Tent floor (inside) insulation ideas

[TaiChiBird]

Greetings!
What do you recommend for putting inside tent on the floor? For warmth, comfort, breathability and without condensation. 

I'm looking at many options. 
-Tarp
-Fleece Blanket (maybe on top of tarp)
-Wool blanket on top of tarp
-Comforter (where it doesn't get wet)
-Big Agnes tent floor comforter (Most expensive option)
-Yoga Mat or similar? 
...

I looked at moving blankets and vetoed. 

Hope to hear your great ideas. 
Thanks.

 

[bullfrog]

Really you want something like the outdoor woven plastic loose weave mats they sell for motor home patios. The point is to keep your thick wool socks from getting dirty or wet while distributing your weight over the floor surface. No shoes in the living area of the tent, flip flops or soft sole Mocs. You will need to use a ground cloth or heavy tarp under the tent floor folded up on top of itself a few inches all the way around the edges barely underneath the tent to prevent flowing ground water from flooding the floor.

 

[desert_sailing]

Backpacking pads are also a great choice for insulation on the tent floor. They are more or less a thin air mattress. There are also insulated variants that do not require being blown up.

Maybe a  couple of those put down with some covering over them would be good.

Everyone on the PCT uses them.. if they are good enough to insulate a tent floor in the cascades and the Sierras, I imagine they would be good just about anywhere.

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/sleeping-pads.html
https://www.cleverhiker.com/best-sleeping-pads

 

[nature lover]

I often went winter camping in a tent for a week or less at a time I used corrugated cardboard and newspapers. Great for the temperature but not to get wet. And of course she don’t want to burn anything near them. It always kept us warm. When I was a camp post I had a couple who came to camp every winter with an electric blanket for their tent we had sites with electric so they were toasty warm.

 

[GypsyJan]

"use a ground cloth or heavy tarp under the tent floor folded up on top of itself a few inches all the way around the edges barely underneath the tent to prevent flowing ground water from flooding the floor"....in addition, I use a tarp inside the tent, larger than the floor itself, pull it up a bit & create a corner at each tent corner, clip it to hold its shape as a "tray." Once when other tents got washed out at a campground by a bad storm, my bedding and I stayed dry inside the floor tray, as the water went between it and the tent floor. Also, before you take the tent down, fold the tray in half and then a quarter and take it through the tent door to be shaken and swept outside. That gets all the dirt and debris out of the tent and is easier than sweeping inside the tent, plus saves some wear and tear on the tent floor. I sometimes use the puzzle-piece exercize mats to make a comfortable path from the bed to the table and to the door.

 

[highdesertranger]

if you could find the military insulated floors that would be your best bet because that is exactly what they are made for. search for military surplus tents, then see if anybody has the floors. note: they have many types of floors, you want the artic floor. highdesertranger

 

[TaiChiBird]

Thank you for all the replies! I'll look through previous threads.
I see one person on youtube making campers out of recycles signs. There would be plenty of those in a few months. Those are corrugated plastic. Could be a floor option too. Maybe add a layer of fleece to them. Not sure where to find them. Maybe I'll ask local recycle places.

 

[maki2]

The thick eva foam interlocking "puzzle" mats should work. They are made of the same  cllsed cell foam as yoga mats but being thicker provide considerably more insulation. You can buy as many of the squares as you need. They are easy to cut so you can trim if needed to fit the inside of the tent. Stack them up in the car. they can be washed and wiped dry. They are made to be put on a floor to cushion it. Easy to find in stores such as Home Depot.

 

[Ken in Anaheim]

Can't help but think how much less hassle it would be to just slip on some warm slippers.....................