Question about using a tarp versus a footprint for my tent

I was setting up my North Face Stormbreak 2 in the rain at a site near Bend, Oregon, and had to decide between just using the tent's built-in floor or adding my old blue tarp underneath. I went with the tarp, but it pooled water under the tent and got everything wet inside. Has anyone else had a bad time using a regular tarp instead of a proper footprint?

3 comments

3 Comments

morgan_black902mo ago

That "pooled water" is the problem. A tarp that's bigger than your tent floor just funnels water right under you. You need it to be smaller so rain runs off the tent and hits the ground, not the tarp.

perry.fiona2mo ago

Totally get that, had the same issue last season. Switched to a footprint cut just smaller than the tent and it made a huge difference. No more waking up on a waterbed.

the_jessica2mo ago

Hold up, that logic is backwards. A bigger tarp gives you a dry zone to actually handle your gear outside the tent door when it's pouring. If you pitch it right with a slight angle, water runs off the tarp edges, not under you. The real issue is people just laying it flat like a welcome mat.