| A 'tent' is a shelter, consisting of
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| | or more inner tents provide sleeping
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| sheets of fabric or other material draped
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| | areas. The outer tent may be just a
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| over or attached to a frame of poles and
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| | little larger than the inner tent, or it
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| or ropes. Some tent styles are
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| | may be a lot larger and provide a covered
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| free-standing, while others are attached
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| | living area separate from the sleeping
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| to the ground using guy ropes tied to
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| | area(s). An inner tent need not be
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| stakes (pegs). Tents were first used as
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| | waterproof.
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| portable homes by nomadic peoples, but
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| | When a flysheet or outer tent is used, it
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| today, their main application is for
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| | is important that there be no contact
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| recreational camping. Modern tents are
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| | with the inner tent it is protecting;
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| usually made of fire-retardant material.
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| | this keeps the inner dry even if the
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| Tents range in size from those barely
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| | outer is wet. Expedition tents often have
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| large enough for one person to sleep in
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| | extra poles to help ensure that wind does
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| up to huge (circus) tents capable of
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| | not blow the two layers into contact. The
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| seating thousands of people. The bulk of
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| | double layer may provide some insulation.
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| this article is concerned with
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| recreational camping using tents capable
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| | A groundsheet is used to provide a
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| of sleeping from 1 up to about 10 people.
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| | waterproof barrier between the ground and
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| Larger tents are discussed in a separate
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| | a sleeping bag. With double skin tents,
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| section below.
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| | the inner tents normally have a sewn-in
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| Tents for recreational camping are
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| | groundsheet, but a separate flat
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| generally transportable by car. Depending
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| | groundsheet may be provided for any
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| on tent size and the experience of the
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| | living area. With single skin tents, the
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| person or people involved, such tents can
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| | groundsheet may be sewn in or separate.
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| usually be assembled (pitched) in between
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| | Normal practice with sewn-in groundsheets
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| 5 and 25 minutes; disassembly (striking)
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| | is for the groundsheet to extend some 15
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| takes a similar length of time (some very
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| | cm (6 in) up the lower part of the walls
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| specialised tents have spring-loaded
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| | (sometimes called a bath-tub
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| poles and can be 'pitched' in 2 seconds,
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| | arrangement); this copes with a situation
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| but take somewhat longer to strike).
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| | where water seeps under the side walls of
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| Smaller tents may be sufficiently light
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| | the tent. Separate groundsheets allow
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| that they can be carried for long
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| | loadsharing when backpacking, and may
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| distances on a person's back, or on a
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| | make it easier to pitch and strike a
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| touring bicycle, a boat, or even a pack
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| | tent, but they provide less protection
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| animal.
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| | against insects etc. getting into the
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| Tent fabric may be made of many materials
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| | sleeping area; also, if any part of a
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| including cotton (canvas), nylon, and
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| | separate groundsheet protudes from under
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| polyester. Cotton absorbs water, so it
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| | the side walls, then it provides a ready
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| can become very heavy when wet, but the
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| | path for moisture to flow into the tent.
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| associated swelling tends to block any
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| | The poles provide structural support.
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| minute holes so that wet cotton may be
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| | They may be collapsible for easier
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| more waterproof than dry cotton. Nylon
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| | transport and storage. Some designs use
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| and polyester are much lighter than
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| | rigid poles, typically made of metal, or
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| cotton and do not absorb much water; with
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| | sometimes wood. Other designs use
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| suitable coatings they can be very
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| | semirigid poles, typically made of
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| waterproof, but they tend to deteriorate
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| | fiberglass, or sometimes of special metal
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| over time due to a slow chemical
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| | alloys.
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| breakdown caused by ultra-violet light.
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| | Stakes or pegs may be used to fasten the
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| Since stitching makes tiny holes in a
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| | tent to the ground. Some are attached to
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| fabric, it is important that any seams
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| | guy ropes that pull outward on the poles
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| are sealed or taped to block up these
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| | and/or fabric to help shape the tent or
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| holes.
