Just realized my tent footprint was doing more harm than good

Used to always put a thick tarp under my tent to keep the floor clean. After a wet trip to Desolation Wilderness last June, I had water pooled under the tent because the tarp stuck out past the edges. A guy at the REI in Reno told me footprints should be cut smaller than the tent floor so rain runs off instead of collecting. Has anyone else dealt with water getting trapped under their setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

oscar_hunt611mo ago

That happened to me once up near Donner Pass... I had the tarp sticking way out and woke up to a puddle right under my sleeping pad. Coldest night of my life, my bag was damp and I couldn't get warm til the sun came up. Learned the hard way that tarp has to be tucked in tight, not hanging out like a welcome mat.

rosew371mo ago

And the thing a lot of people miss is that it's not just about rain hitting the tarp directly. @oscar_hunt61, you probably had condensation forming on the underside of that tarp too since it was hanging so far out with no airflow. That moisture can drip down onto your bag just as bad as rain can. I started angling my tarp lower on the windward side to keep it off the ground but still tight, and then I leave the other side a bit higher for ventilation. It makes a world of difference, stops that clammy feeling even when it's dry out.

ninasanchez1mo ago

My buddy Dave had that same issue last year when we were out at Joshua Tree... he set his tarp up all fancy like a porch and woke up soaked. Condensation gets you every time if there's no airflow underneath. @rosew37 that tip about leaving one side higher is smart, I always thought you had to keep everything low and tight but I guess you need that balance. I started using a little piece of cord to prop up the corner on the low side just an inch or two off the ground and it made a huge difference. Still keeps the rain off but lets enough air move through that you don't wake up in a swamp.