The Camping Forum

[EmmaFlower84]

Ok so we have our shiney new Outwell Vermont XL tent ready to start our family camping holidays this summer. Looking to get booked up but when reading terms/rules of some sites they mention having to have a breathable groundsheet under the tents? For example this was one rule on a site i just looked at:

*A BREATHABLE groundsheet must be placed underneath any tents or awnings that have a sewn-in non-breathable groundsheet.

I'm confused because i'm not sure how that would help under a sewn in regular groundsheet?
We purchased the footprint for our new to tent, to help position it on pitches and obviously save our expensive tents groundsheet.. worrying now that this will be unusable?
Can anyone shed any light on the whole site rules on groundsheets?

As a first time camper this is all quite daunting and confusing

Thanks
Em

[Luiiz]

I have to say this isn't something I've come across before. Our tent has a SIG too and we also have a footprint. I understand that they are trying to save the grass but don't understand what difference it would make under a groundsheet!!!

I'm sure someone on here should be able to shed some light.

Louise

[Rob-merlin1973]

As far as i know ... it will make no difference at all .... the only time breathable groundsheets do anything is if there is nothing on top of them such as in an awning or canopy.

[Road_Hog]

It would help if they got their terminology right, but it seems to be a common mistake. There is no such thing as a breatheable groundsheet, if it were then it would not be waterproof.

What they must mean is a breatheable footprint which has some kind of woven material that allows it to breath. I think it helps but not by much.

My favourite campsite says you must have it, but I don't and I've never been asked. However I'm a long weekend camper not a full two week holiday person.

[Donnelly69]

As a first time camper this is all quite daunting and confusing
Em

As a forty year camper, it is confusing!!

It's a rule written by someone who does not know what they are saying, in an attempt to protect their grass and save on maintenance.

A 'breathable ground sheet' (which does exist in name) is anything similar to these - http://www.breathablegroundsheet.co.uk/ which becomes, as others have stated, totally useless when a footprint or inner-tent groundsheet is placed on top. Perfect for the living areas, we have a selection for various tent, but don't waste your money for the whole tent.

Give the site a ring to clarify what they mean (but they will probably confuse you further, as they clearly are unsure themselves! ) If they are adamant that you have to use these, or request you to move pitch every few days (which is a pain in the 'you know where'!) then hang up and book one of the thousands of other site which do not enforce this ridiculous rule.

[EmmaFlower84]

Thanks a lot guys! I guess by the sounds of it its nothing really to worry about.

Now to sort our last bits and count down to the big first proper holiday

[JohnH]

The last few times camping I have been asked if I have a "breathable groundsheet", I just say yes confidently and they go away

[rexgrant]

Ok so we have our shiney new Outwell Vermont XL tent ready to start our family camping holidays this summer. Looking to get booked up but when reading terms/rules of some sites they mention having to have a breathable groundsheet under the tents? For example this was one rule on a site i just looked at:

*A BREATHABLE groundsheet must be placed underneath any tents or awnings that have a sewn-in non-breathable groundsheet.

I'm confused because i'm not sure how that would help under a sewn in regular groundsheet?
We purchased the footprint for our new to tent, to help position it on pitches and obviously save our expensive tents groundsheet.. worrying now that this will be unusable?
Can anyone shed any light on the whole site rules on groundsheets?

As a first time camper this is all quite daunting and confusing

Thanks
Em

Hi Em
Any modern tent that as bedrooms SIG ZIG can not benefit the grass. Over the years I have come to believe that sites that are licensed to take tents and now want only caravans,but could be in trouble with the equal opportunity laws if they refuse you in a tent when there are pitches available. So what they know is that The vast majority of tent campers read these rules or are asked at booking if they have a breathable ground sheet,they will not pursue with the booking, Camp site owners know very well that tents today all have SIG even if it is only under the bedroom
This is my opinion anyway
Rex.

[jonnie]

*A BREATHABLE groundsheet must be placed underneath any tents or awnings that have a sewn-in non-breathable groundsheet.

Thanks
Em

Hi Emma

I am a campsite owner and I am confused too !!

If its designed to protect the grass then presumably the worry is lack of air getting to the grass, as someone else pointed out it seems unlikely that a breathable membrane will 'correct' the effect of a non-breathable that lies above it.

