Best Tent Footprint

Let us have a look at the best tent footprints in the market. Each of our five picks is covered below, with the highlights, pros and cons laid out so you can compare them quickly.

Just bought a tent and are looking for a good tent footprint? A tent footprint is usually a good idea. It will make your tent last a lot longer and keep the moisture out. If you're still weighing up the tent itself, our Best Tent guide is a sensible place to start.

While similar, not all tent footprints are the same. Some simply work better than others. Here's a list of the best tent footprints.

Top 5 best tent footprints

The five footprints below range from a feather-light two-person sheet to a big square tarp that can cover a family tent. Each has its own strengths, and each has at least one weakness worth knowing about before you buy.

Amazon Basics waterproof camping tarp

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Highlights: Water and tear resistant, rust-resistant grommets and reinforced corners.

AmazonBasics is a brand that is known to make high-quality products but at a low price. Most people buy their products because they are assured that the quality will be impeccable.

Plenty of campers have come to swear by the AmazonBasics footprint, and it's easy to see why.

Made from high-density polyethylene ripstop, this eight-foot-long and ten-foot wide tent footprint is both water-resistant and wear-resistant. Don't worry, there is a ten-by-twelve option available for you family campers too.

It won't tear and won't let ground moisture in during the night. This footprint has reinforced metal ringed eyelets so you can fix it in place with tent pegs before you set up your tent.

The grommets are rust-resistant, so you don't have to worry about this baby becoming useless in one or two trips, like many other footprints.

Pros

• It's every sort of resistant that a good tent footprint needs to be. It won't rip, tear, or be ruined by any of the surfaces that you camp on. But most of all, it'll keep you and your tent safe from any ground moisture or early morning dew.
• The metal ringed eyelets add to the simplicity of setting it up. Just hammer a few tent pegs through them and the footprint won't go anywhere. So you'll be secure knowing that you can safely set up camp on it.
• It's more than large enough for a four-person tent, and at a push could even accommodate a six-person berth. However, you'd have to be squeezed in like sardines in a can if six of you wanted to make the most of it. That said, it's big enough to handle, and protect most tents that you'll ever spend any significant time in.
• And it'll also double and triple up as a groundsheet and weather-proof picnic blanket. So you'll be able to use it on trips to the shore and family days out too.

Cons

• It does not come with a bag to carry it, which was a cause of sorrow to some of their customers. But I say, just wipe it down with a soft cloth, wrap it up and put it in a separate compartment in your backpack. That's all!

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Triwonder waterproof tent footprint

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Highlights: Measures 9.5ft by 9.5ft and completely waterproof, this is perfect for even large tents.

Triwonder wants all of its customers to thoroughly enjoy, and make the most of, their leisure time. They want to be your armor against the bad times and your partner in the good.

If we're honest, we find that sentiment more than a little heartwarming. It's not often that you encounter that sort of sincerity in any company.

And it's not often that you stumble across a footprint that is as impressive as the Triwonder is either.

This footprint is tougher than an angry bear who has just woken up after a winter spent hibernating polyester.

It can, and will, take all the beatings that Mother Nature decides to hurl at it. Completely waterproof, it'll also keep you and tent safe from any groundwater that might ruin your day.

Easy to set up, thanks to its eight metal ringed eyelets that'll let you stake it to the ground with tent-pegs and even simpler to fold up and put away, the Triwonder will keep your tent safe and secure in even the most trying of camping conditions.

One of the neatest things about this footprint is Triwonder's insistence that it'll double up as a camping tarp and all-day shelter.

Going by the instructional videos the brand offers, that claim holds up. Not only is it a great footprint, but it also makes a pretty good camping tarp and shelter.

Pros

• It's light, durable, strong, and will stop all of nature's more horrible things from ruining your camping adventure. It'll be your armor against tent based adversity, just like Triwonder promises it will.
• Again, we're fans of how easy it is to set up. The metal ringed eyelets, eight, in this case, make it easy to pin down and set up camp on. And when you want to make haste and depart, it's just as easy to pack it away until you need it again.
• The Triwonder footprint is also big. Really, really big. At nine and a half feet square, it's got more than enough space to accommodate any tent.
• And, as Triwonder insists on telling everyone who'll listen, it's not only a tent footprint, it's also a great camping shelter and tarp.

