the.com/groundsheet
The only thing between you and realizing camping is sleeping on dirt.
means A waterproof layer of fabric or plastic laid on the ground under a tent or sleeping bag to keep damp, cold, and dirt from soaking through.
from Simple compound of 'ground' + 'sheet' — a sheet for the ground. It rose with modern camping and military gear in the 19th–20th centuries, when canvas and later rubberized or plastic sheets became standard kit for soldiers and campers who needed a barrier between themselves and whatever the earth was doing that night.
- not optional
- without it you sleep in a mud sponge
- placement trick
- should sit just under the tent, not beyond it
- material
- usually PVC, polyethylene, or tarp-grade nylon
- dual purpose
- doubles as emergency rain shelter if staked right