TYVEK OR POLYCRYO CHOOSING A GROUND SHEET PCT 2020

[@yungsmile7546]

I use Duck MAX 84"×120" 1.5 mil which is double strength. Use included tape to hem all edges. One whole piece I use for 1 person diy tarp and two spliced makes a 3×4 meter tarp. Tie-outs created with fiberglass reenforced packing tape 4" onto both sides of the poly and overtaped with Gorilla Crystal Clear 1.88". Ridge line of 80lb test Spectra eight strand overtaped. There is no lighter, tougher, or cheaper tarp. One makes two solo footprints. The double thick is tough and hemming keeps tears from starting. Tears can run, so extra small roll of Gorilla is needed in case of breach.

[@crochikes8202]

I’ve watched several of your videos. I like your professional approach and distinctive, clear and intentional communication. I think my videos are similar but I also throw in a bit of my perhaps childish personality- even at 62. Two more years until my thruhiking starts in earnest. Thx again I do enjoy and have subscribed. Anxious for your PCT start. Y’all take care. Croc hikes on KZbin.

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Thanks man! I'm just trying to figure things out over here and having fun documenting this process. Thanks for your feedback. I'll check you out on croc hikes.👍

[@RVAHikerGirl]

Thanks for making this video! I have been back and forth with whether to by the Polycryo from Gossamer as I watched another KZbinr use it. The tape makes sense and I like that its a clear ground cover. It was super helpful to know the weight comparison as well between the 2. Do you have any updates on how it held up over time? Just subscribed to your channel. I have a hiking channel as well on YT! Happy Hiking!

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Thanks for your feedback. The polycryo sheet has been working well so far and we will continue to use it on future sections of the pct this year. We did buy the lighter version of tyvek as suggested by a commenter on this video. The lighter version tyvek is 2 ounces heavier a little bulkier but alot more durable. Will probably continue to use polycryo until it fails catastrophically. Thanks for subscribing, ill check you out!

[@trailfleamlangdon2260]

Good video , I have used poly cryo fir sine time and had it rip on the edge too, so I fount by cutting the entire edge with a hot knife it was a lot less likely to rip. Trail Flea

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Awesome man. We ultimately chose tyvek for the 2020 season and then decided we didnt need either.

[@worm91237]

thank you for the tips, I just made myself a UL groundsheet👍👍

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Awesome man! Glad the video was useful.

[@redshot1015]

love video!! u just made me switch from tyvek .. ok quick question where can i find whole sheet of that stuff for a 4 person tent.. lol i will apply same method you are doing.. annnnd its still will be obviouly more cheap than footprint that comes with tent lol

[@watch-Dominion-2018]

does Polycro have the same moisture and puncture resistance against rocks, thorns and sticks that the Tyvek does?

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

No in my opinion. It is not worth the weight savings. Noisy and not as durable. Dyneema is a light and durable option but more expensive. We wound up switching to tyvek (type 1443r). Only a few Oz heavier and way less pain in the ass as polycryo. Or you could just go without altogether which we have done and our triplex has held up just fine. Good luck.

[@uffa00001]

What kind of adhesive tape is that? How long did it last under the heat, the humidity etc? For what I understand, that is a material which is in fact, both in strength and in the persistence of the glue, very fragile. How long did it last?

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

The tape lasted nearly as long as the polycryo. I used packing tape.

[@misemuschel8549]

Thank you for advice to Tape the Footprint!

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Yeah it virtually eliminates the edge tearing issue. Used it for 500 miles on the PCT this summer. We had no issues on the edge and wound up poking a couple of holes which we patched with tape from our poles.

[@waldkarussell]

Thanks for the video. you helped me a lot with the information. Greetings from Germany, keep it up 🤜🏻🤛🏻

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Thanks so much and greetings from California! Glad you like. 😉

[@ericcook8422]

Thanks for the info. Appreciate it.

[@cottontalesfromthetrail5474]

I have used my ZPacks Duplex for 3,000 miles and have never used a ground cloth and the bottom of my tent has never gotten a hole in the bottom. Happy Hiking!

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Yeah we have found in most instances we dont need a ground sheet either. We did decide ultimately to choose tyvek for the 2020 hiking season.

[@JediStockTrader]

You may not have has any holes, but how much condensation was on the bottom that you had to pack up wet?

[@cottontalesfromthetrail5474]

@@JediStockTrader DCF does not hold water weight even on a soaking rainy night like a poly material, so if it had any condensation on the bottom I would shake the tent while folding it up and it is done. I might wipe it off with my rag if it was dirty. Happy Hiking

[@AJHart-eg1ys]

A lot of things might not necessarily be problems, but how many grams is a person willing to trade for peace of mind?

