Making Your Own Tyvek Groundcloths...

So I've been on a kick lately with selling all the gear I want to replace. One of the last things on my list was to replace all my groundcloths and footprints for the shelters I have left. The Gossamer Gear Polycro cloths I had used were pretty beat up. Honestly I don't really like them. They are just not tough enough for me. They are now making them a little thicker due to a supply shortage which is great. Every time I took the cloth out for a weekend, it would have a new rip or hole to patch. There are people out there who can be delicate with everything in their pack, I am just not one of those people. 

The GG Polycro had seen better days

Tyvek is not a new material for a lot of hikers. People have been fashioning tarps, backpacks, and more from this home building material. It's cheap(ish), easy to find, tough, and light. I bought 14 linear feet by 9' and cut it to size. It cost me about $30 and for the 3 pieces I make, it's worth it. I cut 2 pieces for a solo and double groundcloth and hacked off a foot at the end. I trimmed a piece to go under my Six Moons Lunar Duo to the same dimensions that SMD sells on their website.

The original piece

All cloths cut to size

The company I bought the material from also included a few tie out straps that stick on. You get a set of 4 with every 5 linear feet you purchase. A nice addition if you want to fit a custom cloth under a tent and have it staked out to the tent poles. I can not attest to the strength of them for a tie out point when making a shelter however.

The verdict: Cheap (especially if you steal it from a construction site, which I wouldn't endorse), light,  and tough. Just my style. Make it.