A Question About Camping Tents....

[Mmathis]

For those of you who camp or used to camp......

100% of my camping is considered "car" or "base" camping [with our Boy Scout troop or with OA]. No extreme weather or backpack camping!! Though our temps in Oct. - April-ish can get chilly -- I guess you could call that 3.5 season camping.

I have always used Coleman tents and they've always suited my purposes well. The MAIN thing I really like about them is the polyurethane floor material -- the floor is almost indestructable. I always use a tarp underneath the tent for protection from the ground, but never have to worry about floor damage from the inside [I'm not the most careful person so I need the indestructable-ness to protect the floor from ME, LOL!]. Also, I never have to worry about water wicking in [as long as I have all my seams sealed] as the polyurethane material is waterproof [it's like a tarp].

But I'm thinking about branching out and maybe trying another brand of tent. Problem is, you guessed it, most tent floors are made of the same material as the walls/fly. Which means I would have to drastically change my in-tent habits [like not dragging things across the floor....etc.].

So, here's my question: for those of you with tent experience, how can I protect the inside floor of a tent from damage caused by just being there.....walking on it, having gear on it, from the legs of my cot, etc, etc., etc.????

These other tents are more expensive than my Coleman tents, so it's an investment to protect.

And what about it's being waterproof [the floor]? I've seen tents get soaked from the bottom [in a good rain storm] even with a properly positioned ground cloth.

Would it help to cut some tarp material to fit inside, like a wall-to-wall "carpet," or would that add to the problem?

Advice, suggestions, tales of personal experience........?

 

[morewater]

The last time I pitched tent was on garbage day.

When we did run tents, we ran two large Cabela's tents:

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Outback-Lodge-Tent-x/1570907.uts

with a tarp suspended from trees between them. For the tent floor (under the cot legs), we'd take the floor mats out of the truck and place them underneath the cot legs. The back of my Suburban was lined with inexpensive foam anti-fatigue mats, which protected the carpet from debris. These were easily removable and were then used to line the tent floor. Comfy and dry. Also provided the bonus of a padded area when falling into the tent from the campfire (Canadian beer is much better than that watery stuff you guys drink).

The key to keeping your tent floor dry is trenching around the perimeter. The tarp under the tent will trap the moisture and allow it to penetrate the seams. No tarps. Tarps bad.

The last time I camped was at the head of the French River in Northern Ontario about six years back. We had a hurricane and it rained cows and horses. Nothing was waterproof. Moved into a cottage. Pitched the tent right there at the campsite and haven't looked back since. I like roofs. Roofs are good.

 

[Marshall]

For those of you who camp or used to camp......

100% of my camping is considered "car" or "base" camping [with our Boy Scout troop or with OA]. No extreme weather or backpack camping!! Though our temps in Oct. - April-ish can get chilly -- I guess you could call that 3.5 season camping.

I have always used Coleman tents and they've always suited my purposes well. The MAIN thing I really like about them is the polyurethane floor material -- the floor is almost indestructable. I always use a tarp underneath the tent for protection from the ground, but never have to worry about floor damage from the inside [I'm not the most careful person so I need the indestructable-ness to protect the floor from ME, LOL!]. Also, I never have to worry about water wicking in [as long as I have all my seams sealed] as the polyurethane material is waterproof [it's like a tarp].

But I'm thinking about branching out and maybe trying another brand of tent. Problem is, you guessed it, most tent floors are made of the same material as the walls/fly. Which means I would have to drastically change my in-tent habits [like not dragging things across the floor....etc.].

So, here's my question: for those of you with tent experience, how can I protect the inside floor of a tent from damage caused by just being there.....walking on it, having gear on it, from the legs of my cot, etc, etc., etc.????

These other tents are more expensive than my Coleman tents, so it's an investment to protect.

And what about it's being waterproof [the floor]? I've seen tents get soaked from the bottom [in a good rain storm] even with a properly positioned ground cloth.

Would it help to cut some tarp material to fit inside, like a wall-to-wall "carpet," or would that add to the problem?

Advice, suggestions, tales of personal experience........?

I have two liners I bought from Cabela's that are called Cabela's Instinct and they have lasted for 2 & 1/2 years now. Here is a link for some but if you have a local Cabela's they can even size one to your tent. http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabe...=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=04103709&rid=20

 

[addy1]

I like roofs. Roofs are good.

I like roofs with wheels. I have done a lot of ground camping, tent, open air. The older these bones get the more comfort I want.

 

[Mmathis]

I like roofs with wheels. I have done a lot of ground camping, tent, open air. The older these bones get the more comfort I want.

Can't disagree with you, there, Addy! But as long as I stay in scouting...... Oh, there is the occasional time I have the advantage of getting 4 walls, a roof, AND a bathroom, LOL! Which is also an advantage of being in the gender minority.

