Polygro verus Tyvek Ground Sheet

I have heard that polycro is very durable. I don’t like polycro because it’s light and clingy. If I drag my foot across a polycro sheet, the sheet gets dragged with my foot. It’s hard to keep it flat and in one place.

I prefer plain nylon as a ground sheet but of course that’s much heavier. I mostly camp with a flat tarp and I like a generously sized ground sheet so I have a clean/dry place to spread out all my gear and stretch out a bit.

I have loved my first polycryo groundsheet for years and still use it.

If something (shelter floor or pad) is on top of it, it doesn’t move around for me.  It hasn’t been clingy since I used it for a trip or perhaps two.

It’s durability is what has surprised me – and is very puncture resistant.

I won’t use anything else.

Thank you! Justin and Todd,

For sharing your thoughts based on experience.

I will be using it on my next AT adventure, I generally do a weekend backpacking trip prior to multi week hikes to test any new gear of importance. But using something once or twice doesn’t tell you much about durability. The floor of my tent looks almost new, not as shiny as it was and I’d like to keep it that way.

@jbarberd I just went the opposite way in terms of using a ground cloth. I was using Polycro just fine for the past few years. The same one I’ve been using teared on my last trip, my fault and I kind of helped it along. I’ am now going to go back and give tyvek a whirl again. Main reason is because I use the Hexamid solo plus with screen mesh floor. I know it states that I will hold up just fine with out a ground sheet. But  I would rather protect my investment with a material more robust like tyvek.

First post here and great to finally be able to contribute here.

Jason.

I don’t think you can just answer without context, specifically what it is you want to protect. For under a tent floor, polycryo does the job well and keeps your weight down. For no floor and especially with an air pad I prefer to upgrade to tyvek.

@jbarberd – I found the “single-thick” polycro (I got mine from GG as well) to be very durable and never managed to damage it. But much like @justin_baker, I also found it to be so wispy as to be very fiddly and difficult to deal with, especially when wet.

I bought the Duck brand double-thick polycro Patio Door kit (got mine from WalM**t) and much prefer it.  Yes it is a little heavier, but is also even more durable and protective and very easy to handle when wet. Handling is also much better in windy conditions.  I doubt I will ever wear it out, but for ~$12 the kit had enough material to make 2 footprints for the Duplex.

Jason,

This was my first post as well Jason. JCH thru -out another option the Polycro door kit. That maye be still a lighter than Tyvek way to go and be just as funtional and durable in your hexamid. I think the tyvek as it gets used over time and gets softer, it would feel more comforable.

Sorry I didn’t know this note posted and i couldn’t figure out how to delete it

John

Jason,

This was my first post as well Jason. JCH thru – out another option (the Polycro patio door kit). That maybe still a lighter than Tyvek way to go and be just as funtional and durable under my tent floor. I would think the tyvek as it gets used overtime and gets softer, would feel more comforable in a floorless setup, not as slicky or clingy as polycro. I agree with JR’s thoughts on floorless applications  using the tyvek.

John

I used polycro on two JMT hikes, and often put small rocks on the plastic sheet to hold it down in the wind while I set up the tarp. If I inadvertently pulled one side of the polycro, it was liable to tear under one of the rocks, and then you could very quickly have two bits of polycro, it’s extremely weak once a tear starts.

I now use Tyvek sheet, and have no tear problems, and for the couple of ozs extra weight enjoy the indestructible feel of the stuff.

Also John, there are different thicknesses and weights of Tyvek. If you use 1443r instead of what you got from the construction site that footprint would weigh probably about 4 oz.

Thanks JR, thats good to know. I have a piece of Tyvek that came with an rei garage sell tent that is thicker and has a more pronounced basket weave look to it, it has the Lowe’s logo in big letters on the dull side of it. The dumpster tyvek is Dupont Home wrap it seems lighter than the lowes brand. Plus I put metal grommets and thick shock cord on corners and then I weight it. hence the 2 extra ounces.

Kite making tyvek is thinner and lighter. It doesn’t last as long as the house wrap but it’s still tyvek.

an option is 2 mil (heavy duty) plastic painters tarp …. very cheap and easily available ….

;)

“Kite making tyvek is thinner and lighter.”

Yep, but things stick to it more than even polycryo.  And it’s less durable than either Homewrap or polycryo.

Thanks to all, for all your input, I decided to use the polycro as ground sheet under my tent floor. With thin elastic cord on the corners. It weights 1.4 oz’s. Thanks again,

John

I just used polychro as a floor for my duomid this past week in the WRR and it worked flawlessly. Doesn’t say much for the long term durability but I’d imagine it will last quite a while.

I did about an 800 mile section hike of the AT last year with the same piece of polycro and then a 100 mile section this spring with the same piece.

I am still not the first piece of polypro I have cut, this is its second season. I will say that cutting it with a fabric wheel cutter improves its longevity. Leaving a ragged edge on polypro will make tearing it very easy.

Jimmy, we may have met on the AT last year,  You gave me the answer I was looking for. Thank you!

Capt. America

while I will admit my experience with the polycro ground sheet might be a bit limited compared to other posters, it is definitely the way to go.  I have one I used for inside my hexamid solo with a quasi bathtub design.  I used it for cowboy camping for eight nights this past summer and inside the tent for two more, as well as a handful of overnight trips.  when it was breezy during setup I used rocks on the corners, no tears when repositioning the ground sheet.  The bottom got a bit dusty, but I just folded that side in and no worries.  I did not get it wet, so I can not comment on that on the trail.  I did wash it when I returned back and it dried very quickly on a breezy day.

@John B,  thats very possible. I left harpers ferry at  the flipflop kick off and got off the trail 43 days later in Killington VT.

BTW, you can put Tyvek in the washing machine on the gentle cycle and it will soften it up.  I put my deer on Tyvek sheets  when I am butchering in the field then wash the blood off in the washing machine.  My tarps have softened considerably with repeated washings.