the.com/ground cloth
The difference between sleeping on earth and sleeping on a cold, damp lie.
means A waterproof sheet laid under a tent (or sleeping bag) to block moisture, cold, and sharp ground debris from coming up through the floor.
from Straightforward compound of 'ground' + 'cloth' — a plain, functional name from camping and military gear, where it's also called a 'groundsheet.' Its lineage runs through army bivouac kits, where a simple waterproofed sheet served double duty as rain cape and sleeping mat; the term just describes exactly what it does, no metaphor required.
- real job
- blocks moisture, not just cushions rocks
- placement rule
- keep it smaller than your tent footprint
- rookie mistake
- oversized cloth collects rain, floods your tent
- cheap hack
- painter's plastic sheeting works almost as well