How to keep tent floor dry?

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Galactic
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How to keep tent floor dry?

Post by Galactic »

I've never really thought about this before, but after returning from a very wet trip I got round to asking the question:
Why do tent floors allow water from the ground seep in?

The only time I've had waterproof tent floors were on cheap 1980s tents with heavy woven-tarp type floors. Since I've moved up in the world and bought myself half-way decent tents the floors have always been pretty useless in the keeping-wet-out business, and I've always had a thick polythene sheet on the inside of the tent, in addition to the footprint underneath.

My current and last few tents have all been mid-range Vaude tents - so somewhere between cheapo and Hilleberg standard. As regards standing up to wind and rain they've been great (at least with the water from above).

Does anyone else have this problem or am I hounded by poor luck? And what do you do to stop seepage on damp/wet nights? Any particular brands good (am thinking about buying a 3-person tent since current 2-person is obviously too small for 2 people).
PH
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Re: How to keep tent floor dry?

Post by PH »

Are you sure it's water coming up through the floor and not condensation, particularly under a mat?
I use a decent groundsheet protector underneath, I can lift he tent off it in the morning and sometimes the inside of the tent floor can be wet, while the upper side of the protector can be dry.
Simple way to test how waterproof the floor is - Suspend some over a bucket/bowl making a hollow, fill that with water, see if it seeps through.
Galactic
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Re: How to keep tent floor dry?

Post by Galactic »

PH wrote: 28 Sep 2022, 3:09pm Are you sure it's water coming up through the floor and not condensation, particularly under a mat?
Definitely seepage from below rather than condensation - the floor fails your bucket test, and in real life conditions, the water gets trapped below the plastic sheet (on top of the floor, inside the tent) and never between plastic sheet and mat.

From what you're saying, it sounds like your footprint/protector is pretty much waterproof? Mine is the same material as the floor, and only seems to be any good at protecting the floor from stones, sticks and the like (but not water).
ChrisF
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Re: How to keep tent floor dry?

Post by ChrisF »

Maybe your tent choice isn't well designed / manufactured? I've just been camping for 3 weeks in France with a new Vango tent (F10 Xenon UL2 - plus groundsheet) and survived 3 big thunderstorms with no water getting through the tent floor . There was loads of water stuck between the groundsheet and the tent floor each time though.
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simonineaston
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Re: How to keep tent floor dry?

Post by simonineaston »

I recall being astounded when the penny dropped as to how much water appears in the tent due to condensation.
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foxyrider
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Re: How to keep tent floor dry?

Post by foxyrider »

I've used Vaude tents for @ 20 years and never had floor seepage in some pretty nasty conditions. I woke up one morning in Switzerland literally floating in my Taurus after heavy rains caused the riverside site to flood, got all my gear out dry despite @ 4 inches of water sitting across the field. On another occasion in the Netherlands it rained hard enough to breach the fly of my Power Lizard but there was no wet through the floor despite 2 days of wet.

I don't use a footprint, the floor in both tents is very robust despite both tents being sub 1.4kg, both floors are hydrastastic rated at 10,000mm. Air mat goes straight on the floor, never had a spot of condensation underneath. I have suffered from condensation on the inner on occasion but not so much as to make the floor wet.

Think there is something else going on here.
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Re: How to keep tent floor dry?

Post by PH »

Galactic wrote: 28 Sep 2022, 3:23pm From what you're saying, it sounds like your footprint/protector is pretty much waterproof? Mine is the same material as the floor, and only seems to be any good at protecting the floor from stones, sticks and the like (but not water).
Yes. I'm using the Terra Nova one specific to my tent, it's a tough woven fabric with a waterproof layer, despite it's weight I use it if there's any chance of camping on rough ground. For the odd overnighter, when I know I'll be on a decent campsite I leave it at home, still no water comes through.
If you've done the bucket test and are sure that's what's happening, I don't have anything other to suggest, I'd complain to the manufacturer. I am surprised, with modern materials waterproof isn't hard to achieve, even the £30 festival tents usually manage it.
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Re: How to keep tent floor dry?

Post by irc »

Perhaps your polythene sheet should replace the footprint? If the polythene is inside the tent then the water is already in before it meets the polythene. Years ago I bought an Argos Pro Action 1. £30. Decent tent. It has stood up to high winds and rain superbly. Must be something like 150 -200 nights in it now. Weighs just over 2Kg but you can't get everything for £30.

When I got it though I found water would seep through the floor. I bought a cheap shower curtain. Cut it to the shape of the groundsheet and used it as a footprint. Not a drop has come through.
Galactic
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Re: How to keep tent floor dry?

Post by Galactic »

Thanks for all your inputs - it's put my problem into perspective. The current Vaude Taurus which, although it's about 15 years old now, never had a dry floor in wet weather even when new. I would have thought it was a one-off fault had it not been for previous Vaude tents having the same problem.

