Footprint Tent vs Tarp: What's the Difference?

If you get a kick from gambling, erecting a tent without a footprint or tarp is a great high-stakes game. Footprints and tarps are required to protect the life of your tent, making them the best option. But what are the primary differences between a footprint and a tarp? Is one superior to the other? Let’s forge ahead.

Tent footprints and tarps protect the bottom of your tent while also providing insulation against moisture and frost, which is a good idea.

Notably, tent footprints are more expensive, but they are tailored for the tent and are easier to transport, while tarps are heavy and require customization, but they are less expensive, provide more protection, and are extremely durable.

Another vivid distinction is that while tents have become an expensive purchase, tarps, on the other hand, are an ideal solution to protect the floor of a tent from uneven dirt, rocks, thorns, and sticks.

What is a Footprint Tent?

A tent footprint is a tarp-like material that is tailored to be the right size for your tent. Footprints are required to preserve the floor of your tent for the great outdoors during that camping trip.

They serve as an extra layer of protection against tears, punctures, and ordinary wear. As a result, they increase the life of your tent, a good idea right?

Footprints are available in two configurations: with the tent or individually.

Tent footprints are custom-made for each tent, meaning they fit perfectly, giving extra comfort and allowing for quick and secure pitching. Reducing the chances of drainage with the water-resistant plus waterproof coating.

They are constructed with a very light material more than that of a tarp and some refer to it as the ground cloth, which is the main reason why they are used in backpacking tent. Just a fold-up nicely with some spacing reduction during one’s camping experience to give it that makeshift shelter.

When to Use a Footprint Tent

It is not always necessary to have a tent footprint when heading for long distances especially If the floor thickness of your tent is 30 denier or greater, you may typically go on a hiking trip without one.

That being stated, you should also evaluate the surface conditions of the area where you'll be camping, and if it will have a lot of use. Is the ground hard or riddled with roots that could damage your tent? Should you get your own DIY tent footprint?

If this is the case, you may still need to use a footprint even if your tent’s floor is thicker. Footprints typically range between $40 and $90, and a gain, the tent size and the material used to make the footprint will influence how much you have to spend.

Is there a Difference Between a Tarp and a Footprint Tent?

Yes. The main difference is the fact that a footprint greatly raises the tent's price and tarps are typically far less expensive. Due to their lack of extension, they do not function as a "front door matt" with rough terrain to prevent damage from being tracked in at the tent’s bottom.

Footprints are likewise created to serve a single purpose: to serve as ground cover for your tent. They are not intended to be used as a shade cloth or shelter for the tent tarp, nor are they intended to withstand wind flapping.

Tarps are more adaptable and long-lasting. One can also say a tarp is used under a tent for the same purpose that a footprint is: to protect the tent's bottom. Many tarps are thick and water-resistant.

This is especially advantageous when pitching on wet or snowy terrain, as the pressure of the pitching machine is reduced, a good example is the canvas tarps.

Why Use a Tarp Instead of a Tent?

Tarps are large and heavy, yet this is an advantage as a tarp beneath your tent gives maximum protection sometimes converted to an emergency blanket, making it ideal for uneven terrain.

They are thick and generally made of water-resistant fabrics, like this one from the Green Lifestyle Store, providing great insulation from the cold and moisture. Aside from protection, tarps are very affordable and easy to use in any condition(adaptability).

Even if you have the correct dimensions of the tent, tarps normally need to be changed before they will work beneath your tent so it is difficult to peg your tent without making modifications.

You will need to use boulders and other heavy materials to keep the tarp in place for the perfect fit and also to get the correct size of the tent.

As a result, they must be trimmed to form and grommeted by hand, especially at the top of your tent. Some tarps come with camping gear or have eyelets, bungee ties, hooks, or grommets already attached at the edges of your tent. Unless your tent fits them completely, changes will be required.

This is especially important for outdoor enthusiasts camping in an area where rain is likely to fall. Even though some tarps like the painter’s tarp are normally watertight, your tent most likely isn't as the tent’s fabric doesn’t come as a waterproof barrier.

If moisture pushes through. So, if your tarp allows water pool on top, it will most likely start to run under your water-resistant tent, leaving you with a damp back and bum.

How to Use a Tent Footprint

To be able to give your tent a perfect setup, you must first hunt for a suitable location to pitch your tent, with the following.

1. When you think you've chosen a good site, clear out the hazards like sharp objects, especially on places like rocky ground and then lay out the footprint to see if your tent will fit. If it does, you can then see a big difference and begin to build the tent body on top of the footprint, still with tent floor protection. If your tent has a tapered floor, check sure it matches the ground cover accurately.

2. After erecting the tent, place the pole tips into the footprint grommets at each corner not far from a piece of tarp. The tent should then be staked out, as well as the footprint's corner tie-out loops as there are specific tent models. This will keep it attached to the tent.

