Tents are great for camping, but the ground can become uncomfortable and dirty. Camping tent flooring ideas are a must! Campers want to stay comfortable in their environment which includes staying clean. Campgrounds often have dirt and mud on the ground that gets tracked inside your tent with every step you take or item you touch. This can make it difficult to sleep comfortably in your sleeping bag and enjoy sitting down in camp chairs when you need a break from hiking all day long.
Fortunately, there are many tips available online about how to create an indoor floor for your tent using things like sheets of plastic, cardboard boxes, or even pool noodles that will keep everything looking neat and tidy while still giving you some level of comfort at night.
Many people like to go camping every now and then. If you are one of those people, this will be the most useful info you’ll ever read about flooring your tent. You see, when it comes to pitching a tent, there are many choices and options as far as flooring is concerned. One of the things you have to consider is what type of floor covering you are going to use. Are you going to use canvas or nylon tent floors? If so, you probably already know that there are certain types of floor covering that work best for this purpose.
Why Should You Use Tent Flooring?
One of the main reasons to use tent flooring is that it keeps the dirt and other “critters” out of your tent. This is especially important if you are tent camping in an area with a lot of insects or animals.
Think about it: If you don’t have flooring in your tent, pretty soon, you will have little piles of dirt all over the place. This makes it very difficult to keep your tent clean. And believe me, no one wants to sleep in a dirty, smelly tent. Also, when it comes to pitching a tent, you need to think about where you are going to put your foot.
If you don’t put a tent floor under your feet, you could find yourself waking up with a blister on your heel. That’s just one of the problems you could encounter if you don’t use flooring. Another problem is getting dirt or other “critters” under your feet. It’s easy to track in stuff like this while you are walking around outside your tent.
You know what? Dirt and other “critters” not only make your feet uncomfortable, but they can also actually be a health hazard. Did you know that there are some types of dirt (like dog and cat) that can actually cause “toenail fungus”? Yep, it’s true.
Different Camping Tent Flooring Ideas
There are several different types of camping tent flooring ideas you can use in your tent to enhance your camping experience. Here are the main tent floor padding ideas to make a comfortable surface:
Canvas
This is by far the most common type of floor covering you will find in camping tent flooring ideas. Canvas is made from strong, lightweight material. It comes in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. As far as price goes, the canvas is usually the least expensive option. However, it does have one major drawback: It Is Transparent! This means that if it’s hot or cold outside, you will be able to see everything going on inside your tent. Not only that, the light from the sun will pass right through the canvas and hit your sleeping bag or other items in your tent. This is not good if you are trying to sleep during the day.
Nylon
This is a tougher, heavier material than canvas. It is much more resistant to tearing, staining and mildew. It is also much less transparent. This makes it a better choice if you are going to be using your tent for camping flooring ideas. As far as price is concerned, nylon is the most expensive option. However, it does have some definite advantages over the canvas: It Does Not Transmit Light! This means that if it’s cold outside, you won’t have to worry about warming up.
Camping Mats
These are square pieces of material that are similar in weight and thickness to an ottoman. They have small holes or slits cut out of them so they can be sewn or pegged down onto the ground. The main reason people use them is for their shock absorption properties. You can place one under each of your feet to keep dirt and other “critters” out of your tent. Plus, they will help even out the bumps and give your feet a more comfortable resting place. They are less expensive than nylon and more transparent than canvas.
The major drawback with camping mats is they do not provide any type of insulation against the cold. If it’s really cold outside, you could wake up with frostbite on your feet.
Polyethylene
This is the toughest, most resilient material available. It is also the most expensive and comes in an enormous variety of thicknesses, shapes and sizes. Polyethylene has tiny, sharp hooks all over the bottom which enables it to be sewn or pegged down to the ground. Polyethylene does a great job of keeping out the weather and is almost indestructible.
Foam Rubber
This stuff is the same stuff you get your head stuck in when you are trying to sleep on an air mattress. It is sold by the yard and is about 1/4 inch thick. The main reason people use this is for its insulation properties. Since it is so thin, it is lightweight yet it provides a very solid foundation for your feet. It does have some advantages over the other types of flooring I’ve discussed. For example, it is easy to clean and it does not attract dirt like nylon or canvas.
Standard Tarp
This is the one I would recommend. It is made from heavy-duty polyester material and it has a strong, triangular bottom edge. Standard Tarp is about 4 inches wide and has an el-cheapo feel to it. It comes in an enormous variety of colors and it is about 2 inches thick. Standard Tarp weighs next to nothing and it rolls up into a tiny, easily carryable package.
The only drawback is that it is very slippery and this can lead to a person falling when getting out of or into his tent. It is my personal preference to use the ground cloth as a base and then put a layer of polyethylene over the top of that.
Interlocking Foam Flooring
This is the material many campers use. It is constructed much like the flooring you would put in your house. There are individual squares that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle to make a solid floor. It is sold by foot and it comes in a variety of colors. Foam is lightweight yet it provides a very solid foundation for your feet.
It does have some advantages over the other types of flooring I’ve discussed. For example, it is easy to clean and it does not attract dirt like nylon or canvas. The major drawback is that it is slippery. This means that unless you are going somewhere with a very smooth surface, like a skating rink or a golf course, it will be almost impossible for you to keep from sliding around when you are inside your tent.
Camping Rugs
These are what most people (including me) use when they are camping. They come in an enormous variety of sizes and shapes. The main reason people use these is that they are so convenient. All you have to do is pull one out, spread it out on the ground, and then put your tent on top of it. It insulates your tent floor from the ground, it keeps out the rain, and it makes cleanup a breeze.
The drawback is they are also extremely slippery. This means that unless you are going somewhere with a very smooth surface, like a skating rink or a golf course, it will be almost impossible for you to keep from sliding around when you are inside your tent.
Rubber Mats
These are my personal favorite camping tent flooring ideas for tents. They come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and textures. The main reason people use them is that they provide traction.
Fake Grass
For Tents Flooring There are many different kinds of fake grass available for tents. Some of these are made from recycled tires, some are designed to look like Astroturf, and others are constructed out of interlocking plastic foam.
All of these have their pros and cons. However, the ones I have listed below are the ones I personally use because of their cost, ease of use, and the fact that they are so realistic that they almost cannot be told apart from the real thing. They are sold by the foot and they come in a very wide variety of colors.
Blankets
Tent flooring does not need to be as thick as a blanket, but it should be at least 1/4 inch thick. Many people use several layers of different flooring materials instead of just one. It is up to you and it is your choice. Just keep in mind that if you do this, you must anchor your tent floor with some kind of strong material like wood, cinder blocks, or large stones. This is necessary because otherwise, your tent floor will collapse under the weight of the materials used to construct it.
Another point to remember is that you should always put a tarp or a ground cloth beneath your flooring. This insulates your flooring from the ground and makes cleaning it much easier. Remember that when you are shopping for a tent, look for one with a floor made out of interlocking foam or some other type of nonslip floor covering. Also, make sure that the tent has pegs on the bottom corners to hold it up.
Conclusion
Camping tent flooring ideas Camping is a wonderful recreational activity. Campers sleep in tents and spend most of their time outside. Camping can be fun, exciting, and relaxing or it can be an uncomfortable boring experience if you are camping on the ground with no protection from dirt insects, etc. Here are some ideas to help you have better.
Read about 6-8 Person Tents: Finding Your New Favorite Outing Tenthttps://hikingvoyager.com/6-8-person-tents/
