What Is a Tent Footprint and Do You Need One?
Updated: 7 days ago
A tent footprint is a sheet that lies under your tent. It protects the tent floor from abrasion, dirt and moisture from below. Other names for it are groundsheet or ground cloth.
What a footprint does
Abrasion: The tent floor does not rub directly on stones, roots and sand.
Moisture: On wet ground, the tent floor stays dry from below.
Cleanliness: Sap, mud and dirt end up on the footprint. The tent goes into the pack clean.
Lifespan: A worn footprint is quickly replaced. A tent floor is not.
What it does not do
A footprint does not insulate you from the cold ground. That is the job of your sleeping pad. It does not prevent condensation inside the tent either. And if your tent is pitched in a hollow that fills with water, it will not help.
Why the tent floor decides
Whether you need a footprint depends mainly on your tent floor. Its strength is given in denier (D), which describes the thickness of the yarn.
Ultralight tents: Floors are often 15D to 20D. They are light but sensitive to abrasion.
Sturdy trekking and camping tents: 40D to 70D and more are common here. These floors can take a lot more.
Then there is water. A tent floor is a woven fabric that only becomes waterproof through a coating. That coating withstands only a limited amount of pressure. When you kneel or prop yourself up in the tent, you press the floor hard into the wet ground at one point, and water can come through in such places. Over the years the coating also wears down through abrasion, creasing and ageing.
A film works differently. It is not a coated fabric but a continuous, solid material. There is no coating that can wear off, and as long as the film has no hole, no water comes through even under pressure. A footprint made of film is therefore a solid barrier under the tent floor, even when the floor's coating has already worn down.
When you need one
Thin tent floor: This is where the protection pays off most.
Rough ground: On gravel, rock and in forests with roots and cones, the strain is high.
Long trips: Over many nights in a row, the abrasion adds up.
Wet ground: After rain or on damp meadows, the tent floor stays dry and clean.
When you can skip it
Sturdy tent floor: Many camping tents do fine without a footprint.
Soft, dry ground: On grass or forest floor without stones, the risk is low.
Every gram counts: Some hikers save the weight and choose their spot carefully instead.
The right size
The footprint has to be slightly smaller than the tent floor, by an inch or two on each side. If it sticks out, rain runs off the rainfly onto the footprint and collects between footprint and tent floor. Then your tent is sitting in a puddle.
A footprint under the vestibule
Under the vestibule, a footprint is handy because your pack and shoes do not sit in the dirt. The same rule applies: it has to end inside the edge of the rainfly, otherwise it collects rain. If you cut your own footprint, you can include the vestibule area right away.
Manufacturer footprint or cut your own?
Tent manufacturers offer matching footprints. They have the right shape and grommets or loops at the corners. With some tents, this lets you pitch the rainfly without the inner tent. In return, they are usually made of coated fabric and are heavier.
The alternative is a film cut to size. One example with published figures:
MSR Universal Footprint 2 Large (130 × 216 cm / 51 × 85 in): 227 g (8.0 oz) according to a retailer listing
XFOIL on the same area: about 51 g (1.8 oz), calculated from 18 g/m²
The XFOIL groundsheet in 1.6 × 2.4 m can be cut with scissors to fit any tent floor. You can also copy the corner attachment: with reinforced corners and a loop of shock cord, you hook the sheet onto the pole tips, just like a manufacturer footprint. Our comparison of ultralight groundsheets and the article Tyvek vs XFOIL show how the materials compare. More about this ultralight groundsheet is on our home page. Our step-by-step guide to making a DIY tent footprint shows how to build the corners.
The most common mistakes
Too big: The footprint sticks out beyond the tent floor and collects rain.
Spot not checked: A footprint does not replace a look at the ground. Clear away sticks, cones and stones.
Packed wet with the tent: A wet, dirty footprint belongs in your pack separately from the tent.
Pitched in a hollow: No footprint helps against standing water.
How long does a footprint last?
That depends on the ground and on how you handle it. In our experience, XFOIL lasts many hundreds of miles. Small holes can be patched on the trail with tape. Our tape guide has more on that.
More than a tent footprint
A footprint made of film is not tied to the tent. It also works as a seat during breaks, as rain cover for your pack and as a groundsheet when you sleep without a tent. Our article on cowboy camping shows how.
Cleaning and storage
Shake the footprint out in the morning and wipe it down if needed. At home, let it dry completely before you store it.
Frequently asked questions
Is a footprint the same as a groundsheet? In everyday use, yes. Footprint usually means the sheet cut to fit a specific tent. Groundsheet or ground cloth means any sheet on the ground, with or without a tent.
How big should a tent footprint be? An inch or two smaller than the tent floor on each side.
Do I need a footprint for a new tent? With a thin tent floor, yes, because you protect the floor from day one. With a sturdy floor on soft ground, you do not.
Can I use a tarp as a tent footprint? Yes, but a tarp is much heavier, and it has to be folded so that it stays smaller than the tent floor.
Can I make my own tent footprint? Yes. A film cut to size is lighter and cheaper than most manufacturer footprints.
Comments