Lightest, most DURABLE ground cloth?????

[mtnwrunner]

So for all you slider dude and dudettes-----for those of you who have tried a multitude of ground cloths for sleeping in a floorless shelter----what, in your opinion, have you found for the lightest and most durable ground cloth?????
Now I kinda know what exists out there and I also have tried a bunch but just wondering whatcha all use. Durability is a huge factor for me but I don't want one that weighs a ton.

As always, thanks!

Randy

 

[zeroforhire]

Tyvek


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[oenanthe]

There was just a pretty long thread: http://www.rokslide.com/forums/sleep-systems/50426-polycro-vs-tyvek.html.

There's a tradeoff between lightness and durability - I have a Tyvek groundsheet in my Hex3 and it's nice, but weighs more than double what a polycryo sheet weighs. But the polycryo is more fragile. I would guess that I replace polycryo groundsheets after 30-40 nights of use, more if on tundra and grass, less if on gravel and rocks. Tyvek will last much longer, especially on rocks.

Also, I tried out a SOL emergency blanket this year as a groundcloth. Didn't work for me - somewhat heavier than polycryo, and much less durable. Mine was nearly useless halfway through a 2-week sheep hunt - small holes everywhere.

If you go for polycryo, consider getting a patio door shrink film kit. The polycryo in those is slightly heavier and more durable than the usual window shrink film.

 

[oldgoat]

I used tyvek this year and last in my Sawtooth, don't think it's the lightest but think it's the best option! Tried using my flat silnylon tarp as a ground cloth under my shaped tarp, that was a disaster, I was bivied above tree line with a tiny bit of slope and I kept sliding out from under the shaped tarp and going for a sleigh ride. Silnylon is too too slippery for use as a ground tarp I found out;-)

 

[oenanthe]

I've been told (but haven't tried it), that if you dilute some silicone caulking with mineral spirits and brush it on your silnylon you can make it much less slippery without adding too much weight. It's the same method used to seal seams on silnylon, just applied over a larger area.

 

[zeroforhire]

Don't forget to run your tyvek through the washer a few times (no soap). This will quiet it down a bit.


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[justinspicher]

What's the point of running a floor less shelter if you're going to carry a floor in anyway? It kinda defeats the purpose doesn't it?

Why not just use a bivy and be done with it?

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I use tyvek under my sleeping gear. A lot lighter than a bivy, and I'm not constricted to its size.

 

[mtnwrunner]

What's the point of running a floor less shelter if you're going to carry a floor in anyway? It kinda defeats the purpose doesn't it?

Why not just use a bivy and be done with it?

Don't want to use a bivy and I don't want a floor. Just looking for something tough to protect the sleeping pad and as I stated in my original post, I have tried most everything and was curious if there was some other options.

Randy

 

[AK Troutbum]

I use tyvek under my sleeping gear. A lot lighter than a bivy, and I'm not constricted to its size.

I apologize in advance, not trying to derail the thread Randy, but... How much does the piece of tyvek that you use under your sleeping gear weigh? My bivy weighs 6 oz. Is it lighter than that?

 

[Backpack Hunter]

My heaviest is 4.5oz, just weighed it. Its somewhere around 32" wide and 95" long, that's going off memory as I'm too lazy to measure it right now.
Lightest is 3.3oz, it is large enough to shield my large/wide q core sl pad.

 

[bowtech3dhunter]

I've had pretty good luck with these. Polycryo (Tent Footprint) Ground Cloths

 

[mtnwrunner]

I apologize in advance, not trying to derail the thread Randy, but... How much does the piece of tyvek that you use under your sleeping gear weigh? My bivy weighs 6 oz. Is it lighter than that?

Greg, I have not weighed it but I would expect it would be somewhere in that range. I don't care for bivies as I am a "sleep wanderer."

Randy

 

[AK Troutbum]

Greg, I have not weighed it but I would expect it would be somewhere in that range. I don't care for bivies as I am a "sleep wanderer."

Randy

Yeah, I was just curious about the difference in wt. or if there was any difference. I don't mind a bivy, although they can be a little confining especially in the foot box area. The one thing I like in a bivy is the added protection on top and if bugs/spiders are at all an issue, I like the fact that I can zip it up and shut everything out. Prior to using a bivy, I spiked in a area that was infested with daddy longlegs, and although they're totally harmless, I really couldn't get used to them crawling over my face in the middle of the night.

 

[Akicita]

----what, in your opinion, have you found for the lightest and most durable ground cloth?????
Randy

So maybe not the lightest but I often (but not always) carry two 76" X 24" rolls of Rubber Maid tool box shelf liner. They do a good job of protecting My Big Agnes Q Core SL sleeping pad while keeping my Nemo Nocturne bag from sliding off of it. If I pitch on already muddy or wet ground I throw my Kifaru Sheep Tarp down then a roll of the shelf liner, then my pad, second roll of liner on top then my bag. I have never weighed them but I'm guessing they come in at about a pound combined.

 

[Akicita]

----what, in your opinion, have you found for the lightest and most durable ground cloth?????
Randy

So maybe not the lightest but I often (but not always) carry two 76" X 24" rolls of Rubber Maid tool box shelf liner. They do a good job of protecting My Big Agnes Q Core SL sleeping pad while keeping my Nemo Nocturne bag from sliding off of it. If I pitch muddy or wet ground I throw my Kifaru Sheep Tarp down then a roll of the shelf liner, then my pad, then a second roll of liner on top of my pad, then my bag. I have never weighed them but I'm guessing they come in at about a pound combined.

 

[Hunt'nFish]

I use tyvek as well. I carry a 9x9 chunk.
Its just too danged handy.
Ground sheet, tarp shelter, bivy wrap, pack liner for meat hauling, water catchment, etc.
Hunt'nFish

 

[mtnwrunner]

So maybe not the lightest but I often (but not always) carry two 76" X 24" rolls of Rubber Maid tool box shelf liner. They do a good job of protecting My Big Agnes Q Core SL sleeping pad while keeping my Nemo Nocturne bag from sliding off of it. If I pitch on already muddy or wet ground I throw my Kifaru Sheep Tarp down then a roll of the shelf liner, then my pad, second roll of liner on top then my bag. I have never weighed them but I'm guessing they come in at about a pound combined.

Hmmmm..........that sounds interesting. Who carries them?

Randy

 

[ianpadron]

I'd like to amend my previous statement on the SOL emergency blankets.

After a few prolonged trips, the reflective side started falling off. Not sure exactly how many nights they're good for precisely.

I still like it as a super cheap and light option (at 3.2 oz and 5 bucks). But mine looked like hell after what I would guess 2 weeks worth of hard use.

Trying polypro from Gossamer gear because you guys are bad influences and convince me to spend money on new things.

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