What is Reddit's opinion of Duck 286218 Extra Large Patio Door Shrink Film Window insulation kit, 1, Crystal Clear?

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Definitely up to you. I didn't use one, or ever felt like I needed it, but I also had a dry year so less times packing a muddy tent (also stayed in shelters a lot). If you do decide to get one, consider a piece of polycro instead of the BA offering. Only weighs a few ounces, significantly cheaper, and will probably last you the whole hike if you're not too rough with it. Nothing wrong with the one Big Agnes sells though if you already have it!

And the best place to buy them? Amazon under outdoor clear window sheeting such as

Duck Brand Indoor Extra Large Window/Patio Door Shrink Film Kit, 84” x 120”

for only $3 !!!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NHW2Z6/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_gCshDbC3DCPC2

You can buy enough Polycryo for two footprints on amazon. It’s just window treatment. It’s quite durable for the price, and easily replaced. Tyvek can eventually absorb some moisture (after a lot of use). Both are great options. I personally use Polycryo because it’s ULTRALIGHT AND ULTRA CHEAP. The footprint for my Sierra Designs High Route tarp weighs 11g for a 40”x90” piece (seriously, lol wut)

Polycryo

Tyvek will work, as will polycro.

It's used in the US as a film to put over windows during winter to create an additional air gap and improve insulation over the house.

Six Moons Designs and Gossamer Gear will sell pre-cut footprints, or you can order some from Amazon and make your own.

It's very resistant to abrasions and punctures, but will tear easily if there are rough edges. I use mine in the Sierra (lots of rocks/granite) with my BA Copper Spur 2.

Duck 286218 Extra Large Patio Door Shrink Film You do know you just asked Reddit how to cover hole right? You can use anything but this is what i would use.

Window insulation kit

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NHW2Z6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_V7PKQVK96ED3CGB29K3Q

foam panels if you don't care about light. You can also put up stuff like thison windows or glass doors (comes with double-sided tape, which can leave some residue but if placed on steel sliders it normally comes off with a bit of rubbing alcohol)

As a temp solution, I’ve used plastic window film that shrinks with heat so it’s crystal clear. (Cut out a piece of the film, slightly bigger than the window, and place double sided tape around the perimeter. Stick film around the edge of the window, then use a hair dryer to shrink the film until clear.)

Here’s an example: Duck 286218 Extra Large Patio Door Shrink Film Window insulation kit, 1, Crystal Clear https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NHW2Z6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZAQ6X8SPVXRXGMA8YTGN?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Our polycro ground sheet has held up incredibly well (60+ nights). Taping the edges and corners (I added peg grommets) is a must to end up with a great piece of UL kit. Got mine off Amazon in a window sealer kit. Duck brand indoor window sealing kit. Use the included double sided tape to fold over the edges to double thickness to prevent tearing.

They make window insulation film kits that work really well. I’ve used them in Chicago with good results. Duck 286218 Extra Large Patio Door Shrink Film Window insulation kit, 1, Crystal Clear https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NHW2Z6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_VRA4F7BW01AH2S84QYGD

You can also find them in any hardware store.

If you're at an established campground (which I'd absolutely recommend if you're a beginner) it will be very clear where to put your tent. Look for the large flat area that's not too close to the fire ring. Clear out any large rocks, sticks, etc that can cause damage to your tent. Always use a ground sheet to protect the bottom of your tent. Most manufacturers make designated ground sheets. If you're looking for something cheap, I've used this single sheet of plastic on many backpacking trips and it's still holding strong. Just make sure the sides of the sheet are under the sides of your tent. If not water can pool.

Duck 286218 Extra Large Patio Door Shrink Film Window insulation kit, 1, Crystal Clear https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NHW2Z6/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_VZ0H7RGY57XPH8WS024Z?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

You could look for a heat shrink window film kit. They stick on with double sided tape and you heat the film with a hair dryer to get the wrinkles out. Something like this Duck Brand 282450 Indoor Extra Large Window/Patio Door Shrink Film Kit, 84-Inch x 120-Inch https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000NHW2Z6 I have even seen them sometimes at dollar stores.

Duck Brand Indoor Extra Large Window/Patio Door Shrink Film Kit, 84-Inch x 120-Inch, ... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NHW2Z6/

$3-5. Will last a few years.

Otherwise, a cheap Harbor Freight tarp.

Space blanket and all those reflective things cannot insulate if touching

Probably not a bit deal. I usually bring a polycro sheet just in case I want to forgo the tent altogether and just cowboy camp. They're only like 2oz and you can buy them at Walmart or on Amazon for like $2. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NHW2Z6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

I was looking for footprint for my tent about a month ago and searched for different options. Finally end up getting this from Amazon. Cheap, packs tiny, lightweight and does the work. I already see another redditor recommending this here but adding the link to make it easier.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NHW2Z6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You have a few options.

The first option is to get the factory footprint designed specifically for your tent. These tend to be expensive, but some give you greater flexibility by allowing you to use the fly and footprint without the tent; handy if you're going backpacking in places without many bugs.

