December 23, 2000


Should I put my tarp in my tent?

On a recent camping trip to the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota a buddy of mine and I had a debate in regards to longevity of tent floors. I always pack an aftermarket plastic tarp that I fold up and put UNDERNEATH my tent before putting in the stakes. My friend claims (and did so with his tent) that putting the plastic tarp IN the tent on top of the floor was the way to go. My big concern is getting water from underneath. Which is the best method for keeping out water? Thanks,

— Karl Goetz Huntington Beach, California

This is one of those great existential debates, along the lines of: What is truth? Does extraterrestrial life exist? And, of course, where do the missing socks go in the laundry?

Now, I realize that intelligent, well-meaning people can disagree about these things. But here is my judgment: People in the "tarp-inside-the-tent-camp" are neither intelligent nor well meaning. In short, they are DODOS! The foremost reason to place a tarp or ground cover under a tent is not, as common wisdom holds, to keep water from seeping through the floor. Modern tent floors are heavily coated with polyurethane and are not going to leak unless placed under considerable pressure (i.e., the tent is sitting on an inch of water and you and four or five friends are all inside the tent). The reason you use a ground cover is to protect that waterproof coating from abrasion and the fabric itself from punctures caused by sharp stones or sticks.

Putting the tarp IN the tent doesn't accomplish this. While an indoor tarp might offer a small bit of extra protection, if the floor is badly abraded and leaking the water will eventually find itself around the tarp and into your sleeping gear.

So keep putting the tarp under the tent, Karl. That's what clever people do.

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