Ground cloths

Since I just recieved my new SMD Lunar Duo I have been reverently petting and feeling it.

I noticed that the floor material is very tender, and had read that I will need to instigate more stealth camping in order to protect it for the future.
I am now understanding why ground cloths are being used. With my older climbing tents, and even with my Kiva, I was able to get away with either no ground cloth, or in the case of my Kiva, some of the "heavier" space blankets. But the Kiva is mainly for larger groups, so now I'm wondering what is a good material to use for my LD bottom?
I see that SMD sells a "hard tyvek" sheet, and it weighs 6oz! I'm not thrilled with tyvek, nor with the extra weight! but my only contact with it is as a building material that I fight as I work! LOL... is this the same basic material I cut up on homes? I can see it being slippery, noisy, and picking up all manner of debris.... so whats the alternative?

Take a look at kite Tyvek. It is a lighter, more flexible version of the Tyvek House Wrap with which you are familiar. It is more like fabric than a thin board and it only weighs 1.2-1.3 oz per sq. yard. I use it for my solo tent; I cut a piece about 24" x 80" and put it under the part of my tent floor on which I lie. It weighs just a bit over two ounces and does not have the "static cling" for which House Wrap is well known.

Here is one source:
http://www.kitebuilder.com/inventory/tyvek.htm

I have never used a ground cloth under the several tents I've had that have silnylon floors. I had the lighter weight floor on my SMD Lunar Solo for two summers and never had problems, either from anything underneath or from my dog. (You can ask phat about this because he has had the LS for the past year.) I do remove sticks, pinecones, small stones, etc. from my tent space and keep my dog's claws well-trimmed. Nor have I had trouble with water coming through in soggy weather (again, I make sure I don't camp in a depression).

The one exception is camping in California, where I don't want to bring "sudden oak death" disease back to Oregon with my tent. I use a piece of the cheapest plastic painter's drop cloth and toss it in the garbage afterwards.

A ground cloth thick enough to keep sharp stuff from penetrating the tent floor would have to be very thick and heavy!

My Budjet isnt as large as some I still have kids at home. Tyvek House rap will work excellent as a ground cloth. Weight comparison wise, If money is no object, what the hey Save a ounce or two and get the light stuff! We all have a different situation. We all want to go as light as we can afford. I can get a ground cloth scrap out of a new construction dumster for free! Happy Trails!

I use some polycryon from Gossamer Gear. I have heard too that it is available from home improvement places as window shrink wrap. Light weight stuff is used inside, heavier weight is used outside. I like ground cloths to save wear and tear on expensive tents and as in the case of my floorless TarpTent Squall, it is the floor. Definitely lighter than Tyvek.

good feedback. I think that with some judicious campsite selection, I can keep the floor area clean and free of gnarly stuff. I'll just have to fine tune my stealth campsite skills. Maybe I'll keep an eye out for some light groundclothe material as well and do some experimenting.

I like that polycro stuff. I just wished it dried out faster in the morning.
It is tough stuff. In a lot of my situations, I can’t clear every sharp thing because the ground is just sharp; and that polycro has saved my tent floor.
I’ve been in places--- where the polycro didn’t touch--- then my floor stained in that unprotected area; Interesting dirt in MO and in Spain.
I’ve been on soggy ground in the Black Hills last year. Since it rained 5 days in a row, everything was soggy. My silnylon floor soaked up water but stopped where the smaller polycro was. The head pressure on polycro is so much higher than silnylon.

Since polycro will shrink in the sun, I’ve learned to cut my ground cloth big and then let it shrink naturally.

Another nice thing about the 2oz polycro cloth is it rolls up small (I roll instead of fold to get all the air out). And I can use it to dump my pack contents on when I need to do some rearranging or just want to lay down for an afternoon nap.

A close 2nd for cheap cloths is the 1mil painter’s cloth. It doesn’t last as long as polycro but good for the immediate budget minded.

-Barry

Polycro is new to me. However, if it is the same stuff as window shrink wrap. A patio door insulation kit would do the trick. Ive used window shrink in the house. It is very lightweight and tuff.Patio door shrink kit is about ten bucks. Im going to give it a try on my silnylon tent! Thanks for the info All

I've heard the name polycro used, but didn't know what it was either. I think its worth checking out. thanks for the info!