Gound Cloth For Tents...

[Historicaly Correct]

I was wondering? Do you use a ground cloth in a "A" frame tent? or do you go without? I will be useing it for the first time at the 145th Bull Run Reenactment. Just wanting to be prepared when I get there.
HC

[VS on the belt plate]

I never used one myself...maybe some did/do. You probably have some wiggle room on this...just a personal choice thing.

VS...etc



PS: Good luck at Manassas...what regiment are you with...if I can ask?

[Historicaly Correct]

Im in the Kanawaha Artillery Battery D part of Jacksons Artillery.
HC

[VS on the belt plate]

...give em Hell!

VS

[blue_zouave]

Hey Histo, I'm used to reenacting in the Pacific Northwest, where the ground is chronically saturated, so I'm a great proponent of the floor cloth. I went to the paint store and got a canvas drop cloth about the size of my tent floor, and it works just fine.

Zou

[Miss Amy]

Almost everyone I am with uses one.

My next tent will also have a sod cloth with it - A few weekends ago we had a pouring rain, and even with the groundcloth I had wet stuff in the tent. One little corner was not tucked up and all the way in, and it funnelled a bunch of water into the tent (and the bedding and . . . .).

The people with sod cloths did not have to worry about this. Because your ground cloth is on top of the sod cloth it works like the laping of shingles - I have been told you can acatually have water flow under the tent and cloth and not get wet.

I know several who use a poly trap and then a canvas cloth over it, for better moisture control. I have found that a standard painters canvas ground cloth will absorb moisture. A good sail cloth one does not do that. Some sutlers have a cloth that has both poly and canvas sewn together. I have had not seen or used one.

Miss Amy

My next one is going to be a "painted rug" - canvas painted with an exterior latex on both sides. As a civilian, I am then going to paint a pattern on the top, but that may not work for you.

Luck - Amy

[blue_zouave]

In the wet season I'll use a poly tarp. I found some that are brown and silver, which blends in much better. My last one was bright blue... which seemed to glow with an inner light inside a tent, a sort of a far-bee beacon.

Zou (always in favor of staying dry!)

[tinecailine]

HC,
While at Bull Run (via Cedar Creek) stop in at Purcell's artillery and say hey. See ya there.
After returning from a damp and postponed Gettysburg floor coverings are a G-d send.