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

I say .5 grams! What say you?

[@AJHart-eg1ys]

@therealprtrhsenteal I've always trusted Tyvek and it never served me wrong. But I started hauling 40# packs up mountains after I stopped section/through hiking, so not really a UL guy, but gave it a shot. I used it then as well. That all said, I kind of decided to hang it all up for a couple of years, bought a 7# car camping tent Monday that didn't show up today, and figured as long as weight is no longer an issue, picked up a heavy duty tarp for $4.60 today to use as a footprint. 🤣 Of course, now I have 2 UL tents I need to find new homes for, a UL sleeping bag and a Marmot one I'm just too broad for. Switched to one they use in Scandinavian military. 🤔

[@BURZUM__]

Does the Polycro wake you up at times during the night because of the “crunchy” sound it makes?

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

It's never been an issue for me. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@BURZUM__]

@@therealprtrhsenteal Kewl

[@ericman3234]

how did it end up? Was it good great or shit? Looking to buy a footprint for my 30 day hike like.. now. Also what brand and how thick was yous? (mil)

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

The polycryo sheet worked fine but we opted to carry tyvek instead. We used a different lighter weight tyvek than shown in this video. We are currently using type 1443R tyvek which is just under 2 ounces heavier than an equivalent size polycryo sheet. The benefits outweigh the weight penalty in our opinion but both options are viable. Good luck!

[@ericman3234]

@@therealprtrhsenteal benefits? Thicker amd won't rip as easily?? Is that what you mean?

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

Yeah less likely to be punctured when pitching in areas not frequented by the masses. So yes more durable and much less noisy than polycryo.

[@martinerhard8447]

whats the point of polycryo when its puncture resistence is pretty much noneexsistant? Is it just against dirt/abrasion?

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

We wound up switching to lightweight tyvek which is different than the tyvek sheet I reviewed in this video. It is 2 ounces heavier than the polycryo sheet reviewed here but we prefer it's durability and quietness when we cowboy camp. There are still many other options such as cuben fiber or nothing at all. This is just our preference. 🤘

[@martinerhard8447]

@@therealprtrhsenteal this guy here tried to do puncture tests kzbin.info/www/bejne/gn-8eIt6nMhlY68 I also use the soft tyvek. While the hardstructure is much more resistant its very noisy and if you wash it to make it quiet it also looses resistance

[@bmzaron713]

Oh mah mah, oh hell yeah

[@EpicBladeTime]

Tyvek for the first 600 miles or so then swith over to poly

[@tomnoyb8301]

Agree. However, Polycro will always let you down. It'll leak when ground's wet. Polycro's clammy. And when a twig or spiney punctures Polycro, it'll run into a major tear before you know it. Tarp camping, ground-sheet's even more important, because legs and arms tend to end-up contacting throughout the night. Tyvek's more comfortable, but leaks (and breathes) and heavy. I couldn't compromise and MYOG'd a 0.8oz dcf ground-sheet. Put a poncho head-hole (waterproof zippered) in it, so it doubles as a rain layer. DCF is the correct answer.

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

All of what you said is spot on and dcf is far superior and I maybe I should have mentioned it in my video as an option for those willing to spend the extra cash. I had briefly considered dcf from reading a thread on reddit ul and decided to stick to more budget friendly options.But you know the old adage you get what you pay for! But if this turns out to be a poor choice I intend on reporting back our failures and successes. Nice job on the poncho/ground sheet. I dig that!

[@tomnoyb8301]

@@therealprtrhsenteal - Zpacks and others sell a poncho-groundsheet, but I don't believe they are watertight, due to the headhole hood? I gave up on the hood in exchange for watertightness. Might try to add a hood next time? Nine-times out of ten, watertightness is optional, but that tenth time really hurts when needed?

[@tomnoyb8301]

Aaron Fuentes: Puncture resistance vs Durability? per Ounce? Thorns are the enemy of inflatable sleeping pads. Tyvek is the most thorn resistant of the three, but also weighs the most. I use a Gossamer-Gear 1/8" pad (2.6oz) with DCF ground-sheet (1.1oz), which weighs about the same as Tyvek alone, but the DCF/GG-pad pair is much more thorn-resistant than Tyvek.

[@arnoldp3740]

1$ tarp from the dollar store

[@YouCanChangeYourWorldToday]

That weighs a ton. Lol

[@therealprtrhsenteal]

In exepensive is the way to go! Either that or go without which is ultimately what we decided.