I do like the idea of a shower curtain - not too crinkly, tough but not too heavy, and should be big enough to cut into the shape of the 2-person Taurus and use as a footprint. Thanks Irc for that idea.

Since I'm about to start looking for a slightly larger tent, I just need to cross my fingers for a decent floor next time. If not, then it's (shower) curtains for the new tent. And definitely for the current 2-person Taurus which I'll still use for solo-trips.
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Cowsham
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Re: How to keep tent floor dry?

Post by Cowsham »

None of my vango tents leak through the sown in bedroom ground sheets. One is a big family tent which has the heavier weave type floor.
The tent I take with me to the TT now is a vango omega 350 which has a very lightweight sewn in bedroom floor which I thought at the time was too thin to be any use at keeping out the water but after 35 years of camping at the TT 2019 was the wettest 10 days ever. The tent inside was as dry as snuff while others were being blown away by wind and rain.

Nb I've had that tent for about 6 years now -- no problems --

The alloy poles in that tent were a revolution to me. So easy to insert and remove from the fabric cos of the seamless way they butt together.

The old 1980's canvas tents had a rubber type sewn in bedroom floor which were great but weighed a ton.

For a cheap tent you can't beat the crivit tents from Lidl we had one of those at the 2019 TT and it was dry as snuff inside too while the water circumnavigated around it. It has the heavier weave type tarp floor and fibreglass poles which makes it smaller for the same weight.
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simonineaston
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Re: How to keep tent floor dry?

Post by simonineaston »

The old 1980's canvas tents had a rubber type sewn in bedroom floor which were great but weighed a ton.
For ages, my Force 10, mk 4 was my favourite tent. It was totally dependable. A complete non-starter for cycle touring though...
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foxyrider
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Re: How to keep tent floor dry?

Post by foxyrider »

Galactic wrote: 29 Sep 2022, 7:01am Thanks for all your inputs - it's put my problem into perspective. The current Vaude Taurus which, although it's about 15 years old now, never had a dry floor in wet weather even when new. I would have thought it was a one-off fault had it not been for previous Vaude tents having the same problem.
I really am having trouble believing this is from upwards movement of H2O, there has to be another reason otherwise Vaude would never sell any tents.
Convention? what's that then?
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Pendodave
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Re: How to keep tent floor dry?

Post by Pendodave »

In defence of the OP, I have a Taurus 2 man and it definitely has a thin groundsheeet which has seemed to get a bit damp.

Now, I haven't used it for years, but I remember being surprised by the thinness when I bought it. Being a fair weather camper, I never subjected it to particularly extreme conditions. Maybe it was condensation.

By contrast, I have a macpac microlight, which has a bulletproof groundsheeet which has resisted pretty much anything.
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Cowsham
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Re: How to keep tent floor dry?

Post by Cowsham »

foxyrider wrote: 29 Sep 2022, 7:57pm
Galactic wrote: 29 Sep 2022, 7:01am Thanks for all your inputs - it's put my problem into perspective. The current Vaude Taurus which, although it's about 15 years old now, never had a dry floor in wet weather even when new. I would have thought it was a one-off fault had it not been for previous Vaude tents having the same problem.
I really am having trouble believing this is from upwards movement of H2O, there has to be another reason otherwise Vaude would never sell any tents.
Very easy to puncture the ground sheet on a tiny bit of glass putting a micro sized hole in it -- did that with a regatta tent once ( well I didn't but the person I lent it to did ) -- managed to patch it with some special roofing felt glue and spare material.

The way I use the tent is to not put my feet or knees directly onto the bedroom compartment floor but try to set myself down gently onto the airbed then draw my feet in after. Spread the load on the ground sheet. In the porch I put a bit of cardboard on top of the porch ground sheet to protect it while moving in and out of the tent -- it also gives me a place to take my shoes off if it's wet outside.
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Re: How to keep tent floor dry?

Post by irc »

foxyrider wrote: 29 Sep 2022, 7:57pm
Galactic wrote: 29 Sep 2022, 7:01am Thanks for all your inputs - it's put my problem into perspective. The current Vaude Taurus which, although it's about 15 years old now, never had a dry floor in wet weather even when new. I would have thought it was a one-off fault had it not been for previous Vaude tents having the same problem.
I really am having trouble believing this is from upwards movement of H2O, there has to be another reason otherwise Vaude would never sell any tents.
It's true. My brand new Argos tent gave me wet knees when pitched on soaking grass. Solved by footprint from shower curtain. Though interestingly the groundsheet seems pretty much waterproof unless there is pressure from kneeling.

Quoted waterproofing standards are for ideal conditions and lightweight tent fabrics may not be evenly coated when treat or may have abrasions or pinholes.

I appreciate Vaude tents cost more than Argos tents but I imagine both were made in far eastern factories and would have similar ways to be less than perfect.
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