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Got roasted on a backpacking forum for my tent footprint setup
Last summer I posted a pic of my campsite and someone pointed out my footprint was sticking way out past the tent edges. They said that actually channels rainwater right under your tent floor instead of keeping it out. I trimmed mine down to be about 2 inches shorter than the tent outline on all sides and slept way drier on a rainy trip in the Smokies. Has anyone else fixed a simple campsite setup thing that made a huge difference?
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dakotawood1mo ago
You ever had a buddy who thought he knew everything about camping? My friend Mark swore up and down that the bigger the footprint the better, like it was some kind of tarp foundation. He used a 10x12 tarp under a 2-person tent, folded the edges under. First heavy rain, water pooled between the tarp and tent floor, soaked his sleeping bag through. He woke up at 3am in a puddle, cussing and shivering. Next trip he trimmed it so it was about an inch inside the tent outline, never had that problem again. Funny how the little things bite you hardest.
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owens.cameron1mo ago
@dakotawood, that puddle lesson is hard to forget, but did Mark ever figure out the right tarp material too?
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