Coleman Footprints Coleman have a range of footprint groundsheet designed to purposefully sit underneath the base of your tent to prolong its life.
Are footprints necessary for tents?
Tent footprints are certainly not necessary, but they can help extend the life of your tent. If you have an ultralight tent with a low denier floor, it might be worth it to shell out the extra dollars for a footprint or to make your own.
What is the footprint of a tent?
A tent footprint is a piece of protective fabric or material that you lay under your tent that provides a moisture barrier and protects your tent floor from abrasion and punctures.
Is a tent footprint better than a tarp?
Simply put, if you can afford a dedicated tent footprint, one cut to size for your specific tent, it will probably offer you more protection than a tarp. However, if your recreation funds are a little short, a tarp will always do in a pinch, and can even be used for other functions around the campsite.
Should tent footprint be smaller than tent?
What size should a tent footprint be? Ideally, a tent footprint should be slightly smaller than the base of the tent. This is so that water doesn’t collect between the footprint and your tent, which would totally defeat the purpose of it!
Does a tent footprint go inside or outside?
Thus, you want to put it OUTSIDE to protect the floor of your tent, which is (or should be) waterproof already. The footprint itself is usually waterproof (and in fact. some tents can be set up with just to footprint and the rain-fly as an ultra-light body-less option.)
Can you use a tarp as a tent footprint?
You CAN utilize a tarp as a tent footprint. Due to the tarps’ durability, we often use them to protect the tent’s exterior from the elements. Therefore, a tarp can be used under the tent to protect the bottom from the elements and ground debris as well.
