Floorless shelters tents / tarps
Doesn't the rain cause a river flowing into the shelter? What is the trick dig a brow ditch around the tent? I would like to go with a floorless but don't want to wake up soaking wet from the rain run off flowing into the tent / sleeping area.
I use tarp/bivy and floorless Tipi Tents almost exclusively, and never had a problem. It's not that hard to find a spot where water is not going to run through your shelter, even in pretty heavy downpours.
As a rule though, site selection is very important. I usually pick a little higher ground that's more open than what I would find in a canyon (where water run-off would be an issue). I'm more concerned about a tree or large branch falling on me during a storm than anything else.
Finding a site that is reasonably flat is also important to me for comfort. If it isn't flat, I'll dig out a flat spot for my bivy bag. I HATE waking up in the middle of the night, having slipped down to the bottom of my bivy sack. When you are just coming out of a slumber after slipping down to the bottom, it's like you are sealed in a body bag. And it's not immediately clear which way is out...I don't enjoy that feeling at all.
get a piece of tyvek for a floor its light weight.
I like big racks
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Last edited by jesunter; 07-27-2011 at 10:04 PM.
I always carry a role of 10 mil visqueen when hunting/camping in the truck. It is cheap and you can use it as a tarp, table cover, etc.Originally Posted by 6x7
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I'll have to try my rain fly by itself in the rain to totally understand this as everytime I take down my tents with bathtub floors there is always water puddled under them and the floor itself on the outside is soaking wet. thanks for the feedback.
if I'm near my truck, don't really need a roll of visqueen. i just slept in the back of the truck bed. it's just my luck that is about 6.5 foot long with a camper shell and i'm 5'3". Always stay dry...though, that roll of visqueen could comes in handy for something else..
Kinda tough getting the truck into your backpack though.
I second the Tyvec... works great for tent floor protection or just to protect your sleeping pad/bag if your under a tarp. Ultra light weight and you can cram it anywhere in your pack.
dude...I said if camping near the truck, not packing the truck to the back country....lol
if you're near your truck..a floor-less tent is goofy..i would break out the most palatial tent i own. (and a cot).if I'm near my truck, don't really need a roll of visqueen. i just slept in the back of the truck bed. it's just my luck that is about 6.5 foot long with a camper shell and i'm 5'3". Always stay dry...
floor-less is a weight saving strategy..moot point in a truck.
I have several tents, but as far as floor-less goes, I have 2 wall tents/packers tents/canvas tents, what ever you want to call them. Simply put, your not going to pack them in anywhere, unless it's by mule or horse, as they weigh way to much to carry more than a few feet. Both my tents have wood burning stoves, so they make great cold weather tents that keep me toasty warm. If they had floors, my larger one would be damn near impossible to set up. I want a floor because I like things clean and dry, so I use a tarp, or Tyvec, and I dig a small ditch to divert water, and everything stays nice and dry. When the tent is set up, I tuck the excess tarp material up inside the tent, on the two side walls and the back, kinda forming a tub that keeps the water out; the sod cloth on the tent lays on the dirt, and I stack rocks or dirt on top of that, so the bottom is sealed down to the ground, and the ditch is just outside the outside walls diverting any water/runoff around and away from the tent. There not fast and simple to set-up, unless you've done it several times and know what you need to do, or have a spot prepped for the tent; even then it takes me about 2 hours by myself. But for camping, there as comfortable as you can get, unless you consider motor-homing it, camping.
As for floor-less backpacking tents, I don't own one, nor have I ever used one, but I would think that if it rained enough, osmosis would at least dampen the ground under the tent, so you might want some type of floor.
Last edited by Bubblehide; 04-29-2012 at 10:53 PM.
Hah! According to the internet all you'd need is a high volume external frame pack. Apparently with one of these you can carry anything faster and further than with any other pack.
I think the answer to avoiding water in a floorless shelter is to not to use one when the weather is nasty. I mean, going light is one thing. Going out when the weather is inclement with the wrong gear is a whole 'nother thang.
For me, I use a (fairly heavy) tent (even here in So Cal where it's not likely to rain) because it has a floor. The floor keeps bugs, snakes, snipes, jackalopes and other assorted short-sheeting critters out of my sleeping area/bag. Which is a bigger concern than moisture to me. Eventually I will downsize to a bivy shelter/tent if I can ever find one long enough and that doesn't cost 5X it's weight in platinum. However, not having a floor isn't an option. And the extra pound it weighs isn't so much that I have to worry about it while the peace of mind is priceless.
That's what I use when I need to carry a truckload.
1970's era Jansport
my brother will never get rid of his 80's jansport. he used it to pack out elk, and out of the group..he truly suffered the least.
rob p. i am like you. i like a real tent..with a floor. only way i can get a good night's sleep. my friends sleep out in the open. tarps or nothing. if it threatens rain..they all dump their stuff into my tent. haha.
i like the Kilfaru tipi-tarp. it looks sturdy, is ultra-light. you dont even need poles! you can use a tree to tie to, a trekking pole..or a tree limb. set up properly on a tiny mound, i bet water flows around you. someday i'll turn into a weight saving junkie and cut off the handle of my toothbrush, and buy a high end tarp system.
for now..i just suffer with the relatively heavy tent.
When I go tentless and just use my bivy sack I always use a tarp (8x10 sil nylon) and pick a spot that is flatish. If needed I dig a rough trough around where I will be sleeping to channel the rain away. I always carry the tarp because it can be used to keep my gear dry and double as a kitchen when the weather is at it's worst.
I mainly use my Clip flashlight tent as it is very light, has room for me and my gear, also a vestbule and sheds gallons of water or snow. Two poles, rain fly which can be taken off and around four pounds for a two man tent, tarp, ground cloth and stakes.
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