Experience with Heatsheets?

LDPE is quieter than mylar. It would likely perform better as a groundsheet than mylar since it will permanently deform (eg, stretch) to a point rather than catastrophically fail if poked with sharp objects. Though polycro seems similar to mylar in strength – maybe it fails when poked, too – I haven't tested that. Heatsheets are essentially trash bags with an aluminum coating on one side. FWIW, I made a tarp from them for my recent Rockies trip.

I tried Heatsheets recently as a ground cloth, and although very light and quiet, after just one night it was riddled with tiny punctures and the reflective laminate had come off. I'm going back to polycro.

Yes, the coating won't last long at all in that application. I would have thought it would hold up better as a groundcloth but that depends on the type of surface. What was it that created the pinholes? When my dog (~45 pounds) got caught up in my tarp guylines, there were only 2 spots out of many that her claws actually punctured through the material.

Thanks for the responses. Miguel, which side did you have facing up? Michael, I have a dog around the same size as yours, so that's a relief to hear.

Same experience as Miguel. Lots of punctures after one nights use. I was on forest floor. Lots of pine needles, little twigs, etc. Polycro/Window insulation film is much more durable.

Maybe mylar would be the better groundcloth after all.

I actually use Duck brand window insulation film that I got at Walmart. $9 for about 6 cloths worth. That held up fine for the 8 nights of my trip and should be close to the same weight (2.1 oz for ~5×7 sheet).

As I said I used the Heetsheets for a tarp and it worked well for that. You can find my posts on it from about a month ago which include links to videos if you're interested.

I use one as a ground sheet. Comparatively light and multipurpose if needed. Another (unconfirmed) advantage is that the sheet reflects some of your body heat back to you and can supplement your sleeping pad system.

As far as durability, I have not had any significant tears or punctures but it is what it is.

The Heetsheets material doesn't do well on the ground (punctures), but it's an excellent protection if you're under a tarp in a blowing rain or if you want to stretch your sleeping bag about 10 degrees. I've used the emergency bivy under some pretty nasty circumstances. It stretches a lot better than mylar, so it makes a great bivy against the rain, especially if you're trying to protect your 850-fill down sleeping bag.

For a groundcloth, polycryo or cuben is the way to go, IMO. Poly from Gossamer gear is uber-light and really inexpensive. You can also get it from some local hardware stores.

The cuben groundcloth from zPacks is a bit pricier and more than a tad more expensive, but it has those nice sidewalls, and Joe builds it to last a lifetime.

I carry one on long solo mountain runs (when I'm wearing a running pack) in case I'm lost/hurt/stuck out for the night. Thankfully, I haven't used it.

When I used to be a tent user, I used a typical silver space blanket as a footprint. The heatsheets seem stronger, so yes, it'll work well.

If it's a footprint, you're really just using it to keep your floor clean…I wouldn't worry about small holes and tears.

Used the heat sheets bivy …. Great for emergencies

i dont think itll the most durable ground sheet