Coated side up......or down????

I keep getting differing opinions on whether you use a tent footprint with the coated side up or the coated side down…



Any advice would be appreciated…

What friends have started doing
is putting the footprint inside the tent. any moisture or condensation that collects stays between the footprint and the floor.

The way the companies print their logo
suggests that they expect us to put the coated side down.



When I’m feeling fanatic, I use a separate plastic liner inside the tent. The footprints are designed to go outside, held in place by the poles, and that’s how I use them. Under most circumstances, having the liner against the soil would seem to do the best job at keeping moisture from rising. It will also keep the fabric side from getting sodden, at least to some extent.



I think of the footprints as a means to cut wear to the bottom of the tent. If we have to ride out a rainstorm, an interior plastic floor liner will do more to keep things dry than a footprint.

Sierra Designs says
Shiny (coated) side up

If you put the coated side down…
you run the risk of wearing through it quicker. The uncoated side will take the brunt that the coated side won’t. I use one of those fabric blankets with a one shiny metalic looking side (I’m NOT talking a fist sized emergency space blanket), they run about 14 bucks or so, fit in the tent bag and take far, far more abuse than anyones much more expensive footprint. Just make sure you fold it under the tent sides so the tent overhangs it by a couple inches. Makes for a bomber footprint, I usually get a lot of years use outa one, have been using one now for 12+ years. Can be used in a pinch as a tarp also.

helps too keep the grunge and …
… and junk off the underside of tent pan floor , keeps bottom clean for re-packing … most tents can sit out for days in heavy rains and when you take them up , it’s stone dry under the tent … the footprint tarp is good also if you are setting up on wet grass , ground etc. …

same here
Footprint outside, pad inside.

Don’t forget
setting up your tent where the Canada geese frequent. I would rather wash a footprint than the floor of the tent.



Jim

Geese …
… there’s this one small resivour we go to sometimes , has floating docks and ramps , the usual weekenders comunity playground , they rent yaks and noes also , anyway if you get there early just as they open the gate , down at piers you’ll find a worker blasting the intire area down with a powerful hose spray … if you beat him to the ramps and piers you bust your butt trying to avoid the geese crap which is wall to wall at the water side !! … now I haven’t anything against good ol geese and ducks , but they sure can crap alot , and get downright indignent sometimes when you enter their congregating places on the water , yap , yap , yap and won’t shut up !!!

PLASTIC…
then it doesn’t matter…



If you pick the proper place to pitch the tent in the first place, then you don’t get water in it anyway…



(I pitch mine 3 feet up between two trees…)

What if…
there’s only 3’ down, and no trees?

Use it like a bivy bag…
if i’m going where there are no trees i can take a tent…not like i don’t have one (got 13 actually…)