Floorless Tents and Rain

Clifford

FNG
Joined
Oct 30, 2019
Messages
41
I’m in need of a little education. Recently floorless tents have caught my eye and I would like to try one. That being said, it seems like water on the ground from rain could flow through the tent? How is this countered? I really like the headroom and stove capabilities of these tents but have never tried one and would prefer not to have a soaked 10 day hunt in the future.
 

jhm2023

WKR
Joined
Jan 2, 2018
Messages
614
Location
Delta Junction, AK.
Setting camp where water can flow through or collect regardless of a floor or not is a bad idea. Floorless has a lot of benefits concerning water though ,such as entering with wet or muddy boots. When you spill something or lay out all your soaking wet gear it soaks into the ground instead of turning your tent floor into a bathtub of water. Obviously if you set up after a heavy rain the ground will be wet but I always have a lightweight ground cloth to put my sleeping pad on.
 

Wrench

WKR
Joined
Aug 23, 2018
Messages
5,595
Location
WA
Pretty simple really, take a quick survey of the surrounding area. You need to know where water is likely to flow, pond and avoid stagnating.

If you must camp on a slope, dig a ditch with a boot in a semicircle around the tent to divert water. I've camped in a storm where I was sure god was trying to kill me with rain and had to put pieces of wood under the floor around the stove hole in my alaknak because water was flowing under us. In that situation, you just keep adding wood.....cause it's gonna suck.

Never been in another storm like it.
 

AKHUNTER

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 30, 2013
Messages
218
Location
Interior Alaska
I've used the TI Goat Vertex 8 for about 10 years in Alaska and I have never had a problem with water flowing into the tent. I suppose it could happen if you pitched the tent in a swale or somewhere where water could collect, but that would be a poor choice regardless. As others have stated floorless shelters are great.
 

zloomis

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 22, 2017
Messages
107
Location
Pennsylvania
I typically use tarp shelters and have found that with good site selection you will stay dry under them. In the real world you will rarely find ideal site options that are often described, but most ground will absorb a good bit of rain so as long as you are not in a low point where the water will pool you should be ok. In my early days I have gotten burned by poor site selection and had some cold/wet adventures. When done right, one of the greatest feelings is packing up after a night of rain and seeing the dry area on the ground the exact shape of your shelter
 
OP
C

Clifford

FNG
Joined
Oct 30, 2019
Messages
41
Thank you all for the insight. I’ll definitely be going the floorless shelter route since it offers so many benefits.
 

Wacko

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Messages
179
Don’t overlook what wrench said....digging a small ”ditch” on the side the water is coming from makes a big difference. If done well...water follows the path, you stay dry.
 

Lowg08

WKR
Joined
Aug 31, 2019
Messages
2,144
Do any of you use the partial bathtub type floor in yours like luxe offers
 

Wrench

WKR
Joined
Aug 23, 2018
Messages
5,595
Location
WA
Do any of you use the partial bathtub type floor in yours like luxe offers
I used to use a floor in my beta mid 20ish years ago. I decided I like a bivy sack more than a floor. The floor makes you feel good until you come back wet or dirty.....then it's a step backwards.
 

turley

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 20, 2019
Messages
264
I too prefer a tarp paired with a bivy as it helps against wind.....and in nice weather one can go without even pitching the tarp/floorless tent.
 
Joined
Nov 6, 2019
Messages
41
Location
Texas
i am think of going floorless too...I hunt in mostly desert southwest so water is not an issues but-- liked keeping out the cooties with the floor. when it gets cool at night the stove could be really neat..if it doent draw in more cooties.
 

Lowg08

WKR
Joined
Aug 31, 2019
Messages
2,144
I’ve been looking at the luxe twin peak with a 4 man bivy and stove jack and stove. Seems like best of both worlds
 

Grambo

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 11, 2016
Messages
273
Location
Chehalis,Wa.
Floorless and a stove are great. I'm from the wetside of Washington . Location for camp is everything floorless or not.
 

turley

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 20, 2019
Messages
264
"Location for camp is everything floorless or not."

Couldn't agree more. I lived in Western Washington (Kitsap County) for quite a few years and backpacked in the Olympics using a 1 person Catenary Cut Tarp paired with a Bivy with great success.
Going floorless really increases the shelters versatility.
 

turley

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 20, 2019
Messages
264
I really prefer the footprint of the Tut as it is more compact than the Sawtooth......but if you're in wide open spaces then the Sawtooth will provide more room.
I think these are great options if you're considering a stove with pipe/venting system. If a stove is not going to be used another option is a Mountain Laurel Designs Duomid as it wil be lighter and built very well as MLD is considered one of the best UL backpacking gear companies.
 

keepriding

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 20, 2019
Messages
142
We use our Oware pyramid in rainy season here in Southeast Alaska. Rainy season is real rain, not sprinkles, its the Tongass Rain Forest. Rest of the year its tarps. The beauty of the rain forest and beaches is that there is seldom standing water, the duff soaks it up fast and all it takes is some thinking about location to set the pyramid on dri(ish) ground. We use tyvek ground cloths in the fall and a small (5×7) tarp in the winter.
I think the same strategy could be used anywhere. It's all about where you put the pyramid or tarp.
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2014
Messages
3,158
2 personal caveats I live by with floorless shelters:

1. Use an ultralight cot to keep my bedroll elevated and 100% dry.

2. Use waterproof storage bags for everything that has to lay on the ground in the shelter.

And a bonus points #3 is bring a small chair or stool so you can always sit above any wet ground.
 
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