[pct-l] Ground Cloth

[Matthew Edwards]

Hi Crystal,
There is nothing wrong with not using a ground cloth. The "right" way is the way that works best for you.
If you find that your tent floor is getting trashed or want a slightl bit of separation from the dirt and grit when cowboy camping a ground cloth might be nice. Some folks use PolyCro which is a sort of super tough clear plastic. Other folks use Tyvek which is that white sheeting stapled to buildings under construction on job sites. Still others use sprtsmans blankets, "footprints" or various nylon, mylar/polyester.. What ever.
As with any piece of gear there is a trade off. Sometimes it's weight, or durability.
I used half of a cheap mylar polyester sportmans blanket for 1100 miles and then a piece of poly cro the rest of the way.
For my next hike it will be a piece of Tyvek for the simple reason that I can write "Hiker to Town" and "Hiker to Trail" on it's bright white surfaces to get more attention.
But hey.. That's just me and a choice I made.
What works for you could be totally different.
One thing that is worth stating is that if your ground sheet extends beyond the edges of your tarp or tent too far it might collect rain and send it under you while sleeping.. Just a thought.
Cheers-Iceaxe

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