wet weather tipi floor?

[Sundance]

Question for folks that run a tipi in wet weather conditions (SE AK, Coastal WA/OR). What are you using inside the tipi for a floor system to keep your sleeping bag/gear dry? Inner nest, ground sheet (Tyvek or similar) bivy, bathtub liner etc. I will be running a titanium woodstove, this is a backcountry/hike in scenario. Weight is a major factor so I'm ruling out cots. For my starting point I am considering a piece of Tyvek/groundsheet or a lightweight bivy. Thoughts?

 

[Travis Hobbs]

I have hunted in some super wet weather, rain/snow for multiple days in my tipi w/ stove and never brought any kind of floor. I usually try to set up in pines with pine duff nearby or some sort of sandy material easy to excavate/level and keeps down the mud... I take time to grade the area, and dig a “gutter” completely around exterior and put a drain on said gutter. A 3-4” diameter busted pine log makes a pretty good shovel. Also I remove all vegetation. Once the stove is roaring and the ground is out of weather it usually dries in no time.

I am however always super familiar w/ camp spots and I’m not hunting any areas I haven’t pre-scouted. If I didn’t have stove I’d bring a floor though. But i will leave a lot of shit before I leave my stove

 

[jhm2023]

I use a seek outside ground tarp or any small lightweight tarp because I toss and turn too much and almost always end up off of my pad. Be sure NOT to setup where water will pool or run through if a heavy rain hits. With 2 people and two separate small tarps you can just make a space between them for a woodstove. I've never had a problem, not even on Kodiak.

 

[tttoadman]

I use a nest as a bathtub floor. My brother has a bathtub floor from BearPaw.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Tyvek will work, and it is physically light. It’s just a bit bulky compared to some other options. Tyvek also has a tendency to attract debris which will cling. Very cost effective.

A good option is a custom sized ground cloth made of silnylon or silpoly. Have loops attached at the corners and you can pin it down with ultralight pegs. A number of custom gear guys can easily make one for you.

 

[Mike7]

Unless you plan on pitching your tipi over a swamp, the less waterproof 1443 kite tyvek version works really well to protect your sleeping pad and keep it clean & dry, and it packs down to nothing. You can buy 5x9 chunks on Amazon when last I looked, which is a great size for a sleeping pad and all of you gear.

I have never found a need to remove all of the vegetation. Not only is this not great for "leave no trace", but huckleberry bushes for instance are a great place to hang damp clothes, and also allow you to eat berries right from your sleeping bag.

 

[Beendare]

Something under your bag/pad and extending out just a little is a good strategy, IME.

I've been using a chunk of 1.1 oz silnylon but going with the little bit thicker with a bit of a textured finish 1.6 oz Sil Poly now from RSBTR with a couple anti slip stripes.

...

 

[Sundance]

thanks for the info, its greatly appreciated.