Tent floor liners are an important piece of camping gear that is often overlooked.
For large, expensive tents, an inside floor liner can help increase the life of the tent floor, make cleaning easier, and provide some insulation to keep your feet nice and cozy.
Whether you’re using a large tent or a canvas tent such as Kodiak, Springbar, White Duck, and Teton Sports, a tent liner is a great addition to your camping gear.
Note: Some links in this article are affiliate links, and I may get a small amount of any purchase you make within 24 hours, at no cost to you. It’s how I get “paid” for my time; thanks!
Inside Tent Floor Liners: What Are They?
An inside tent floor liner is a protective layer placed inside your tent.
It’s the first piece of gear you place after setting up your tent. A tent liner can be made from nylon, polyethylene, or thicker, insulated materials.
Typically, you’ll be able to find a floor liner that matches the footprint of your tent perfectly.
Tent Floor Liner vs Ground Traps
Don’t confuse tent floor liners with ground tarps. Ground tarps protect the bottom of your tent (full article) from the bare ground.
Tent liners protect the floor of your tent or add a soft and comfortable surface for hanging out in.
Why You Need an Inside Tent Floor Liner
Tent floor liners help protect the floor material of your tent and make it easier to clean.
You can read about insulated and foam-padded tent floor ideas here.
Tent Floor Liners Add Protection from Cots, Chairs, and Tables
Lining the floor of your tent adds a layer of protection against abrasion. Using a tent liner is common for canvas tents which are large and spacious.
In large tents, it’s common to place tables, chairs, and other gear in there. Over time, the feet of your chair, legs of the table, etc, can wear out the floor material.
This is how I used to have my tent set up and an example of when I should have had a tent floor liner. Each time you sit on a chair inside the tent, the legs will expand out just a little bit under your weight. Not great for the tent floor!
Liners Make Your Tent Easier to Clean
A couple of years ago, I got caught in a windstorm in the Utah desert. It was too warm to have the windows completely closed, and sand got in no matter what I did.
Hand-sweeping a 10×10 or 10×14 tent is not super fun. It would have been super convenient to have a liner to fold at the edges and shake out and throw back in the tent.
Additionally, using a protective liner or ground cloth can make cleaning up a breeze for crumbs, spills, and other messes.
Soft Floors Provide Comfort
Tent floor liners are friendlier to the touch on your bare feet compared to vinyl or other tent floor materials.
In the shoulder seasons, my tent flooring would be cold and have a “sticky” feel when you touch it with your bare skin.
The vinyl floors of some tents can be noisy as well. If you have an air mattress directly on the floor, it can be a bit annoying.
Adding a liner makes them quieter and adds that cozy feel that is great for family camping trips.
Things to Consider when Buying a Tent Floor Liner
Things to consider when purchasing a floor liner for your tent:
1. Color of Material
Kodiak Canvas sells 10×10 and 10×14 floor liners for their tents. Some companies, such as Kodiak Canvas, only sell them in white.
They will dirty fast, and potential stains may be an eye sore… That is, until you use it enough not to care!
2. Washable Tent Floor Coverings
Not all tent liner materials will be machine washable. It will depend on the material and the manufacturer.
Because my tents are typically used for long-term camping situations, I do like them to be easy to clean because they are bound to get dirty.
Thick, quality material that will last many years is a key decision for me. It’s nice to have a covering that is machine washable or durable enough to handle a pressure washer/hose.
If you’re using your tent a few times per year for hunting or something more rugged than I am, you should focus on one that is more abrasion resistant than caring about if you can wash it easily.
Best Floor Liners for Canvas Tents and Large Tents
The best floor liner is a Kodiak Canvas tent floor liner. You can also use canvas tarps as a liner, as that’s essentially what Kodiak’s is.
Dymate tent camping carpet (full review) is a cheaper, smaller option.
Additionally, it should also be noted that Springbar doesn’t make its own tent floor liner. Neither does White Duck Outdoors or Teton Sports at this time.
So, your options are between Kodiak’s floor liner and the makeshift options of using other types of tarps and materials. I’ll cover both.
Kodiak Canvas Floor Liner: Review
Kodiak Canvas sells the best tent floor liner. They are high quality, soft, and fit even the largest of tents. In addition, they are thick enough to be used as any normal tarp would be used.
They are available in 9×8, 10×10, 10×14, and 12×9 footprints which match the size of their canvas tents. These sizes will also work with Springbar, White Duck Outdoor Canvas Tents, and Teton Sports.
The Kodiak Canvas floor liners are 10oz. This is slightly thinner than most canvas tent floors by 2-6oz, but it’s pretty dang thick.
Then, at the end of your trip, you can easily fold and shake out your liner for an easy cleanup.
No more getting on my hands and knees with my hand-broom and breaking. sweat.
If they do get super dirty, you can always take a hose to it.
The Pros
- Soft to the touch while being heavy-duty
- Quality 10oz canvas
- Can even be used as a regular tarp
The Cons
- Expensive, but you get what you pay for (here is a cheaper option)
- Only available in white
- Not available in sizes for medium-sized tents
Tent Floor Covering Alternatives: My Favorite Ideas
There are some great tent floor covering ideas if you’re not looking to match your footprint exactly and looking for a cheaper solution.
Using Blankets as a Tent Liner
Using blankets as a tent liner can be a nice, easy solution.
You can buy moving blankets in many sizes and they can easily be overlapped to fit your tent.
In addition, if you don’t already have them, they may come in handy the next time you move.
Using Old Bed Sheets as a Floor Covering for a Tent
Old king and queen-sized bed sheets can be used to line your tent. I used an old queen-sized sheet to line the back of my Subaru Forester when I slept in it. It helped keep the fabric of my vehicle nice and clean during camping trips.
Indoor/Outdoor Carpet for Lining a Tent Floor
Next time you head to Home Depot or Lowes, check out their indoor/outdoor carpet selection. It’s quite difficult to recommend and online version without understanding the feel and touch of it.
These should be able to handle anything you throw at it. However, it might be difficult finding one in the right color AND size.
Conclusion
While not everyone will find the need for a tent floor liner, it’s hard to go back once you use one!
If you’re looking for padding and mat options, I’ll be covering those in a future article. Thanks for hanging out!
