Simple questions a newbie would not know

I am begining to build my kit (just purchased an Osprey Aether 70 and a Big Agnes copper spur UL 2) and want to know about a few things..

1.) I have been told a foot print is a good idea i'm assuming to protect your tent floor and to add that one more layer. Is that really necessary? I am all about protecting my tent but why wouldn't a tarp UNDERNEATH the tent be more benificial for protecting that flooring from sharp items, even just wear and tear of rolling on it into the ground? What do you guys do?

2.) I have decided to go with an air pad for sleeping and just wanted input on what you guys use and where you have found good deals. Thanks!

3.) If anyone wants to put out some of their favorite clothing for the trail that'd be great.

Thank you for everyone's time, have a great day.

A footprint is designed to go underneath your tent's floor. I only use one when car camping. When backpacking I just do the extra work of clearing off any sharp objects likely to damage the floor of my tent from the spot where I intend to pitch it.

OH! Hahaha. From watching videos on tent reviews when I was searching for a good buy I would hear people speak of them then it appeared as if they had them inside the tent which made no sense, now I know. I may grab one just because the fabric of the copper spur just seems so thin (which is good for weight purposes) I just wouldn't want to rip it. Thanks for the quick response.

It's a divisive issue whether or not to use a footprint, with no clear answer either way.

And, so you know, some people do use a waterproof ground sheet on the inside of their tent. Supposedly, it keeps water that puddles through the tent floor off of their bedding, but maybe they should just use better site selection? :shrug:

A footprint is designed to be used under the tent as mentioned before and the Big Agnes line usually has the added benefit that you can actually rig the rainfly up without the tent using the footprint as it has the corresponding pole spots. (Most models can). That means if you wanted to go camping when there might be rain but little chance of bugs, etc, you have that option.

That being said, in some very rainy area's some people will put the slightly oversized footprint/tarp INSIDE the tent where it gives an extra layer of waterproof bath-tub against potential runoff from the outside. This would have been very handy on one of my trips where we woke with 6" of standing water in the tent (was on a big queen-sized air mattress and thought it looked a little odd to see the paper towel roll float by...but hey, I did buy that tent in '88 and it survived until '13). The idea is that the water WILL probably be strong enough or the floor have enough little holes and such that it will soak through. A flat footprint won't prevent it if the water is streaming (say, on the side of a hill). What this does is keep everything inside the tent dry even though the very bottom won't be. Tents typically dry very fast.

Big Agnes tends to use a very thin floor though it has significantly better puncture resistance compared to the Mountain Hardware Optics (I have both, grass literally comes through the optic but I have never seen it leak nor leave a mark. its' weird that way). I tend to be very careful with sticks/rocks/acorns and the like when setting up a site but when it's late or raining you won't catch everything. Sometimes a footprint is needed, sometimes it's not. Use your best judgement.

Btw, I love my Osprey Aether 85 and the hiking partner adores her Ariel 65. Good choice in awesome bags!

I haven't used a footprint in many, many years. Even with really light silnylon floors (SMD Lunar Solo with lighter floor option, no longer available), and with a dog inside, I've never had any problems. Usually some other part of the tent goes long before the floor (the zipper is usually first, but it can be replaced). Just be careful with site selection and preparation.

If you really can't live without a footprint, then use either a piece of plastic painter's drop cloth (will last a trip or two) or get the polycro plastic used for temporary storm windows/doors (will last a season), cut to fit your tent. Just be sure to cut if a couple inches smaller than your tent floor on each side so it won't catch dripping rain and funnel it under the tent. IMHO, there's no reason to spend big bucks on the manufacturers' footprints; they're just trying to take your money.

There's a recent thread on air pads; I think it's in the Lightweight Gear section.

The articles on the home page of this site, left hand column will be very helpful to you when selecting gear.

It also pays to shop around and sometimes if you find the live-chat things get them into a playful conversation. When I was shopping for my Western Mountaineering sleeping bag and a few tents I ended up chatting with a young lady from Backcountry online. At 2am...on Sunday. Seriously, they have a crew that work out of their homes and answer random chats.

Long story short, I got her laughing, she had me rolling, we were bantering back and forth and she admitted the WM products are price-fixed like the X-box and Play Station. What wasn't was the tents and to some degree the air mattresses. I ended up getting a new $300 Optic 3.5 for about $200, they tossed in the footprint for about $25 or so (might have been $35 but it was a bit less than half retail as I remember), took that and an order I placed the day before (2 Big Agnes Insulated Air Cores) and bumped them all up to free overnight shipping.

They were all at my door Tuesday morning and when you remember that this conversation as 2am sunday night that's some fast as heck service! I never even asked her to do that. I was simply inquiring about prices and product availability. Once I had her laughing so hard she could barely type she took it on herself to help me out. I probably saved a few hundred bucks over the course of the next 3 orders and can't find a single thing to complain about.

As with anything from encounters with police to meeting people: Attitude dictates response! Hopefully your luck is as good.

It might not hurt to check Google shopping's tab AND Amazon.com (not always the same) to get a good baseline on prices and see who can match/beat them. That said, whenever possible I try to buy local but in this case it would have been several hundred dollars more for the same things.

1. I've never found it absolutely necessary to use a footprint, but I often carry one. It's handy to use as a groundcloth on wet ground when you're cooking. (With the MSR Compack chair kit, which has an open foot end, you can let the pad stick out the bottom and end up with a "lounger" under your lower legs; the footprint protects the bottom of the pad from mud.) With the Copper Spur tents, it lets you pitch the tent fly-only in the rain to use as a quick dry shelter at lunch, or fly-first when you make camp - then you pitch the inner tent from underneath which keeps the inner much drier.

2. I prefer the NeoAir series. I've also used the Big Agnes Q-Core and Q-Core SL, and they're good, too. Exped makes wonderful down-filled pads; they tend toward the heavier end of the scale but have some of the highest r-values around (definitely worth the weight if you winter camp. Sea to Summit is coming out (over the next couple months) with a new series of air pads - I have a friend who tested a prototype on a 10-day trip on the JMT, and was blown away by it.

3. This is a tough one. I like Outdoor Research clothing, personally, but there are lots of othr good brands - and there is a lot of department-store clothing (wool sweaters, polyester pullovers, etc.) that works well for backpacking.

Is it wrong of me to want the Exped Synmat UL7 just because I want to say I have a Schnozzel with a straight face?

I've heard a few rumors and read the odd prototype review of the Sea To Summit pads. Call it eager anticipation before springing the upgrade to an Exped.

I looked over the review of the Sea to Summit and really like the comfort plus insulated one (naturally it's the heaviest/thickest/best R value.. go fig?). With it using a sort of an egg-holder shape (lots of little open areas with soft tips) I wonder if it would enhance the way the down lofts in the little cavities or if they simply crush down under body weight?
I still like the idea.

Thank you all for your input, it is helping me a great deal. The neo-air series does seem to have some of the best r-vaule and weights at a reasonable price. Regarding foot prints,I will probably just go with a painter's sheet (great idea OregonMouse!) to save money and it will still serve its purpose. I currently have a lot of generic poly clothing but still need a nice rainproof jacket and warm synthetic or poly jacket. Rain pants would be a good idea too! I will go to REI and see what they have.

When it comes to rain pants I found a few good sets at REI and ended up with one that just unzips/unbuttons to just above the heels. After using it on the trail I wish I got the type that went all the way up the sides as the ones I got won't clear my boots, especially if they are muddy. 20/20 hindsight and all.

More on groundsheets/footprints from PMags, who has some excellent info for beginners: Ground Cloths--a Quick Overview