Thread: Tyvek tent footprint - alternatives?

I've searched, and this comes up from time to time in the forums: Tyvek house wrap for a lightweight tent footprint or groundsheet for fly camping. Not the easiest stuff to find if you just want a couple of square meters. Stupid question perhaps, but does it need to be Tyvek branded stuff? I'd guess some of the NZ brands of building wrap will be similar bonded PE material. Has anyone had success using non-Tyvek branded stuff?

Any of those house wraps are basically the same thing all made to the same standard. I’ve got a placemakers building wrap tent floor and it works great. Find a local builder and swing by with a box of beers someone will see you right. Tyvek is common in the states is why it comes up in those searches I think.

Probably a case of everyone calling all building wraps Tyvek, like everyone calls any glyphosate spray Roundup

Originally Posted by RV1

I've searched, and this comes up from time to time in the forums: Tyvek house wrap for a lightweight tent footprint or groundsheet for fly camping. Not the easiest stuff to find if you just want a couple of square meters. Stupid question perhaps, but does it need to be Tyvek branded stuff? I'd guess some of the NZ brands of building wrap will be similar bonded PE material. Has anyone had success using non-Tyvek branded stuff?

Make your own! Get a piece of nylon the size you want - old tent from refuse station shop etc or even a thin bedsheet and waterproof it. Use a mix of silicon sealant and Turps mixed to be a paintable consistency. Paint one side then when dry turn over and paint the other side. This will be more waterproof than any building wrap

Originally Posted by RV1

I've searched, and this comes up from time to time in the forums: Tyvek house wrap for a lightweight tent footprint or groundsheet for fly camping. Not the easiest stuff to find if you just want a couple of square meters. Stupid question perhaps, but does it need to be Tyvek branded stuff? I'd guess some of the NZ brands of building wrap will be similar bonded PE material. Has anyone had success using non-Tyvek branded stuff?

Make your own! Get a piece of nylon the size you want - old tent from refuse station shop etc or even a thin bedsheet and waterproof it. Use a mix of silicon sealant and Turps mixed to be a paintable consistency. Paint one side then when dry turn over and paint the other side. This will be more waterproof than any building wrap

Up here we haven't used any building wrap for a long time as all our house have Ecoply as the bracing element which means we don't need a building wrap. However Ecoply tape is awesome for reparing tents, down jackets, sleeping bags and even holding this laptop together. Sticks like hell and is watertight

Great, thanks everyone. As I suspected, the Tyvek brand name is not so important. Good to know before going down that route. I'll see how I get on.

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

Up here we haven't used any building wrap for a long time as all our house have Ecoply as the bracing element which means we don't need a building wrap. However Ecoply tape is awesome for reparing tents, down jackets, sleeping bags and even holding this laptop together. Sticks like hell and is watertight

+1 for ecoply tape, great stuff

Also Thermacraft roll is good, 407 type I think
It can get ripped but you can just get another piece

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Make your own! Get a piece of nylon the size you want - old tent from refuse station shop etc or even a thin bedsheet and waterproof it. Use a mix of silicon sealant and Turps mixed to be a paintable consistency. Paint one side then when dry turn over and paint the other side. This will be more waterproof than any building wrap

Thanks Moa Hunter - watched a number of videos of people in the States doing just that, and I considered it, but am trying to save weight and I think a DIY silnylon is probably heavier than house wrap. Agree that it will be more waterproof...

apparently you put it in the washing machine to make it less noisy ( tyvek ) I have used the home made waterproofing on seams.... works well still have half a liter!

Originally Posted by RV1

Thanks Moa Hunter - watched a number of videos of people in the States doing just that, and I considered it, but am trying to save weight and I think a DIY silnylon is probably heavier than house wrap. Agree that it will be more waterproof...

I waterproofed the integral floor on a Fairydown double skinned alpine tent. The nylon floor leaked like a sieve as the coating had crapped out and gone crumbly. Last time I used it was mid June, erected in water - I could see water on the ground in between the grass. Totally dry in the morning and... no water sticks to that coated surface, one shake and it's dry. I thought it would be heavy but once all the solvent dries out it's not weighty at all

Originally Posted by RV1

Thanks Moa Hunter - watched a number of videos of people in the States doing just that, and I considered it, but am trying to save weight and I think a DIY silnylon is probably heavier than house wrap. Agree that it will be more waterproof...

I waterproofed the integral floor on a Fairydown double skinned alpine tent. The nylon floor leaked like a sieve as the coating had crapped out and gone crumbly. Last time I used it was mid June, erected in water - I could see water on the ground in between the grass. Totally dry in the morning and... no water sticks to that coated surface, one shake and it's dry. I thought it would be heavy but once all the solvent dries out it's not weighty at all

Moa Hunter, out of interest does the turps dissolve the silicone enough to dip the cloth in, or is it too thick for this and need to be painted? I've seen a guy in the US do this, but he used naphta as solvent... I understand Diggers brand "Wax and Grease Remover" from Bunnings is the same stuff - but might be a bit toxic... not sure if that's good idea.

Originally Posted by RV1

Moa Hunter, out of interest does the turps dissolve the silicone enough to dip the cloth in, or is it too thick for this and need to be painted? I've seen a guy in the US do this, but he used naphta as solvent... I understand Diggers brand "Wax and Grease Remover" from Bunnings is the same stuff - but might be a bit toxic... not sure if that's good idea.

Crikey, now trying to remember if it was Turps, as I didnt write it down. Think I used Turps in the tent as I had to get inside it and used Petrol or petrol plus turps on some other stuff. Whatever the case, I thinned it enough to make it easily paintable and whizzed over the floor. No worries about brush marks as it goes on thin. I would just make sure to have the right gear for mixing it as the Silicone sort of broke into strands and lumps before it starts to dissolve, an old hand egg beater from a second hand shop would work as well as a stirrer on a drill.
Found this link which has discussion on different mix ratios https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/48414/
Works very well. I could not find any sealant that would leave a flexible 100% waterproof re-seal for a tent floor that has weight from above forcing down and pressuring water against the floor. I have some Universal thinners here but I am wary of using that or Acetone because they will probably bugger the Nylon or stitching

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