Another option is to buy cheap/lightweight materials and cut them to size. Tyvek is mentioned frequently, you can find people selling them in backpacking groups, ebay... but maybe you know someone who is a contractor had has some spare they could give you. Another option is plain painter's plastic you get at Home Depot, comes in different thicknesses; the thinner you go, the less durable. Another option is the "shrink" plastics used to seal windows and doors during colder months). These are very light weight and some UL hikers love it. As others have said, cut to a few inches smaller than your tent to keep water from running under the tent. Cheap plastics may be less durable, but easily replaced.

Another option is to get a big blue tarp; they're rather heavy but cheap and practically indestructible. You can cut them down to size, or just fold them (under) so they again don't collect water. Useful if you have a few big car camping tents, you can just fold to fit all the tents.

Good luck!

A weatherproofing film kit made to be used over windows might work. Something like this - https://www.amazon.com/Duck-Indoor-84-Inch-120-Inch-282450/dp/B000NHW2Z6/ref=zg_bs_495374_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CD4K071GXSESC5PCDPGF

No, I recommend an Aricxi Tarp (the Patrol Tarp ripoff) from Aliexpress ($29 / 10.3oz), Yama Mountain Gear bug canopy ($38 / 3oz), plus some polycro from Home Depot ($2 / 2oz).

Aricxi Tarp / bug canopy / polycro

Any leads on a ~10'x10' piece of polycro for my pyramid shelter? I found this which is dimensionally close but I'm not sure it's the right thickness or even type of plastic.

Your groundsheet should be slightly smaller than your tent. Don't let it stick out the sides at all.

You can make a groundsheet out of Tyvek (from construction sites, etsy sellers, or tarptent.com). Or you can do what ultralight backpackers do and use "polycro" (which is sold for a bit cheaper at home depot).

That's what it is: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NHW2Z6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

It's cheaper than buying it pre-cut by a camping equipment company. I was super skeptical about it, but it works and is amazingly durable. I've been using the same sheet for the last 3 years, which is a total of about 72 nights.

Also, people often call it "polycro", but it's actually called "polycryo".

Sorry, but what are you doing here? There are tons of places to buy this stuff, go to Home Depot for Tyvek or grab some polycro from Amazon.

• Your backpack is heavy, but like you said it's too late to change it. Look into backpacks that are sub 2 pounds.
• Replace your compactor bag with a nylofume pack liner from litesmith.com. They ship quickly.
• It's too late to change your tent, but you could save a ton of weight switching to a tarp plus bug bivys or bug canopies plus polycro. I recommend buying two bug canopies (or bivys) and a tarp from Yama Mountain Gear, and getting some polycro from Home Depot or here .
• Titanium shepard hooks suck.
• Ditch the tents stuff sack.
• Your quilt is kinda heavy.
• Replace your sleeping pad with a Zlite cut down to like 6 or 8 panels, possibly with a GossamerGear (or MLD) 1/8th inch thinlite on top of it.
• Ditch your pillow stuff sack.
• Ditch your mug and drink from the pot. Or just ditch your entire cooking kit.
• You can buy a spare gasket from Home Depot if Sawyer doesn't come through in time. https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/sawyer-sqeeze-gaskets/
• Your down jacket weighs twice what it should weigh. It's probably too late for this trip, but look into Timmermade, Cumulus Primelite, etc. You can easily find a jacket that is more than warm enough that weighs less than 7 ounces.
• Replace your beanie with something like the KUIU Peleton 97 beanie.
• Replace your gloves with the Decathlon $3 fleece gloves.
• Replace the frogg toggs with a $1 Walmart emergency poncho.
• Your trekking poles are a bit heavy. Look into something like the Drop.com Fizan Compact 3s or the Gossamer Gear poles.
• Don't bring the binoculars or solar lamp.

I'm gonna try and give you some inexpensive or free tips.

• You could try swapping your tyvek groundsheet for polycro, which is cheaper and significantly lighter - about 1.6oz for a 40 x 96 in sheet, according to Gossamer Gear's polycro groundsheets. You can make your own using window liners, which are $4.
• ditch any waterproof stuff sacks you have and instead line your pack with Nylofume for $3. Stick anything that must stay try and roll it up/tie it off and poof! a waterproof stuff sack for everything.
• I agree with the other comments about using a smartwater bottle. Using a smartwater with a sport cap + the sawyer squeeze = perfection and a sub 3.5oz water system.
• If you want a cheap and much better trowel for the rocky WV land (I know from experience in Dolly Sods), try the Coghlan's Trowel for $5 at 1.7oz. I think the deuce is great for nice soft soil, but it's really quite rocky in Appalachia.
• You should bring 1 spare bike sock (for biking) and 1 pair wool socks (for camp). In October it gets in the 30s at night.
• I don't see any other wool base layers or spare clothes (really the baselayers matter a lot more). Once again - it does get cool at night, so you might want to consider getting a light wool layer + light fleece + puffy for camp. My insulation set up is inexpensive - a smartwool layer, a used patagonia fleece from /r/geartrade, and a Uniqlo ultralight down jacket. It's about $50-100 for all three pieces, depending on sales and a sub 1lb insulation system.

