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Should You Put a Tarp Under a Tent?

Andrew N

14/09/2026

Should You Put a Tarp Under a Tent?

Should you put a tarp under a tent? In most cases, yes. Modern hiking tents often use very thin floors to save weight, and putting a tarp or footprint underneath can protect that material from abrasion, mud and moisture. The important thing is making sure the tarp does not stick out beyond the edges of your tent where it can collect rainwater.

If you camp in a lightweight hiking tent, you can spend a long time looking for the perfect place to pitch. Your micro-site needs to be reasonably flat and free from sharp rocks, sticks, thorns and anything else that could damage the floor, and a camping tarp underneath gives you an extra layer of protection when the ground isn’t perfect.

A tarp isn’t essential every time you camp, though. There are situations where I would leave one behind to save weight, and there are also a few ways to set one up badly enough that it can actually make water problems worse.

So the simple answer is: a tarp under your tent is usually useful, but only if it is the right size and fitted correctly. Here’s when I use one, when I don’t and how to avoid turning your footprint into a rainwater collector.

Benefits of Using a Groundsheet Under a Tent

There are plenty of benefits to using a tarp or purpose-made footprint underneath your tent. The biggest advantages are protection from abrasion and moisture, but there are a few others worth considering too.

Improve Waterproofing

Improving waterproof protection is one of the main reasons people put a tarp under a tent. Even a good tent floor has a hydrostatic-head limit, and years of abrasion, dirt and repeated pitching can eventually weaken the waterproof coating.

A waterproof footprint creates another barrier between the wet ground and the tent floor. This is especially useful on saturated grass or after prolonged rain, where the pressure from your body, sleeping mat and gear can force moisture against the floor for hours.

If you are leaving a tent pitched for several nights, a footprint also means you have a little more protection if the site becomes much wetter than it was when you arrived. A pitch that looks completely dry on day one can look very different after twelve hours of rain.

Protect the Underside of Your Tent

This is arguably the biggest benefit. Lightweight tents often use extremely thin floor fabrics, and a sharp stone, thorn or broken twig can eventually rub or punch through and leave you repairing holes in your tent.

A tarp or footprint becomes the sacrificial layer between the tent and the ground. It is far cheaper and easier to replace a damaged groundsheet than the bathtub floor of an expensive backpacking tent.

You should still clear the site first. A footprint isn’t an excuse to pitch directly on sharp rocks or broken branches, because enough pressure can damage both layers.

Keep the Tent Floor Cleaner

This is one of the less exciting benefits until you actually have to pack away a tent after three days of rain. Mud, wet grass and grit stick to the underside of the footprint instead of directly to the tent floor.

That means I can separate the dirty tarp when packing up rather than rolling mud straight into the tent body. It also makes drying and cleaning the tent much easier once I get home.

Create Dry Ground in the Porch Area

A correctly shaped footprint can give you a clean area in part of the vestibule or porch for boots and equipment. That stops your backpack sitting directly on wet or muddy ground and reduces the amount of moisture and dirt that gets dragged into the sleeping area.

I would only do this if the porch section is protected by the fly above it. Any footprint sticking beyond the rainfly can catch rain and direct it underneath the tent, which is exactly what you’re trying to avoid.

Can a Tarp Under a Tent Make You Warmer?

A tarp adds another physical layer between the tent and the ground, but I wouldn’t count on it for meaningful insulation. A thin sheet of nylon, polyester or polyethylene has almost no R-value, so the actual increase in warmth is very small.

The real insulation underneath you comes from your sleeping mat. Where the tarp can help is by keeping the tent floor cleaner and drier, which makes the whole sleep system more pleasant in cold and wet conditions.

So I would consider extra warmth a minor side benefit rather than a reason to carry a footprint. If staying warm is the goal, spend the weight on a better insulated sleeping pad.

Keep the Inside of the Tent Drier

A groundsheet can help keep some moisture and mud away from the tent floor, and a clean porch area gives you somewhere to deal with wet boots and packs before crawling inside. That can make a surprisingly big difference after several days of poor weather.

It can also flatten down wet vegetation underneath the tent so fewer long stems are brushing against the fly or inner. However, a tarp will not prevent condensation inside your tent, which is caused mainly by moisture in the air and the temperature difference between the inside and outside.

