Backpacking tent floor denier? Footprint?

[JNDEER]

Looking into another backpacking tent and was wondering what floor denier for backpacking (let’s say 3 season with some possible late 3rd season rain) you all use?

if you get a tent with a high enough denier do you avoid the footprint?

do you go lightweight knowing you will just use a footprint?

my only real concern is popping my pad (too thin of a floor) and getting water in through the floor itself.

been looking into to this for a while and best I found was a backpackers/through packer article that said minimum without a footprint is 30 denier. Curious everyone else’s thoughts?

 

[Jimss]

My preference for light weight backpack hunting when weather is decent is to use the fly off my 4 season Hilleberg Nallo 2 tent. The fly used alone is bomberproof and very light. I bring along painters plastic that I buy at Home Depot that I cut to size. The plastic works fine to protect my pad from punctures. It also is great if it happens to rain to keep everything dry. Also keeps my pad and equipment clean of dust.

On Alaska or other trips where there will likely be lots of rain I either use the fly with plastic or if it's super wet and I'm going to be using the tent for extended days I'll bring along the inner tent. The upper mesh in the inner tent also protects from mosquitos and no-seeums. The bath tub floor of the inner tent on Hillebergs is amazing. If I'm camped at a basecamp I'll add the footprint.
It's nice to have several options available with the fly, tent, and footprint depending upon the particular situation. My guess is that not all tent floors are created equally and it may be worth the additional price for a quality tent. With that said, I've had amazing success using my fly plus cheap painters plastic.. In fact, I've had such great results with cheap painters plastic that I use it instead of the footprint in all but the wettest situations. There are obviously different thickness of painters plastic but thicker plastic weighs a little more and is a little more bulky. You may want to try a few dry runs with plastic and see if it works for your particular situation?

 

[mlgc20]

I wouldn’t rely on the tent floor or footprint to protect your pad from puncture. Just an extra 90 seconds clearing your tent site will be enough prevention. For the last several years, my primary tent has been the Big Agnes Fly Creek Platinum. That floor is only around 12 denier. Even after a hundred nights in it, I only have a couple of pin prick holes. I’ve never used the footprint. But, I am careful about where I put the tent.

 

[Gapmaster]

I have a 30d floor in mine. I just clear the ground debris and use a cut to fit piece of tyvex

 

[JNDEER]

I wouldn’t rely on the tent floor or footprint to protect your pad from puncture. Just an extra 90 seconds clearing your tent site will be enough prevention. For the last several years, my primary tent has been the Big Agnes Fly Creek Platinum. That floor is only around 12 denier. Even after a hundred nights in it, I only have a couple of pin prick holes. I’ve never used the footprint. But, I am careful about where I put the tent.

Interesting- that is good to hear. Most my tents are BA now with 15-20 floors and I have always used a footprint. Usually in dry grass with stickers and dirt/rocks or in the pine tree type woods. I would be afraid I would miss a sticker or pine needle and it would poke through and hit my pad.

 

[JNDEER]

I have a 30d floor in mine. I just clear the ground debris and use a cut to fit piece of tyvex

I looked into this.

my reason for the question is for total weight. Super light tents with footprints or tyvex (roughly same weight) weigh the same as lightweight tents with thicker floors and thus no need for the footprint.

or do you go super light and not worry about the tent floor/air mattress.

 

[Gapmaster]

I looked into this.

my reason for the question is for total weight. Super light tents with footprints or tyvex (roughly same weight) weigh the same as lightweight tents with thicker floors and thus no need for the footprint.

or do you go super light and not worry about the tent floor/air mattress.

I’m using the tyvek no matter what. Doesn’t weigh much and I hate a leaky air pad.