3.5 ounce groundsheet bad or good?

The polycryo sheets at Gossamer Gear are a favorite of mine http://gossamergear.com/shelters/polycryo-ground-cloth-medium.html

William,

Water will go through that ripstop nylon if you kneel on it. Most people use a piece of polycryo from Gossamer Gear or MLD.

Yet another vote for polycryo. Best balance between light weight / compactness and durability.

Having said that, there is no miracle groundsheet that's both featherly weight and indestructible. One can use tyvek, which is much tougher but also heavier and A LOT MORE bulky — or one can use a "pretty durable" piece of polycryo — and spend an extra 2 minutes checking / clearing the ground carefully before plopping down one's expensive tent or bag.

I coated the ripstop with a dwr treatment I have never had problems with water Evan kneeling I live in N.M so the groud cloth is more for protection from sharp rocks and pinecoans and that polycro is perfect any local stores that might have it rei, sportsmans warehouse ?

Home Depot, Lowes, or any other hardware type store carries it as heat shrink window insulator kits.

Like this. Only $7 – free shipping! 62 x 210 inches!

So at home depot is it referred to as polycro or as window insulator ? I might just order from gossamer but I don't want to pay shipping just for 8$ worth of stuff

I sewed a sheet of spinnaker fabric into a ground sheet. It is five-sided and coffin-shaped so that it fits my sleeping bag just right with about 4 inches extra all the way around. I sewed the edges so that they turn up an inch or so. That keeps any water flowing across the ground from getting my sleeping bag wet. The total weight was 2.0 ounces.

–B.G.–

Window insulation film is the same as polycro. I've been using the same piece of window film (Duck brand I got at Walmart for $9) that I cut down for 8 nights in Wind River Range and a couple here locally. Still going strong. I can make 5 more 5×7 groundcloths from the same kit.

Surprisingly, my Polycro has held up. I have read about others using it on really long trips without problems too.

For those using an inner nettent with your tarp, do you use the polycro as well?

I prefer to use an Adventure Medical Kit’s heatsheet (emergency blanket) as a ground cloth. 2.5oz for the single size, and this company uses a different type of material to make their blankets much more durable than the average emergency blanket.

It could also add a tiny bit of extra warmth?

That's interesting. They are usually either mylar, which will have catastrophic failures when punctured, or LDPE, which is essentially trashbag material that streches to a point, but is subject to tiny punctures from the piece I tested. I do have some actual AMK Heetsheets but haven't played around with them specifically yet.

Heatsheets is the trashbag-like material that stretches.

The website says they're made of a "more durable polyetheline [sic] material."

Roberto,

I use the window insulation film under my Serenity from SMD. I bought mine from ACE Hardware.

Here's a free solution that lasted much longer than I thought it would: Drycleaning shirt bag. I cut it open along both long edges and taped over the hole in the center/top where the hanger sticks out w/ clear packing tape. Used it for several overnighters before I threw it away. Surprisingly puncture-resistant.

I just had a coworker retire and their was one of those table cloths (made of some type of plastic) I haven't tested its waterproofness but has anyone messed with/used one? I weighed it on a scale and it was .2 pounds so around 3.2oz I was thinking of using it as a groundsheet or at least try it out.

-Kevin

Some have used Neatsheets as either a groundcloth or water resistant bivy. As a sleeping bag cover it works well in winter inside a shelter.

http://neatsheetstore.com/

So it's similar then? I have never seen or heard of this product. How much does it weigh?

> Heatsheets is the trashbag-like material that stretches.

That is what I figured though I know some emergency blankets are mylar. What I made my tarp from came from their same supplier but is 1 mil so that may be thinner than what they make for AMK. If that is true, it may be more cost effective to use paint dropcloths or contractor trashbags that are in the 2-3 mil range. The 1 mil doesn't cut it – polycro/window film is superior IME.

+1 on the HeatSheetz. I have been using them as a "semi-disposable" groundcloth for a while now. I usually bring an extra to sit on around camp if I expect the ground to be very wet.

currently using a 4mil painters plastic… like 10 bucks for a big roll… but i think 4 mil is kinda heavy… i'll try the window film…

Yes, the polycro is much lighter than plastic. I had 4 mil plastic and it was ~10 oz IIRC whereas similar sized window film was 2.1. $9 for 6 sheets worth (~5×7). IF the thinner LDPE would hold up it wouldn't be so bad, but I know 1 mil won't for more than a few nights.

I just bought a 62"x210" window film kit at Home Depot for $6.49. A 31"x96" section is 1.4oz. You can get 4 sheets that size from the kit, plus a little more. You can wrap your tent stakes in a small section. I use that for kneeling to get in my shelter, like a doormat.

What I bought is a Frost King Extra Large Window Insulation Kit, part number V95, bar code 0 77578 01812 6. You get a handy-dandy roll of super sticky double-sided tape with it.

Similar to what Kevin? The neatsheet sounds different from a plastic table cloth. It is a two layered water resistant picnic sheet with several weights in it. I cut out a rectangle around the seams, about 36 x 72", removed weights, and opened the inside seams so it works like a sleeve (sleeping bag cover) without a top closure. It will wet out in rain, but is good as a winter sleeping bag cover. Mine weighs about 7 oz.