Tried using a tarp as a tent footprint and got a surprise

I was setting up camp near Lake Tahoe last month and forgot my footprint at home. Figured I'd just use a cheap blue tarp I had in the truck. Big mistake the ground was bumpy and the tarp shifted around all night, plus it held water underneath after a light rain. Learned you really gotta get the right size and material for a footprint, or just skip it altogether. Anyone else tried cutting corners with tarps and regretted it?

2 comments

2 Comments

ruby56115d ago

Tarps are terrible for footprints, plain and simple. They slip around like crazy and trap moisture underneath exactly like you found out. Better to just clear the ground really well and skip a footprint than mess with a crummy tarp. Did you have any trouble with the tarp tearing on rocks or sticks too?

paige51415d ago

@ruby561 right, and the tarp crinkles are just asking to tear on any sharp edge underneath.