Q: Should I order a groundsheet?
A: It depends on the conditions you expect to encounter and your style of camping. The sewn-in flooring is remarkably tough and does not usually require a separate groundsheet. We just never see floors come back for repair. Tyvek groundsheets are very tough and great for sleeping out or taking a break but generally heavier than you need just for floor protection. For use on very rocky ground and desert conditions where puncture wounds are possible, a light--2 mil plastic is fine--floor protector will do the job.

This is a guy who makes tents for hikers in the west, in rocky and desert conditions. Quite a few PCT and CDT thru hikers use his products. He says he never sees floor damage. Not seldom--never. My silnylon tarptent floor has about 6000 trail miles on it, a good number of those in the Arizona desert, all without a ground cloth, and it looks like it's ready for 6000 more--not a scratch on it. That stuff is tough.

In my experience, if I've pitched camp in an area where my tent floor will soak through, I've made a mistake (and I've made plenty of those). In those conditions a ground cloth doesn't help much and becomes one more wet dirty thing to pack up. Over the miles I've learned to pitch in well-drained sites and the tent floor is not an issue.

I found a small pin sized hole in the floor of a Kelty tent ( a 4 season tent ) I had many years ago..so now...I always protect the floor of my Trango 2 with the footprint that is designed for it....I fixed the hole with a drop of McNett Seam Grip but if you don't carry some with you or it's set up in the tube as it does when not stored in the freezer after use you have a leaky tent floor.....and it takes the McNett around 10 or 12 hours to dry and more in wet conditions..

[Mango]

One additional factor to consider. A Tyvek sheet under your tent or in the shelter is one more layer of protection if you're using a NeoAir pad. I started the PCT with a polycro (for weight savings) sheet, but it was torn beyond repair after about 500 miles. I switched to my heavier Tyvek sheet after that.

[Luddite]

They aren't necessary but they help keep your sleeping bag clean in shelters and when you are using a tarp. Even bums lay down a piece of cardboard .