What is your floor?

[LeonardPotato]

I have a shade shelter. I have seen it suggested that I put some sort of "flooring" down in my camp.

I have a large tarp that I bought for another shelter idea. It is bigger than my shelter, but I could fold it to fit. Then the questions becomes, how to secure it.

What all have you tried? Any suggestions?

I have considered a old piece of carpet, but that takes a lot of cargo room. Is it worth it?

[Token]

No on the tarp unless it is a heavy duck canvas tarp. Not durable enough and will create a mess eventually when it tears and shreds.

Real carpet - yes. Doesn't need to be super big, maybe a spot to take shoes off and put feet up.

Best to tape all edges to limit fraying.

I've heard folks getting used billboard vinyl and using that with good results but no first hand experience.

Get the 12" carpenter nails at big box store, maybe some washers, pound in every couple feet with a claw hammer.

[burner von braun]

I use a fairly heavy painter's dropcloth. It has a cloth/canvas texture which is less slick to walk on and to me seems more comfortable than using plastic tarp. Secure it to the ground as Token suggested, using those really long nails and a washer every few feet around the perimeter. They pound in very easily. It's handy to bring a little broom to sweep out dust mounds which accumulate by midweek, if you have the space to bring it. It never becomes dust free again, mind you, but does gets you back to some semblance of a floor being there.

[TT120]

We use billboard vinyl for our bar/lounge area and it works quite well. Sweep it off every couple days and it's good to go. We secure it with gutter nails with fender washers.

For my personal camp area, I use an old piece of carpet about 5' X 3' for in front of my tent and a welcome mat right at the door of my tent. I don't really secure the carpet down, I just have a bunch of heavy crap on it like my coolers.

[EGAZ]

Large canvas tarp I have had for years, anchor the corners with large nails and washers. New for me this year is a 5x5 piece of carpet, edges taped in front of the door of the RMC. Probably use nails for it too.

[Just_Joe]

I got a 10x16 tent for "free" ~10 years ago. Only used once! It turned out it had been used in the rain, and stored wet for a year.
I ended up cutting out the bottom (a tarpish material) and have used it ever since as a floor.
I know of camps that use 10x20 tarps for floors. Most don't even worry about nailing through them. One good thing about tarps on the ground is that you can use them to square up your structure legs.

[spacetime]

I use a fairly heavy painter's dropcloth. It has a cloth/canvas texture which is less slick to walk on and to me seems more comfortable than using plastic tarp. Secure it to the ground as Token suggested, using those really long nails and a washer every few feet around the perimeter. They pound in very easily. It's handy to bring a little broom to sweep out dust mounds which accumulate by midweek, if you have the space to bring it. It never becomes dust free again, mind you, but does gets you back to some semblance of a floor being there.

This is what we've done in the past, too. Although, be sure not to spill liquid on top of this, because it can cake up pretty badly.

[Savannah]

I have never once had a floor in any shade structure I've used, including a monkey hut.

[BBadger]

I brought one of those mats you put at the landing of your home's entrance to wipe your feet upon. After a few days I couldn't tell where it was because it was the same color as the playa itself. Maybe something more elevated or carpet would be better.

[bigbluedoggy]

We use large pieces of carpet as has been mentioned already... tape edges, nail it down with big nails and washers. Have been in camps that use the big plastic tarps like from the big box stores. Not too bad unless it rains... then it's like living on a slip and slide and someone WILL fall and hurt themselves. My two cents.

[Just_Joe]

I have never once had a floor in any shade structure I've used, including a monkey hut.

Some of us are sloppy
They're good for spills. Liquid and small detritus.
I find a lot of micro-moop when sweeping/ rolling it up to go home.

[some seeing eye]

Not the most eco, or the least: get some free carpet destined for the dump. Use it at the burn. Dump at the Fernley dump.