Drawbacks of Putting a Tarp Under Your Tent

If you’re willing to carry the extra weight, there aren’t many serious disadvantages to using a footprint. The two main issues are carrying something you may not need and setting it up incorrectly.

Extra Weight and Bulk

A tarp may not weigh much, but everything adds up when you’re backpacking. A heavy-duty groundsheet can easily weigh more than the ultralight tent it is supposed to protect, which rather defeats the point.

If I’m carrying everything for miles and expect to camp on soft grass or established pitches, I may leave the footprint at home. For car camping or rocky ground, I’m much more likely to take one.

It Can Funnel Water Under Your Tent

This is the most important mistake to avoid. If your tarp sticks out past the edge of the tent or rainfly, water running down the tent can land on the exposed tarp and travel straight underneath your floor.

Instead of protecting you, the tarp then acts like a giant collection tray. The footprint should normally finish slightly inside the perimeter of the tent floor so rain has nowhere to collect.

What Size Tarp Do You Need Under a Tent?

The ideal tarp size depends on the actual dimensions of your tent rather than simply how many people the manufacturer claims it sleeps. What matters is that the footprint protects the floor without extending beyond it.

As a very rough starting point:

• 1 Person Tent: Around 1 x 2 m / 3.3 x 6.6 ft
• 2-4 Person Tent: Around 3 x 3 m / 9.9 x 9.9 ft, folded to fit
• Large Family Tent: A purpose-made footprint or multiple sections may be easier

These are only rough figures because two tents with the same sleeping capacity can have completely different floor shapes. A footprint that matches the actual dimensions of the tent is always better than choosing purely from the number of occupants.

If you’re looking for a versatile general-purpose tarp, check out our DD Hammocks 3 x 3 m tarp review.

Should the Tarp Be Smaller Than the Tent?

Yes. In most cases, the footprint should sit entirely underneath the tent floor and be slightly smaller around the edges.

You don’t need to lose much coverage. Even folding the tarp back by a few centimetres around the perimeter is enough to stop rainwater landing on exposed material and running underneath.

A purpose-made tent footprint normally already accounts for this. If you’re using a generic tarp, you’ll need to fold or cut it to the correct shape yourself.

How to Figure Out What Size Tarp You Need

Many tents have custom footprints or DIY footprint options available. If you’re using a generic tarp, you can also save weight by trimming it to match your tent rather than carrying a large rectangle and folding most of it underneath.

Measure the outside floor dimensions of your tent and compare them with any manufacturer footprint specifications you can find. I would aim for the finished footprint to be slightly smaller than the actual tent floor so there is no exposed lip around the edges.

Decide whether you want the footprint solely underneath the inner tent or whether you want some protected porch coverage as well. Vestibules often have unusual shapes, so a tent-specific footprint is normally much easier to position accurately.

How to Put a Tarp Under a Tent

Putting a tarp under a tent is simple, but the order matters. Here’s how I would do it.

Step 1: Put the Groundsheet Down First

The tarp or footprint should normally be the first part of the shelter that goes on the ground. Trying to slide it underneath an already pitched tent usually leaves it bunched up or sticking out somewhere it shouldn’t.

Step 2: Check the Ground Carefully

Using a tarp doesn’t mean you can ignore site selection. Remove sharp stones, sticks and thorns and check the surrounding area for signs that water might flow through or collect there if it rains.

A poor pitch in a depression can flood regardless of how waterproof your groundsheet is. The best defence against water underneath your tent is still choosing a sensible place to camp.

Step 3: Shape the Tarp

Fold or position the tarp so it matches the footprint of your tent. Think about the direction the tent door will face before you start pitching, especially if the ground slopes or you want the entrance pointing away from the wind.

Step 4: Secure It if Necessary

If your footprint has proper attachment points, peg it loosely enough to stop it blowing away while the tent goes up. Don’t put pegs directly through waterproof fabric because the holes can tear and create weak points.

A lot of purpose-made footprints clip directly to the same corners as the tent and don’t need completely separate pegs.

Step 5: Pitch the Tent and Check the Edges

Once the tent is in position, walk around the outside and make sure none of the footprint extends beyond the floor. This final check takes seconds and can save you from waking up with a pool of water underneath the tent.

