DIY - Tyvek Tent Footprint

HomerJ

HomerJ

Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2012
Messages
1,199
I recently bought a Big Agnes Fly creek UL1 tent, but didn't want to fork out another $50 for the footprint. Luckily a month or so before I had seen this article on backpacker.com (Backpacker Magazine) on how to make your own footprint using Tyvek and decided to give it a go. I bought 3 yards of Tyvek from Amazon for $16.50 shipped and it took me about 15-20 mins to make. Sure beats $50 +shipping! :D

It was pretty easy to make and seemed to work all right in the Winds (even when it rained on me).

It's super light at only 2.4 oz. and packs down quite small.
20120820_220242.jpg

Here it is fully laid out. Sorry for the out of focus image, I didn't realize it until I pulled it off my phone...
20120820_220558.jpg

I might hook some paracord on to the corners to hook onto the steaks when I steak out the tent...
 
I just keep trying to make friends with someone who does siding so I can get scraps of Tyvek for free :smilecoffee: (there needs to be some kind of tightwad smiley face). Looks nice though, is it seriously noisy under the tent though? I have heard that washing it in the washing machine can soften it up a bit.
 
Pretty clever DIY project! I personally don't really get footprints though. Seems like extra weight that servers almost no purpose and just makes setting up the tent more difficult. I figure I'd rather save the weight and bulk and if my tent ever gets a little hole in it, that's why I carry duct tape and buy tents from companies with good service. BTW, nice sticker. :)
 
i love tyvek. i use it for all sorts of stuff, like stuff sacks for my microspikes, floors for floorless shelters, i even made a cheap bivy sack out of it a few years ago.

next project - camp shoes. :)

i have quite a bit of tyvek lying around...
 
Good to know Amazon carries it. You can find it at Home Depot but only in massive rolls that run about $70.

A few years back I had to set up an impromptu camp and the only viable spot I could find was in a bit of a depression. Of course I got dumped on that night. Water didn't pool up, but enough of it focused on the area right below my tent that it eventually triumphed my "waterproof" floor and provided me with a cozy waterbed of sorts. Have done the footprint thing ever since, as a just in case.

Dan, how big are those scraps?
 
the issue with groundcloths is if you get water between the groundcloth and the tentfloor, it still compromises the floors waterproofness... without a footprint, the water can absorb into the ground over time. in my experience, i don't like carrying them, unless i have a floorless shelter, and need a groundcloth to keep the dirt and provide some protection for my sleeping pad.
 
DOSS said:
I just keep trying to make friends with someone who does siding so I can get scraps of Tyvek for free :smilecoffee: (there needs to be some kind of tightwad smiley face). Looks nice though, is it seriously noisy under the tent though? I have heard that washing it in the washing machine can soften it up a bit.
Click to expand...
You don't want the stuff they use in construction, it's thicker/heavier and stiffer. The kind I used is for kites! Its not noisy at all.
 
nick said:
Pretty clever DIY project! I personally don't really get footprints though. Seems like extra weight that servers almost no purpose and just makes setting up the tent more difficult. I figure I'd rather save the weight and bulk and if my tent ever gets a little hole in it, that's why I carry duct tape and buy tents from companies with good service. BTW, nice sticker. :)
Click to expand...
I mostly use it for protection for the tent... Of course, now that you bring it up, I always wear out a zipper or something else before the bottom of the tent... Hmmm.... Maybe I should ditch the footprint...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Don't like ads? Become a BCP Supporting Member and kiss them all goodbye. Click here for more info.

Back
Top