3. Ensure that the tent completely covers the footprint with no material protruding through natural elements. This is critical because if it rains and any area of the footprint is visible, water will pool underneath your tent, and may take a long time to recover the base of your tent from rough surfaces or a long time with camping style if it's made with high-density polyethylene fibers.

Then, any pressure on the solid tent footprint bottom might cause water to travel through the fabric, potentially soaking everything inside the tent, including you, an avid camper.

This is less of an issue with footprints that are cut to fit the contour of the tent's floor, making them an eye of better option when it comes to a good camping tent.

Can One Camp in a Tarp?

Yes, but this is the most basic form of camping because you only need a tent. Tarps are classified into three types: flat, shaped, and tarp-tents.

The most basic approach is to use square or rectangular flat tarps as shaped tarps include several sides (e.g., heptagonal or hexagonal) or curved edges, with the shape specifically selected by the maker to allow for clever and precise pitching.

Tarp tents, on the other hand, blur the distinction between tarp and tent and may be set in a variety of ways, with advanced features such as zips or doors along with the tent flooring even on rough ground.

The lifespan of your tent can be as long as that of a carefully maintained sleeping bag spread out on a forest floor despite the extra weight or that of a hardware store serving as a diy option in the first place by an experienced camper.

Before stuffing the tarp into your backpack and marching up the nearby hill, you should undertake some preliminary planning and preparation for it to turn out an excellent choice. It would be unwise to wait until you're on a mountain or the trail of your long-distance walk to pitch your first tarp with DIY skills.

Instead, run the polyethylene tarp through the garden merging out different sizes to be a great choice for lightweight tarps, and fine-tuning your setup to ensure it's as tight, robust, and stable as possible, still a protective layer in different sizes which are still moisture barrier, especially at the tent bottom.

So, when trying to decipher tent footprint vs tarp, you're likely to learn how many pegs and guylines you'll need for an efficient pitch, as well as the type and height of trekking poles you'll want. Remember that Z-shaped poles that collapse into thirds are often ineffective for tarps.

Tarp in Times of Emergency

A popular way to keep a new tent cool is to use emergency blanket material. This is usually positioned at the tent base, not underneath it so it has become a norm to include a waterproof material by the tent manufacturer as a camping gear.

They're also not overly heavy; the Arcturus weighs only 1.4 pounds and the emergency blanket can be used as a picnic blanket or a temporary shelter.

Made from durable materials with a strong camping tarp which is the first thing to look out for during car camping, the different materials used still have one common benefit, extra protection.

As well as an insulating and waterproof barrier at the tent base, if you get into danger during tent camping, its reflective layer can be used to signal for assistance and can be your best bet.

What Does a Tent Footprint Do?

This is something that is frequently misinterpreted among backpackers. Many people believe that a footprint is intended to make your tent's floor more waterproof.

1. Aids in Campsite Selection

The last thing you want to do is start putting up your tent only to discover that it doesn't fit in the area you've chosen. There could be trees, roots, or simply not enough level ground. Creating a footprint initially can help.

2. Keeps Your Tent Clean

Whether it's mud or sand, the ground can leave your tent in a state of disarray at times. This is where a footprint comes in. It can serve as a barrier, keeping your tent clean. When it's time to pack up, detach the soiled footprint from the tent and store it in an outer pocket separate from your other belongings.

3. Protects the Tent

If the floor of your tent is continually rubbing against rocks, it will ultimately wear a hole in the floor. If there are sharp sticks beneath your tent, they may pierce a hole in it. A footprint adds a layer of protection from these elements, extending the life of your tent.

4. Simpler, Easier Pitching

This is because most footprints are custom-made and tailored to the contour of your tent, you'll have a good notion of where your tent is going, where it will fit, and where to begin pegging right away. This will save you time and cause fewer headaches when it comes time to pitch your tent.

5. Increase the Amount of Heat

Adding a footprint to the bottom of your tent will add another layer, somewhat lifting you off the ground and reducing heat loss to the ground. People vastly underestimate how much body heat can be lost in this manner while camping.

6. Adds Additional Waterproofing

Double the layers, double the defence! A second layer of waterproofing can provide you with peace of mind while also protecting your investment. If you've spent a lot of money on a new tent, you'll want to keep it in the best condition possible for as long as feasible.

7. Extend the life of your Tent

With 90% of tents now having a sewn-in groundsheet, purchasing a footprint has become even more important. Protect your new tent from abrasion or cuts caused by loose stones and twigs - think of it like buying a screen protector or case for your new phone - better to be safe than sorry!

In other words, a tarp will provide greater variety, whilst a footprint will serve as the right foundation for your tent flooring. So, be specific about what you want and go for it!

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Footprint Tent vs Tarp: Which is Best for Camping?