Ground cloth for tent or not?

[Sinclare]

Just wondering since I've seen several post where people have said that the compacted sand camp sites drain water very quickly.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Good drainage or not, I always put a ground cloth under my tent. Why be sorry?

 

[clkelley]

Even though the sand pad drains quickly it is also sand that gets messy and gummy.

I put TWO ground cloths under my tent at Ft. Wilderness. One is the thin painters plastic stuff that I just ditch when I break camp. The other is my standard ground cloth about an inch smaller than the footprint of my tent that is 6mil plastic.

I also put one inside my tent for extra measure.

Even at Ft. Wilderness I have seen small amounts of water underneath that plastic inside my tent.

Carol

 

[goofytime2000]

ALWAYS use a ground cloth. Not only does it help keep moisture out, it also helps to protect the floor of the tent from anything you didn't see while you were setting up camp.