What's under your pad? Flourless tent.

[standswittaknife]

This topic has probably been hashed over but I'm curious what you guys put underneath your sleeping pad when you're using a floorless tent system.
Our campsite has quite a few Pineneedles and I'm scared will poke a hole in our pads thank you! We used the Thurmer rest ultralight car last week and it worked flawlessly but I'm a little nervous we may get too cold in that towards the end of season.

 

[Shrek]

The good earth. I'm using an Exped UL pad with nothing under it. I do check the ground carefully for thing that would cut or puncture it. I'm pretty sure that a piece of Tyvek isn't going to stop anything that would damage my pad so why bother.

 

[RockyMtnHigh]

I pack a therma rest z-lite pad that I slide under my air pad before I call it a night. Adds about 9 oz., but it is multi purpose as I also use it for a glassing seat and something to lounge around on while in camp. Keeps the air pad off the bare ground and also ups the r-value to help keep you warmer if that is a concern.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I use tyvek. Mostly for abrasion resistance and to help keep things cleaner.

 

[SHTF]

http://www.rei.com/product/407106/s...h=&mr:filter=126978294520&lsft=cm_mmc:cse_PLA

That.

 

[standswittaknife]

Thank u!! Stupid auto correct in title.. Obviously floorless tent

 

[Stid2677]

I use a light weight bivy to hold it all together, protects my bag, keeps out unwanted bugs and spiders.

http://www.borahgear.com/cubenbivy.html

 

[bcimport]

Nothing

 

[gmajor]

A bug bivy. It's made by borah, like stid linked to, except the entire top is noseeum mesh. I never go without it.

 

[Kevin Dill]

LuxuryLite Cot. I don't consider it a typical backpack-able item though. The main reason I favor it is that it does two things for me:

1. It gets me above rocks, roots and uneven ground things I can do nothing about, which would really screw up my sleeping.

2. It completely keeps my bag and pad above the dirt/moisture and totally clean on long hunts.

I have used it in some very nasty settings where no better campsite existed, and have propped rocks under the cot 'feet' to get things level. Having used it many, many weeks of hunting I can say it would be hard to go back to dirt level now.

 

[standswittaknife]

Kevin per your recommendation a year or so ago I got
A great deal on them and used them last weekend. I was just concerned they wouldn't be enough insulation and could get cold in later season with the airflow underneath. What's your experience in cold weather?

Thanks to all that responded to far.
Some
Great ideas

 

[Kevin Dill]

I've used mine with 2 different pads. My primary cold weather pad is a DownMat 9 which has served me very well down into single digits with my WM Sequoia bag. Obviously the bag you choose can affect the mat you should choose. I have also used a NeoAir XTherm mat in conjunction with a WM TerraLite bag and have been fine down to sub-freezing temps easily. I personally think the concerns about sleeping above ground and having air circulated beneath are unwarranted if you choose the right inflatable pad with decent R-value. In fact, a pad like the DownMat 9 may let you get by with a lighter sleeping bag or quilt.

I will also add that I prefer to sleep in just my thin merino layers. However, I have and will definitely sleep in whatever amount of clothes I need on very cold nights or in nasty weather. I just came off a caribou hunt that turned wicked-bad above treeline. Most nights I slept in at least 2 layers. A couple nights I was in 3, including my Attack pants and a 200-wt Peloton...and on one particularly ferocious night I went to bed wearing my Feathered Friends Daybreak Jacket and down mittens. Admittedly, that was a bit extreme and I work up too warm at 3:30 am.

 

[dotman]

A bug bivy. It's made by borah, like stid linked to, except the entire top is noseeum mesh. I never go without it.

X2.... I call it my sleep system containment device.

 

[DaveC]

Usually nothing, though if you do this long enough with an inflatable you will put a hole it in. With the more fragile pads (Neoair) I'd always use a groundsheet. With a Prolite it will probably take years before your luck runs out.

Most of the time hunting in MT I know I can sleep on a softish spot, so a Ridgerest is all I bring.

 

[Poser]

I use this .3 oz sheet of Polycryo: http://gossamergear.com/polycryo-tent-ground-sheets-protection.html

 

[charvey9]

I still use a bivy in my floorless set-ups, but that doesn't provide too much more protection. Take a flat rock or piece of bark and scrape the ground where you plan to lay your pad to get all the pokies off the ground. If you have some available, round up a bunch of dry grass and throw it down as well.

 

[MattB]

I either use a really think piece of closed cell foam I bought somewhere on the internet or a sheet of Tyvek.

 

[kpk]

I use this .3 oz sheet of Polycryo: http://gossamergear.com/polycryo-tent-ground-sheets-protection.html

This is what I use also.

 

[Madnik]

Usually some light weight plastic sheeting that I had on hand. No idea exactly what it is. In the mud or now I've used evergreen boughs with good success.

 

[Ben]

I used tyvek under my bivy to keep everything clean and minimize abrasions.