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Finally put the cheap tarp vs. a real tent footprint to the test
I used a blue tarp under my tent for years thinking it was fine. After a rainy weekend in the Smokies last month water pooled under the tent and soaked my sleeping bag. Picked up a proper footprint for $25 and the drainage difference is night and day. Anyone else stubbornly stick with a cheap fix way too long?
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eric_wright7712d agoTop Commenter
... yeah I did the exact same thing with an old shower curtain for like two summers... thought I was being smart saving twenty bucks until I woke up in a puddle at 3am in West Virginia. Water just sat there like a kiddie pool under my tent floor. Now I feel like a moron every time I unroll my actual footprint and see those little grommet holes lining up perfectly. The drainage is seriously night and day, totally worth the twenty five bucks.
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theagarcia12d ago
Oh dude have you ever had that moment where you wake up and your sleeping bag is literally floating? lmao I did the same shower curtain thing my first year camping and ended up in a puddle in the Shenandoah Valley at 4am. I was so mad at myself because I kept thinking "it's just plastic it does the same thing" but nah the ground cloth is made different with like those little drainage holes and stuff. The material actually lets water move through instead of just trapping it under you. I finally got an official footprint last year and honestly it's one of those things I wish I didn't have to learn the hard way lol.
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