I was told to always use a ground tarp under my tent - that was dead wrong

A guy at REI insisted I needed a heavy tarp under my tent to protect the floor. After a rainy trip in the Smokies, water pooled between the tarp and tent floor and soaked everything I owned. Has anyone else found that a lightweight footprint works way better than a thick tarp?

3 comments

3 Comments

thomas_sanchez1mo ago

Ha! Nothing like a DIY "genius" moment turning into a swampy nightmare. I'm convinced that heavy tarp tip is just a hazing ritual passed down from the old timers to ruin first-time campers. Now I just make sure my footprint is slightly smaller than the tent and save the heavy plastic for covering my firewood.

christopherw341mo ago

Wait, @margaretramirez, isn't the whole point of a tarp to keep you dry?

margaretramirez1mo ago

Oh, I learned that lesson the hard way too... except my "tarp" was a heavy duty painter's drop cloth because I thought I was being extra smart. Woke up in a puddle that looked like I'd pitched my tent in a kiddie pool. Now I just use the footprint that came with my tent, cut a little smaller than the floor, and I've never had a soggy sleeping bag since. Made the switch after my "genius" tarp setup turned a nice weekend in the Appalachians into a laundry disaster.