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| | give it additional stability. Others are
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| Rain resistance is measured as a
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| | used to anchor the bottom edge of the
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| hydrostatic head in millimetres or you
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| | fabric to the ground. Pegs may be made of
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| could say,mm. This indicates the pressure
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| | wood, plastic, or metal. A mallet may be
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| of water needed to penetrate a fabric.
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| | needed to drive thicker pegs into the
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| Heavy or wind-driven rain has a higher
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| | ground. Skewer metal pegs consisting
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| pressure than light rain. Standing on a
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| | essentially of a length of thick wire
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| groundsheet increases the pressure on any
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| | with a hook on one end can usually be
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| water underneath. Fabric with a
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| | inserted by hand, except if the ground is
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| hydrostatic head of 1000 mm or less is
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| | very hard, but may not be as strong as
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| best regarded as shower resistant, with
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| | more substantial pegs. Pegs used for guy
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| 1500 mm being usually suitable for summer
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| | ropes should not be driven vertically
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| camping. Tents for year round use
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| | into the ground; instead for maximum
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| generally have at least 2000 mm;
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| | strength they should be driven in at an
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| expedition tents intended for extreme
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| | angle so that the peg is at right angles
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| conditions are often rated at 3000 mm.
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| | to the guy rope attached to it. Lighter
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| Where quoted, groundsheets may be 5000 mm
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| | free standing tents may need some guy
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| or more.
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| | ropes and pegs to prevent them from being
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| Many tent manufacturers indicate capacity
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| | blown away.
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| by such phrases as "3 berth" or "2
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| | Multiple air vents should be provided to
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| person". These numbers indicate how many
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| | help reduce the effects of condensation.
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| people the manufacturer thinks can be
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| | When people breathe, they expel quite a
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| crammed snugly into a tent, with just
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| | lot of water vapour. If the outside of
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| sleeping bags. These numbers do not allow
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| | the tent is colder than the inside (the
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| for any personal belongings such as,
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| | usual case), then this vapour will
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| luggage, inflatable mattresses, camp
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| | condense on the inside of the tent, on
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| beds, cots, etc. Experience indicates
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| | any clothing lying about, on the outside
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| that camping may be more comfortable if
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| | of a sleeping bag, etc. so that
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| the actual number of campers is 1 or even
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| | everything is damp in the morning. Hence
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| 2 less than the manufacturer's
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| | it is important to have plenty of
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| suggestion.
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| | ventilation to help dispel the vapour and
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| Tents can be improvised using waterproof
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| | get it outside the tent, even if this
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| fabric, string, and sticks. This allows
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| | lets in cold air and makes the tent feel
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| them to be easily built and moved.
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| | a little cooler. Many inner tents are
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| There are three basic types of tents (but
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| | made of some 'breathable' material so
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| each type may appear in many different
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| | that water vapour can more easily pass
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| styles):
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| | through it.
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| Single skin (USA: single wall). Only one
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| | An optional tent footprint or groundsheet
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| waterproof layer of fabric is used,
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| | protector may be used. This is a separate
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| comprising at least roof and walls.
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| | flat groundsheet which goes underneath
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| Single skin with flysheet. A flysheet or
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| | the main groundsheet, and is slightly
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| rain fly is suspended over and clear of
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| | smaller than that groundsheet. The
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| the roof of the tent; it often overlaps
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| | intention is to protect the main
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| the tent roof slightly, but does not
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| | groundsheet, especially when camping on
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| extend down the sides or ends of the
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| | rough terrain, since it is much cheaper
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| tent.
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| | to replace a separate footprint
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| Double skin (USA: double wall). The outer
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| | groundsheet than it is to replace a
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| tent is like a flysheet, but extends
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| | sewn-in groundsheet.
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| right down to the ground all round. One
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