Mmathis
TurtleMommy
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2011
- Messages
- 14,274
- Reaction score
- 8,325
- Location
- NW Louisiana -- zone 8b
- Hardiness Zone
- 8b
- Country
For those of you who camp or used to camp......
100% of my camping is considered "car" or "base" camping [with our Boy Scout troop or with OA]. No extreme weather or backpack camping!! Though our temps in Oct. - April-ish can get chilly -- I guess you could call that 3.5 season camping.
I have always used Coleman tents and they've always suited my purposes well. The MAIN thing I really like about them is the polyurethane floor material -- the floor is almost indestructable. I always use a tarp underneath the tent for protection from the ground, but never have to worry about floor damage from the inside [I'm not the most careful person so I need the indestructable-ness to protect the floor from ME, LOL!]. Also, I never have to worry about water wicking in [as long as I have all my seams sealed] as the polyurethane material is waterproof [it's like a tarp].
But I'm thinking about branching out and maybe trying another brand of tent. Problem is, you guessed it, most tent floors are made of the same material as the walls/fly. Which means I would have to drastically change my in-tent habits [like not dragging things across the floor....etc.].
So, here's my question: for those of you with tent experience, how can I protect the inside floor of a tent from damage caused by just being there.....walking on it, having gear on it, from the legs of my cot, etc, etc., etc.????
These other tents are more expensive than my Coleman tents, so it's an investment to protect.
And what about it's being waterproof [the floor]? I've seen tents get soaked from the bottom [in a good rain storm] even with a properly positioned ground cloth.
Would it help to cut some tarp material to fit inside, like a wall-to-wall "carpet," or would that add to the problem?
Advice, suggestions, tales of personal experience........?
100% of my camping is considered "car" or "base" camping [with our Boy Scout troop or with OA]. No extreme weather or backpack camping!! Though our temps in Oct. - April-ish can get chilly -- I guess you could call that 3.5 season camping.
I have always used Coleman tents and they've always suited my purposes well. The MAIN thing I really like about them is the polyurethane floor material -- the floor is almost indestructable. I always use a tarp underneath the tent for protection from the ground, but never have to worry about floor damage from the inside [I'm not the most careful person so I need the indestructable-ness to protect the floor from ME, LOL!]. Also, I never have to worry about water wicking in [as long as I have all my seams sealed] as the polyurethane material is waterproof [it's like a tarp].
But I'm thinking about branching out and maybe trying another brand of tent. Problem is, you guessed it, most tent floors are made of the same material as the walls/fly. Which means I would have to drastically change my in-tent habits [like not dragging things across the floor....etc.].
So, here's my question: for those of you with tent experience, how can I protect the inside floor of a tent from damage caused by just being there.....walking on it, having gear on it, from the legs of my cot, etc, etc., etc.????
These other tents are more expensive than my Coleman tents, so it's an investment to protect.
And what about it's being waterproof [the floor]? I've seen tents get soaked from the bottom [in a good rain storm] even with a properly positioned ground cloth.
Would it help to cut some tarp material to fit inside, like a wall-to-wall "carpet," or would that add to the problem?
Advice, suggestions, tales of personal experience........?