Cons

• It does, however, have a problem with endurance and won't, according to some beleaguered users, go the camping distance with you. It seems that when Triwonder did the nature proofing thing with this footprint, they forgot to include UV protection. Maybe they got a little carried away with all of the excitement of discussing its secondary application as a shelter. Whatever the reason, if you're planning on going camping where it's sunny, then you may run into a few durability issues with the Triwonder.

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Redcamp tent footprint

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Highlights: Measures 7ft by 7ft, it's perfect for a 3 person tent.

Redcamp is a professional outdoor equipment brand that wants everyone to enjoy nature. They're fully focused on helping you to live the best life that you possibly can while you're out in the wilderness.

They may not be a name you recognise, but that's because they prefer to let their equipment do their talking for them.

This seven-foot by seven-foot tent footprint is made from Oxford ripstop polyester and will keep you safe from the elements.

And it'll help to prevent any groundwater leaking into your tent and spoiling your perfectly good getaway. It might not be the biggest footprint out there, but it has more than enough room to let a three-person tent nest on it comfortably.

When it's stored in the drawstring bag it calls home, it also weighs less than one pound. You will, quite literally, not even notice that you're carrying it.

It's also ridiculously easy to set up. Just unfold it, lay it on the ground, hammer a tent peg through each of its six metal ringed eyelets and it'll be ready to go.

And when something is as easy to set up as the Redcamp footprint is, it's also just as easy to take down. Nature is much more fun when camping is straightforward and simple. Which is just what Redcamp wants it to be.

Pros

• It may not have the same square inch-age as other footprints, but the Redcamp is every bit as durable as they are. And, when all is said and done, are you really going to go camping in anything bigger than a three-person tent? Probably not, which means that the Redcamp footprint will be just what you need.
• Easy to set-up and simple to take down, when packed away and stored in its bag, it weighs less than one pound. Plus, when it is packed away, it's really, really small. Which makes it incredibly easy to slide into your backpack.
• We've said it before and we'll say it again, we love the metal ringed eye holes that this footprint has. They're ingenious and make camping so uncomplicated. And when things are less complex, they tend to be much more fun.

Cons

• Once again, it's an issue of durability. Some upset campers have made it clear that this footprint isn't as tough as Redcamp thinks it is. If you're going to set up in the wild, be warned, things can and do, poke through it. And getting poked by nature probably isn't on your list of things that you'll want to experience when you go camping.

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Outry waterproof tent footprint

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Highlights: Made from Oxford ripstop polyester, it's waterproof and extremely durable.

No, you're not alone, we don't know who Outry are either. They don't have a digital footprint, and it's almost as though they disappear into the ether as soon as they take their tent down.

While the brand is a little mysterious, the product that they make isn't. It really will defend your tent from the wilderness and all of its nature-centric machinations.

At eight-foot long by seven-foot wide, Outry's footprint is neither the biggest, nor the smallest on our list. It just sits comfortably, somewhere, in the middle.

It's made from Oxford ripstop polyester, so it won't tear, it shouldn't wear. And it'll keep you and your tent safe from the groundwater. It also makes a pretty good groundsheet and beach proof picnic blanket too.

One of the things that really impressed us about the Outry though was the fact that it comes with its own pegs to nail it down with.

It might seem like a relatively little thing, but when you're out there in the wilderness, the little things can make all the difference.

Pros

• It's big enough to support any tent that you'll need it to. And it'll keep you safe and shielded from the forces of nature while you're enjoying your camping escapades.
• The fact that it comes with its own pegs is a revelation. It's one of those things that makes you question why it isn't something that every footprint manufacturer does. And it completely sold us on the Outry.
• When it's all folded, put away, and stored in its bag with its pegs? It weighs half a pound. How can something this useful to outdoor life weigh just five hundred grams? It's best not to question these things. Just smile, move on and accept them for the miracles they are.

Cons

• By now, you're probably almost as tired of hearing this as we are of saying it. The Outry footprint isn't as tough or long-lasting as its creators would like to think it is. Certain quarters of the camping set have taken issue with Outry's claims. As such, they've highlighted their own negative experiences as a way to warn others about it. Granted, it's an incredibly small percentage of the outdoors people, but it's still a significant enough number to be a cause for concern.

