Just realized most tent footprint reviews miss a key point about ground texture

I've been camping in the White Mountains for over a decade and see people online always talking about footprint thickness and weight. But after my last trip on a rocky site near Franconia Notch, I noticed the real issue is how a footprint slides on different surfaces. My old one would bunch up under the tent on smooth granite, but a friend's with a slightly rubberized bottom stayed put. Why don't more reviews test for that on actual dirt, pine needles, and stone? What's a good way to check for grip before buying one?

4 comments

4 Comments

jamesf293mo ago

My old footprint slid right off a slate ledge near Lonesome Lake.

susan_adams3mo ago

Well that's a great way to find out your boots are toast. Sounds like the mountain itself decided to erase your step. Bet that gave you a real quick lesson in trusting loose rock. Hope you weren't leaning your whole weight on it when it decided to go. Slate's slicker than ice when it wants to be.

evahenderson1mo ago

Ugh, slate is the worst for that. It looks so solid until it just peels away in these perfect, thin sheets. That slick surface Susan mentioned is no joke, it has zero grip once it gets polished by rain or boots. You can test a step all you want and it’ll still just decide to let go. Makes you second-guess every single foothold for the rest of the day. Real quick way to learn to keep your weight over your feet, not the rock.

brianreed3mo ago

Honestly that slate sounds like it was waiting for @jamesf29.