Its true that if someone has been on a pitch for a number of weeks then the footprint is yellow and the grass temporarily dies off but it soon recovers - we always target long term pitches for a quick mow immediately the long term camper leaves - personally I regard the major esthetic negative as being the "monk like" high grass that surounds the bald patch and as soon as this is mowed it looks a lot tidier.

If someone stays two weeks I am pleased and I view the short term damage to the grass as just a fact of life - as long as the next camper takes a pragmatic view of the yellow square on his/her pitch then thats fine.

I wouldnt introduce this rule because I dont believe it would be enforcable.

As to the idea that someone mentioned that campsite owners prefer caravans to tents? Well I really like having both, I wouldnt want just one or the other and I dont find tent users less desirable on any count, they dont seem to be any more trouble and I dont think there is a great deal of difference to the damage to the grass, tents probably flatten the grass more but then campervans cause more tyre track damage due to coming and going every day and caravans often sink in a bit after a week and "tight hand turning" often means rotation about one wheel and that usually damages the ground so you take your pick they all do some damage and I regard this as part of the deal, if someone leaves after a week plus then I expect to have to do a little remedial repair work - scatter a bit more grass seed, fill in a depression and so on - thats part of the job in my opinion.

Jon

[jonnie]

Hi Em
Any modern tent that as bedrooms SIG ZIG can not benefit the grass. Over the years I have come to believe that sites that are licensed to take tents and now want only caravans,but could be in trouble with the equal opportunity laws if they refuse you in a tent when there are pitches available. So what they know is that The vast majority of tent campers read these rules or are asked at booking if they have a breathable ground sheet,they will not pursue with the booking, Camp site owners know very well that tents today all have SIG even if it is only under the bedroom
This is my opinion anyway
Rex.

Hi Rex

Perhaps you have good reason to believe this based on experience but believe me I wouldnt turn down your money, if I have a pitch available and you like it then sure I want to offer it to you regardless of whether you are in a tent.
The criteria I am most interested in is probable length of stay and how that fits into the current booking - for instance if a popular pitch is free for a clean two week period that neatly fits in with school holidays then I am unlikely to offer you that pitch for a one-night stop over - dont expect complete fairness on that front because booking is a skill - its a bit like building a brick wall where the bricks are all of different lengths - you want to minimise holes in the wall and knowledge of habits, holidays and weather can the campsite owner minimise holes.

Personally I dont care if you have a SIG or not, some guests are an absolute pleasure to welcome and appreciate all you do for them and some are less amiable or appreciative, I am far more interested in pleasing campers and in return having appreciative customers who are a pleasure to have around. If I was ever to choose one potential booking over another it would far more likely be because one was pleasent and polite and the other seemed a grumpy awkward so and so - the tent would not be a consideration.

Right now we are doing work for a really special "tent only" pitch designed specifically to attract tent customers in the belief that some tent folks want a little more of a "back to nature" feel.

http://www.guldagercamping.dk/dejlige-pladser.php?zzz_lang=EN

( pitch 142 - currently at the bottom of the page but that may change ).

We are placing a tablebench and probably a BBQ on this pitch on the basis/belief that many tenters travel lightly and may wish to at least enjoy full facilities for cooking and eating even if they want a "bit of rough" on other counts.

One thing I personally dont like when I am under canvas is cars moving around nearby - perhaps its just me but I dont like lying down in a cloth bag listening to two tons of steel rolling around outside so thats another aspect I like to think about for tent only pitches - we tend to offer pitches that are protected on three sides by trees or embankments. We also take note of wind and shade requrements and will sometimes organise bookings so as to increase the chances of tent folks getting suitable spaces.

I am not being "politically correct" - a campsite is a business and its a service orientated business which means you have to like people and want to offer them the best that you can - turning away tents seems bizzare behaviour to me. I should mention we charge the same for tents as caravans or campers and so financially it makes no difference - are the campsites you refer to making less on a tent than a caravan?

Jon

[rochford6]

A breathable groundsheet is often required for caravan awnings if they are staying for more than a few days, I believe that in days gone by tenters were asked to move their tent every few days to allow the grass to grow. But it seams somewhere along the line the use of a breathable groundsheet has become confused. it will make absolutely no difference using a breathable groundsheet on a tent with ZIG or SIG.

It may help in some of the old frame tents that had no groundsheet but i guess my carpet would get wet lol

[Luiiz]

It may help in some of the old frame tents that had no groundsheet but i guess my carpet would get wet lol[/quote]


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