Hope this helps you.

50 bucks is tough but..

• A generic 8x10 foot woven tarp about $10 from walmart/home depot/amazon
• Polyco groundsheet AKA window insulation film. Get the patio door size https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NHW2Z6 about $5
• Bug net like this. https://www.amazon.com/OTraki-Mosquito-Sleeping-Portable-Lightweight/dp/B07RHT8L13/ for about $15
• some sort of cord to hang it
• tent pegs

Duck Brand Indoor Extra Large Window/Patio Door Shrink Film Kit, 84-Inch x 120-Inch, ... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NHW2Z6/

Amazon or any hardware store where it gets cold. They sell it as window insulation. Duck Brand Indoor Extra Large Window/Patio Door Shrink Film Kit, 84-Inch x 120-Inch, 282450 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NHW2Z6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_g1grDbJX90TN1

I'd go with 1.5mil PolyCro instead of 0.7mil most people use. It is, of course, twice the weight of the thinner PolyCro but still half of the weight of tyvek. At $3 a sheet (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NHW2Z6/), you can make at least two (and possible up to 4 depending on the width you need). Just replace periodically.

Polycro sheet $6

So get something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Duck-282450-Indoor-84-Inch-120-Inch/dp/B000NHW2Z6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1513099962&sr=8-4&keywords=polycryo+ground+cloth

And then cut down to the right size?

It's 84x120: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NHW2Z6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_XtcXzbS825TYB

Mine weighed in at 4.15oz, plus guylines and stakes.

Some polycro might do the job, otherwise tyvek for something a little more durable.

• Okay, I'll stick with budget friendly options then.
• Here is a great starting point that I made for people like you, but I'll give you some personalized ideas also. https://imgur.com/a/jpxX5NR
• Your backpack is on the heavier end of acceptable. I recommend upgrading it last, especially because you won't know how much space you'll need until you've done everything else. Once you're ready to upgrade the backpack, I recommend a Dandee Pack or one of the Aliexpress options (like the one in the lighterpack above).
• I recommend the pack liner that Litesmith.com sells, but the one you have is probably fine.
• The Xunshang tent is about as cheap as it gets for a double walled tent. It's a great start. You could save some weight replacing the inner with a Bivy or bug canopy + polycro groundsheet. Borah Gear, Yama Mountain Gear, etc. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NHW2Z6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 / https://imgur.com/a/jpxX5NR
• The xlite is totally acceptable. You could save a bit of weight using a Zlite, cut down to 6 or 8 panels, with a GossamerGear 1/8th inch thinlite on top of it. I'd probably stick with your xlite if I were you, though.
• Your sleeping bag is kinda heavy. You could save weight with a Hammock Gear Econ Burrow (cheap) or a Timmermade Newt (expensive). Or Katabatic, Nunatak, Enlightened Equipment, Cu mulus, etc.
• Your clothing is very heavy. You haven't even weighed them all!
• Replace the rain jacket with Frogg Togg UL2, a Helium II rain jacket, a skylight gear, etc.
• Replace the rain trousers with a rain skirt. Like this https://smile.amazon.com/BlueField-Rainwear-Waterproof-Windblock-Ultralight/dp/B07G9Z2J7S/ref=sr_1_2 .
• That down hoody is literally the heaviest one I've ever seen in a lighterpack. Replace it with a Cumulus Primelite Pullover or the Decathlon Forclaz trek 100 https://www.decathlon.com/products/mens-mountain-backpacking-down-jacket-trek500.
• Why do you have 3 pairs of the decathlon trousers?! Just wear one pair the whole time. No backups.
• Same with the tshirts. Just bring one pair and wear it the entire time. No backups. If it gets wet, just wear your puffer or fleece instead.
• Only bring one fleece. You probably don't even need that one. Bringing two is a joke, right?
• Ditch the spare underwear.
• Not sure which gloves you have, but the Decathlon $3 fleece gloves are probably what you actually want.
• Ditch both of the stuff sacks.
• The Sawyer Squeeze weighs less than that, but whatever.
• You don't need an entire cookset. Just pick one of the pots and use it for everything.
• Replace the firesteel with a mini-BIC lighter and MAYBE a couple of stormproof matches.
• Your FAK is monstrous. See the guides I post below to fix this.
• Ditch the hairbrush, repackage the other toiletries (See below).
• Ditch most of your repair kit. You won't need it.
• Replace the torch with a NU25 or NU20 from litesmith, with the headband mod.
• Ditch the eTrex. Your phone is an infinitely better GPS device.
• Ditch the spare batteries.
• Replace the solar charger with a battery (like an Anker or a Nitecore batter).
• Replace the trekking poles with the Fizan Compact 3s.
• Ditch the Mora knife. It is 110% unnecessary. Replace it with microscissors from Litesmith.com and a small bit of fishing line (to cut food with).
• Ditch the swiss army knife. Maybe keep the tweezers from it.
• Replace the sitpad with the one that litesmith sells.
• Here are some more helpful guides I made for people like you: https://imgur.com/a/syQvBre / https://imgur.com/a/pMg2yo9