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Geertop ultralight waterproof tent footprint

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Highlights: Made from very durable nylon fabric, which makes it tear, rip, and puncture-resistant.

Geertop was founded by a camping enthusiast who wanted the rest of the world to fall as much in love with the thing that he was most passionate about.

They make the sort of affordable, rugged, purpose-designed equipment that makes you want to spend your life outdoors. We think that's a pretty good thing to do with your life.

And it's one of the reasons why we're particularly fond of their Ultralight tent footprint.

Crafted from durable nylon which makes it tear, rip, and puncture-resistant, this footprint has been treated with silicone to make it completely waterproof.

And even though it's only made to hold a two-person tent, it weighs just over one hundred grams. It's a serious piece of kit for serious campers.

When Geertop says that they love camping they really mean it. And all the evidence that you'll ever need is present and correct in this footprint.

It may not look like much, but this fantastic footprint has got it where it matters. And you'll be thankful that it does when you're stuck halfway up a mountain and it's the only thing between the floor and your tent.

Pros

• It's light, it's tough and when you're out there in your tent when it starts raining, this footprint will be your best friend.
• It's easy to set up, simple to pack away and weighs just over one hundred grams. It's a remarkable piece of camping technology.
• If you're going to invest in tent-based equipment, it's always wise to look for a brand that made their name in camping equipment. And that's exactly what Geertop did.

Cons

• It seems that even the masters of the campground aren't immune to manufacturing errors, as Geertop's footprint is also beset by production woes. While they're not as significant, or as numerous, as those that plague other footprints on our list, they still exist.

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Best tent footprint buyers guide

Before you pick one, it helps to understand what a footprint actually does and how to match it to your tent. The next two sections cover exactly that.

What is a tent footprint?

A tent footprint, often called a groundsheet in Europe, is a durable, strong, waterproof sheet that rests between your tent and the ground. There's a general overview of the tent and its parts if you want the wider background.

Designed to protect you and your tent from the elements, they prevent groundwater from soaking into your tent. If wet weather is your main worry, our explainer Are Tents Waterproof? shows where a tent floor fits into the picture.

They also add an extra layer between your tent and the ground which can increase your level of comfort. Footprints can also make your tent warmer and far easier to pitch.

However, one of the main reasons for using a tent footprint is to increase the lifespan and longevity of your tent.

As they prevent water from soaking into your tent, they prevent that water from damaging the bottom of your tent. They also keep it safe from all of the things on forest floors that rip, tear and gouge holes in your tent.

How to pitch a footprint properly

A footprint only helps if it's laid out sensibly. Clear the ground of sharp sticks and stones first, then spread the sheet flat and stake it down through its eyelets before the tent goes on top.

The edges matter more than most people think. If the footprint pokes out beyond the tent floor, rain runs off the tent wall onto the sheet and pools between the two, which defeats the whole purpose. Tuck the edges under so the sheet sits slightly inside the tent's outline. Fabrics such as ripstop resist tearing, but they still do best on tidy ground.

Good site etiquette helps too. Pitching on durable surfaces keeps both your gear and the landscape in better shape, which is the idea behind the principles at Leave No Trace.

Which tent footprint is the right one for me?

The one thing that doesn't limit your choice of tent footprints is your budget. They all fall within a similar price range and as such, are almost all as affordable as they are useful.

That said, the main issue that'll determine which footprint is the right one for you is the size that you'll need. And that size should be determined by, and is reliant on, the size of your tent. Our Best Family Tent and Best Lightweight Hiking Tent guides will help if you haven't settled on a tent yet.

If you're looking to get away on your own or with your partner, you're only going to need a two person footprint. In which case, the only one you'll ever need is the best of the best, which is, of course, the Geertop Ultralight.

However, if there are going to be more of you on your camping adventures, then your perfect footprint of choice should be the Triwonder. It's more than big enough to cope with any tent you'll be sleeping in. I'd argue it's still worth checking the sun exposure where you camp, given the UV concern above.

So, now that you know all about tent footprints, all that's left for you to do is choose one. When you do, you'll enjoy the time that you spend camping more than you ever thought you would.

And it'll all be due, in no small part, to your tent footprint.