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Backpacker Magazine SkillsCast: Build A Tent Footprint
Uploaded by: BackpackerMagazine
Video Description:
Backpacker magazine shows you how to build a plastic footprint for your tent--a skill taken from the Jan/Feb 2007 issue. Associate editor Jason Stevenson explains the nine steps to create a footprint, including how to cut webbing and punch grommets. Learn more Skills at www.backpacker.com.
Tags for this video: Backpacker backpacking build DIY footprint grommet hiking magazine plastic shelter survival tent wilderness
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| Comments for this video on YouTube |
| Hi, I'm from ... ( 1 year ago by roberuzca) |
| Hi, I'm from Merida-Venezuela. I found this video very useful because i'm a beginner backpacker. I hope i can find some more information in your videos. Greetings |
| Sorry what Plastic ... ( 1 year ago by Group51) |
| Sorry what Plastic is that - painers plastic? |
| i think painters ( 1 year ago by gultar4) |
| i think painters |
| Yes, the video ... ( 1 year ago by BackpackerMagazine) |
| Yes, the video refers to "painters plastic," a thin plastic ground sheet normally used to protect floors during painting. You can find it at most hardware stores in various thickness levels. |
| Superb videos. I ... ( 1 year ago by countingmx) |
| Superb videos. I suggest you invest in a wireless lapel mike, though, as the audio can be a bit muffled. You've got me stoked on this DIY approach to gear, though. |
| To save time, work, ... ( 1 year ago by superbooks7) |
| To save time, work, use long cable ties linked together to tie the footprint to the tent poles. You can use light cord or string and cable ties, instead of using gromets and webbing, if you want to do it quicker. |
| There are also ... ( 1 year ago by superbooks7) |
| There are also awesome "temporary" grommets they sell to attach to tarps; no tools needed. Two plastic pieces that click together with the tarp material between the two grommets. |
| good information ... ( 1 year ago by Sled505) |
| good information and presentation, but you can buy fitted footprints from the manufacturer for not alot of money. the advantages; flyweight and compress well. |
| So a footprint is ... ( 10 months ago by AthmanUk) |
| So a footprint is another name for a groundsheet then. |
| I don't know if the ... ( 10 months ago by dickenine) |
| I don't know if the actual term is so important unless you're trying to identify certain parts of tents in descriptions, but the "ground sheet" usually refers to the sheet that is sewn to the tent walls. This is meant as extra protection between the groundsheet and the ground. |
| The FP is a good ... ( 10 months ago by dickenine) |
| The FP is a good practice for a few reasons. The FP can be cleaned easier than the rest of the tent (when you store the tent, you don't want to fold all the dirt from the ground into it, the FP enables you to avoid that), among others it helps protect the groundsheet from abrasion and general wear, you can fold the dirty side into itself thereby never touching the groundsheet with the dirty side of the FP. |
| I camped all ... ( 10 months ago by dickenine) |
| I camped all throughout Europe and the UK (mostly, Scotland) daily for six months using a clear plastic footprint. I personally would not use such a thin sheet as is shown in the video, but I suppose for short outings this would be okay. Thing is I never installed grommets simply because I always imagined I'd just be throwing it out...it lasted the whole trip, though now it has a lot of taped areas. |
| The blue tarp ... ( 10 months ago by dickenine) |
| The blue tarp certainly will protect the groundsheet. In a pinch it's great, but if you have the time to look around you can find a more flexible material that will help for packing it smaller and lighter. Not that I'm a weight freak, but the blue tarps are also loud and generally the quieter the better. Even my plastic was a little loud for me. I suppose other wouldn't care as much, but I do like to arrive and go unnoticed. |
| Not to be a pain in ... ( 10 months ago by dickenine) |
| Not to be a pain in the ass, but you can also turn your tent upside down (groundsheet up), on top of something soft, and trace almost exactly three inches inside the perimeter to make the footprint. Again, a footprint is a really good idea and I am definitely going to use the grommet set up for my next one...thanks. |
| oh, and yeah, only ... ( 10 months ago by dickenine) |
| oh, and yeah, only turn it up side down for tracing, when you're using clear plastic for your footprint...otherwise it's a little challenging : - ) |
| Thanks for the ... ( 10 months ago by BackpackerMagazine) |
| Thanks for the comments and suggestions. |
| I prefer the ... ( 6 months ago by tcabner) |
| I prefer the classic sheet of tyvek, easily obtainable from about any construction site. No need to steal it either. Every time I've needed a sheet, I've drove by a construction site and asked the workers if they had any scrap pieces they were willing to part with. I've yet to be turned away empty handed :) Quick tip for tyvek users, if you want it a bit softer and not as noisy, wash it a few times in either straight cold or mildly warm water with no detergent...works like a charm! |
| I found this to be ... ( 5 months ago by babbbsy) |
| I found this to be amazingly helpful. I bought this enormous tent that appearantly does not have a footprint. Basically the measurements are 27'x22'. It is in the shape of a T so I have some excess to cut and piece together. I wanted to know the best method for attaching the plastic together and keep it's waterproofing. I am using 6 mil contractors plastic. I have only found it in our area at 10'x25'. |
| why attach the fp ... ( 3 months ago by 888zzz) |
| why attach the fp to the tent or anything? with the tent on the fp the fp will not move. |
| I never use a FP. ... ( 2 months ago by greggregoryvigilant) |
| I never use a FP. It seems my upper tent wears out just as fast as the bottom from Ozone. And I'm ready for a new tent anyway by then. Saves weight to. |
| Is it better to buy ... ( 2 months ago by curtiswiens) |
| Is it better to buy a footprint that was made by the manufacturer for your tent, or is it better to make your own? |
| I was going to buy ... ( 1 month ago by 280az) |
| I was going to buy the footprint for my tent sierra designs gamma , but I couldn't find it so I will make one myself |
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