[Papa Bear]

The floor of my ger (Mongolian-style yurt) is billboard vinyl, tucked up around the outside lattice under the wall layer (also billboard vinyl). Having that overlap really cuts down on dust, and since it is turned up on the inside of the wall covering, I don't have to worry about rain flowing in.

It's heavy, but has held up great so far. I simply screwed the lag bolts I use for the base of the wall straight through it the first time, and now put them in the same place every time.

[Savannah]

I have never once had a floor in any shade structure I've used, including a monkey hut.

Some of us are sloppy
They're good for spills. Liquid and small detritus.
I find a lot of micro-moop when sweeping/ rolling it up to go home.

I imagine so! . . . I just moop mercilessly as I go, and after I pack as well.

[spacetime]

The floor of my ger (Mongolian-style yurt) is billboard vinyl, tucked up around the outside lattice under the wall layer (also billboard vinyl). Having that overlap really cuts down on dust, and since it is turned up on the inside of the wall covering, I don't have to worry about rain flowing in.

It's heavy, but has held up great so far. I simply screwed the lag bolts I use for the base of the wall straight through it the first time, and now put them in the same place every time.

Where do you get used billboard vinyl?

[Ratty]

Rasputin's? Hi Spacetime. Look up a bill board company. I imagine the company's name and # is on the bottom of the billboard.

[AntiM]

We also use billboard vinyl, but it is harder to come by during hay season.

On top of that is "soda pop" carpets for under the tents. Made from recycled plastic, they are soft, lightweight, and rinse off beautifully. The kitchen area is a large sisal rug. Holds moopy crap until we get home. Tough stuff.

In front of the tents: small area rugs or welcome mats.

Plus a painted runner for fun.

[Papa Bear]

Where do you get used billboard vinyl?

I got mine for free more than a dozen years ago, so not sure what's best now. I know http://www.repurposedmaterialsinc.com has several locations, but I don't know how prices compare.

[danibel]

I just ordered a big piece of used billboard vinyl that I can cut into two pieces to use in our public spaces (two 10x20 carports). It was much cheaper to buy one long piece and then cut it. But my question is this: Do I need grommets? Or should I duct tape all the edges? I don't want it to fray and be moop itself. Big nails and washers to anchor, but I do wonder if grommets would help it last longer?

This thread is old, but someone above asked about a source. I found: https://billboardtarps.com/ to be the cheapest and has a huge selection of sizes. The shipping for my 26 lb piece was almost as much as the billboard itself! YIKES!

[FIGJAM]

Grommets every 6 feet was plenty for mine and never had a fraying problem. Clear Channel leases most billboards, so maybe find a warehouse in your area. mine was $30 for a 15'x45' piece. The weird thing was it was a misprint so it was brand new and never posted.

[Strata]

Floor of my aluminet monkey hut is a 15 x 30 foot heavy duty tarp, staked with "playa nails" through the grommets. I have a 5x8 carpet we put our chairs on in the front part, and a long carpet runner going back to the tent, helps take dust off our feet before we get to the bathmat inside the door.

Tent floor is cheap harbor freight moving blankets, they insulate well and are comfy in sock feet. They are thin enough to wash easily in a front loader.

[Ratty]

Good isea about the hf moving blankets. I'm sure I have coupons for free ones.

[lucky420]

Under my monkey hut I use old rugs (5x7 ish).

I don’t out any flooring down on the inside of the Kodiak. It makes it hard to oil wrestle is theirs flooring...

[Luigi]

Heavy Duty brown canvas tarp under the shade, with smaller carpets. Regular tent stakes. White canvas painters drop cloths in the mini yurt. Stay away from poly blue tarps! One year (the year it rained) a campmate spent hours pulling out blue threads from the playa.

Luigi

[lucky420]

Under my monkey hut I use old rugs (5x7 ish).

I don’t out any flooring down on the inside of the Kodiak. It makes it hard to oil wrestle is theirs flooring...

there’s

[gaminwench]

Carpet and rugs. So cushy.