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Rant: I tried a cheap tarp as a footprint and it was a total mess
I was trying to save some cash on a trip to the Pine Barrens last month, so I bought a basic $8 blue tarp to use under my new tent. After one night of light rain, I woke up to a puddle of water between the tarp and my tent floor because the tarp stuck out past the rainfly. It basically channeled water right under me. I learned that a proper footprint cut to the exact size of your tent is worth the money, or you need to tuck any extra tarp material completely underneath. Has anyone else found a good way to make a cheap ground cover work without this happening?
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elliot9497mo ago
Congrats, you basically built a water slide for rain right into your sleeping bag. That classic blue tarp move is a rite of passage for turning a tent into a boat. I did the same thing years ago and woke up floating on my sleeping pad. The only way a cheap tarp works is if you cut it smaller than your tent floor or fold it under so tight that not a single corner peeks out. Otherwise it just becomes a perfect rain funnel system every single time.
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sanchez.robin6mo ago
I actually agree with @dakota_burns96, a bigger tarp works great if you just pitch it right to drain water away.
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dakota_burns967mo ago
Nah, I've had my tarp bigger for years. Just gotta make sure the edges slope down away from the tent. Works fine if you set it up right.
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