If any material is visible, fold it underneath until it sits completely inside the perimeter.

7 Things to Consider When Using a Tarp Under a Tent

Here are the main things I would check before deciding what kind of footprint to carry and how to set it up.

1. Size of the Tarp

You want a tarp that protects as much of the tent floor as possible without extending outside it. If it is far too large, folding multiple layers underneath adds unnecessary bulk and weight, while a footprint that is too small leaves much of the floor unprotected.

Measure your tent rather than guessing from the advertised sleeping capacity.

2. Materials

Tarps and footprints come in everything from heavy-duty polypropylene to very thin polyester and nylon. The right material depends on whether durability, weight or price matters most to you.

Car campers can get away with much heavier materials because they aren’t carrying them far. Backpackers will normally want a lighter footprint that still has enough abrasion resistance to protect an expensive tent floor.

3. Weight

We’ve said this before, but it matters: you have to carry the tarp. A heavy-duty builders’ tarp might be incredibly durable, but carrying a kilogram of groundsheet underneath a 1.5 kg backpacking tent doesn’t make much sense.

If you’re moving camp every day, I would keep the footprint light. If you’re staying in one place for a week or travelling by vehicle, durability becomes much more important than shaving grams.

4. Eyelets and Attachment Points

A tarp with proper eyelets or reinforced attachment points is easier to secure without damaging the waterproof material. Never hammer a tent peg straight through the middle of a footprint just because it doesn’t have a hole where you need one.

If you’re making your own footprint, you can add reinforced grommets if necessary, although a simple piece cut to the correct size will often stay in place once the tent is sitting on top of it.

5. Extra Pegs

Most tents are supplied with approximately the number of pegs needed to pitch them correctly. If you’re going to peg out a separate tarp, bring enough extras rather than stealing pegs from the tent structure.

If you regularly camp on difficult ground, these tent stakes for hard ground may also be useful.

6. Drainage

A waterproof footprint cannot compensate for a bad campsite. Avoid obvious hollows, channels and depressions where water can collect or run through during heavy rain.

If the ground is already saturated, look at the surrounding terrain and imagine where water will naturally flow. A slightly raised pitch is usually better than the perfectly flat patch sitting at the bottom of a shallow bowl.

7. How Long You’re Staying

The longer the tent remains pitched, the more useful a footprint becomes. Repeated movement inside the tent gradually rubs the floor against the ground, and several days of rain can turn a previously dry pitch into wet mud.

For one lightweight overnight trip on soft grass I may leave it behind. For several nights in the same place, especially on rough or wet ground, I nearly always think the extra protection is worth having.

Tarp vs Tent Footprint

A dedicated tent footprint is normally lighter, neater and already cut to the correct dimensions. It often attaches directly to the tent corners and is almost impossible to position incorrectly.

A generic tarp is cheaper and far more versatile. You can use the same tarp as a rain shelter, picnic sheet, equipment cover or groundsheet for several different tents, but you may need to fold or modify it to stop the edges extending beyond the tent.

For a tent I use constantly, I prefer the proper footprint if the price is sensible. For occasional camping or when I want one piece of gear to perform several jobs, a generic tarp makes more sense.

Do You Need a Groundsheet Under Every Tent?

No. Plenty of modern tents can be pitched directly on the ground and will remain completely waterproof if the floor is in good condition and the campsite is sensible.

A footprint is mainly about extending the life of the tent and giving yourself a little extra protection. If I’m ultralight backpacking on soft ground, it is one of the first optional items I might leave behind, whereas on gravel, rock or a muddy campsite I am much more likely to take it.

Final Verdict

So, should you put a tarp under a tent? Usually yes, especially if the ground is rough, wet or you’re staying in the same place for several nights. It protects the tent floor from abrasion, keeps mud away and provides another waterproof layer between your expensive tent and the ground.

The most important rule is to keep the footprint completely underneath the tent. If it sticks out around the edges, it can catch rainwater and direct it exactly where you don’t want it.

A tarp isn’t essential on every trip, and it isn’t a substitute for choosing a good campsite or carrying a properly insulated sleeping mat. But for the small amount of effort involved, it is one of the easiest ways to extend the life of your tent.