Winter tent footprints question.

[Joshua Billings]

I have another silly question. I bought a Hilleberg Nallo2 tent and I was wondering if I should get the footprint.I know that in the rain I have had some tents that leak through the floor if the ground under the tent becomes saturated. My question is specific to snow camping. Is the snow too cold to melt under the tent. What if the sun is melting the snow and it is getting slushy.Would a piece of plastic under the tent be better and lighter than the footprint or is it not needed at all.
Thanks for your help. Josh

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Joshua

Well, I *might* use a footprint on very rough rock (but haven't), but never on snow. Any water on the snow drains away down through the snow very quickly.
So I would say don't bother for snow.

[Joshua Billings]

Thanks for the response Roger.
Josh

[Tipi Walter]

I have a couple of Hillebergs and some of them use the heavier 150 denier triple-coated floor which is very strong and waterproof. On snow I typically put my ground cloth INSIDE the tent as this seems to keep any moisture that seeps in(especially from snow)between the cloth and the floor and away from my pad and bag.

[Joshua Billings]

Dear Walter, I just used my tent for the first time last weekend. It got down to 25 degrees Fahrenheit. I have the Nallo 2. I was using the tent with the vents part way open during the first part of the night. Later on in the night it was getting colder so I closed all the vents. This helped a huge amount with keeping the inside warm but the roof of the inner tent had a little condensation above me where I was breathing. In the morning the outside of my tent was covered in thick frost but the inside wasn't frozen. My question to you is this; Do you close all the vents in your tent when it gets cold or what?Anyone else can also feel free to comment.
Thanks, Josh

[Tipi Walter]

Hey Joshua, how do you like the Nallo? On my Nammatj(heavier version of the Nallo), I generally leave the two end vents open and keep the inner tent door and end vent closed, all depending on wind and blown snow. Once in a terrible winter gale I closed off everything and hunkered down, there were more pressing problems than condensation.

On my dome Staika I rarely use the top vents and instead leave both doors open or just close the vestibule door. Either way I've gotten heavy condensation or none at all, all dependent on site location and air humidity. The Hillebergs are good tents for ventilation as the canopy material is thin and "breezy", better than most tents I've used.

I think the tunnels are better benefited with the opposite vents and so I usually keep them open all the time.

[Joshua Billings]

Hey Walter, I really like the Nallo 2. It is really well built. I have three small complaints. The foot area of the inner tent tapers down to where the top of my winter bag sometimes hits the fabric.Second thing is that there could be a little more head room at the door for sitting.The last thing is the vestibule is a little hard to close from the inside and difficult to exit in the rain. Aside from this I really like it. I had it in some pretty heavy winds at my house and it stood up to the test. It kept me warm at 25 degrees Fahr. when the outside was frozen. I won't be using it in the 3 other seasons, just in the winter.
Thanks, Josh

[bobby c]

In the winter conditions that I typically encounter (nights under freezing, usually sub-teens) I leave my floored TarpTent open completely, and have done this when using other floorless tarp tents. What's 5 degrees worth of warmth when you have to deal with interior condensation in the morning? I always make sure I have exceptional ventilation and have never experienced interior condensation, even in summer. Siting also helps. Closer to water, wet areas, etc., spells trouble.

[Joshua Billings]

Hey Bobby, Is that really all the warmer a tent make the air?(5 degrees?) It seams to me that it is at lease 10 degrees if not more if it is windy. I'm talking double walled winter tents. What do you think?
Thanks, Josh

[Michael Fogarty]

I had the Nallo2, and sold it, So, I could purchase the Kaitum 2. I always used a ground sheet under the Nallo, but not in the area of the vestibule. I like the dual vestibules with the Kaitum, which is the main reason I bought it, but this tent is huge in length at over 13ft.

I did buy a footprint for the Kaitum, which does cover the areas of both vestibules, which helps to cut down on condensation greatly, when pitching on snow.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

The first time your tent floor freezes to the ground you'll wish you had the footprint. Better to sacrifice it than the tent floor.

Tent floors freze to the ground by your body/tent heat melting areas beneath the floor then freezing again after you exit the tent for a while (as in fixing breakfast).

Eric

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