 

[Marshall]

Another thing I use for my long-range trips (15 miles +) and larger 4 person tent is a liner a friend of mine made for me. She used a piece of carpet padding cut to size and a waterproof canvas cloth and she sewed a sleeve of the canvas around the padding and you just lay it under the tent. The canvas could keep dry in a toad floater and the amount of padding it provides is welcome not to mention separating you from the cold ground. That is what I used the last time I hiked the Appalachian trail and it lasted the whole route up and down the trail in late winter and into the rainy spring and it is still in good shape (although it has 5 states worth of dirt on it )

 

[Mmathis]

Thanks for the replies so far! I wasn't aware that anyone made an in-tent floor liner, but that was along the lines of what I had in mind. So, I'll do a little more research....

Still not sure I'm going to change tents. I wish you could design your own tent and build in all the features you want in one tent! For example, here in the south, winter & snow aren't as much of an issue as are heat & humidity, so ventilation is important. But, at the same time, when it is colder you really need that longer fly -- so a convertible fly, or a tent with fly options..... And I like windows [that zip from the inside]. I had a tent once with a fly that you could unzip on 2 sides for ventilation, but the tent itself was 3-sides mesh -- so if you needed privacy [for changing clothes] or if it started to rain, you had to get out of the tent to zip the fly closed. Maybe OK for some folks, but a PITA for me. I'm just too picky, I guess, LOL!

 

[Marshall]

Thanks for the replies so far! I wasn't aware that anyone made an in-tent floor liner, but that was along the lines of what I had in mind. So, I'll do a little more research....

Still not sure I'm going to change tents. I wish you could design your own tent and build in all the features you want in one tent! For example, here in the south, winter & snow aren't as much of an issue as are heat & humidity, so ventilation is important. But, at the same time, when it is colder you really need that longer fly -- so a convertible fly, or a tent with fly options..... And I like windows [that zip from the inside]. I had a tent once with a fly that you could unzip on 2 sides for ventilation, but the tent itself was 3-sides mesh -- so if you needed privacy [for changing clothes] or if it started to rain, you had to get out of the tent to zip the fly closed. Maybe OK for some folks, but a PITA for me. I'm just too picky, I guess, LOL!

Speaking of tents you can customize, I remember seeing this tent system being shown at Cabelas that was modular so that you could have a single 2 person tent or connect two or more together to make a multi room tent with a sort of hallway or junction in the middle all sealed with the tent entrances all facing outwards. I never tried it out but I thought it was pretty cool

 

[Dreartist]

For those of you who camp or used to camp......

100% of my camping is considered "car" or "base" camping [with our Boy Scout troop or with OA]. No extreme weather or backpack camping!! Though our temps in Oct. - April-ish can get chilly -- I guess you could call that 3.5 season camping.

I have always used Coleman tents and they've always suited my purposes well. The MAIN thing I really like about them is the polyurethane floor material -- the floor is almost indestructable. I always use a tarp underneath the tent for protection from the ground, but never have to worry about floor damage from the inside [I'm not the most careful person so I need the indestructable-ness to protect the floor from ME, LOL!]. Also, I never have to worry about water wicking in [as long as I have all my seams sealed] as the polyurethane material is waterproof [it's like a tarp].

But I'm thinking about branching out and maybe trying another brand of tent. Problem is, you guessed it, most tent floors are made of the same material as the walls/fly. Which means I would have to drastically change my in-tent habits [like not dragging things across the floor....etc.].

So, here's my question: for those of you with tent experience, how can I protect the inside floor of a tent from damage caused by just being there.....walking on it, having gear on it, from the legs of my cot, etc, etc., etc.????

These other tents are more expensive than my Coleman tents, so it's an investment to protect.

And what about it's being waterproof [the floor]? I've seen tents get soaked from the bottom [in a good rain storm] even with a properly positioned ground cloth.

Would it help to cut some tarp material to fit inside, like a wall-to-wall "carpet," or would that add to the problem?

Advice, suggestions, tales of personal experience........?

We have also tented for decades in Colman tents based on just what you describe. We left the Colman brand for another product. We went back to Colman because they are roomier and simple and lighter weight and now have the bungee chord rods and poles. I'm not a backpacker so weight isn't a huge issue. We Have always used a tarp for inside and another tarp under the tent. Camping in this manner, we've never had any water come in tent. You are on the right track. Have fun.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Certainly you get what you pay for, but even the cheapest tents I've ever seen always had a stronger ripstop poly tarp type material on the bottom rather then the nylon materials they use on the sides.

 

[adavisus]

Its a factor of camping to pick a spot that does not get waterlogged when it rains, a ridge on a slope, any raised ground.

You could carve a channel to deflect water on the up side of a slope if heavy rain is on the forecast

Carrying a few roll up beach mats might be handy for putting down where you want to avoid wear and tear

 

[peter hillman]

I'm still looking for a tent with a bathroom.

 

[Marshall]

I'm still looking for a tent with a bathroom.

 

[pecan]

I found that pond liner scraps cut to the tent floor size make a wonderful tent floor liner

 

[addy1]

View attachment 88054

Lol I had one those, something similar, a bucket with a seat and bag