Slippery tent floor

I've heard vague recommendations for using silicon on tent floors (or sleeping pad bottoms) to prevent sliding around in the night. What does the collective wisdom of VFTT have to say about this? What form of silicon? Stripes or dots? Will it cause the treated item to stick to itself, and everything else, when stuffed into the backpack?
-vegematic

Here's a thread on Whiteblaze on the subject:

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/archive/index.php/t-57854.html

Yesterday! I did to the floor of my new Tarptent Moment what your asking about. I diluted Clear GE Silicone II with Coleman fuel (orderless mineral spirits works too) until the consistency was like 'pancake syrup'. I applied this to the tent floor using a 3" foam brush in one long continuous strip centered where my sleeping pad will be. Then every foot or two I applied perpendicular lines about the width of my pad. Once it dries for 24 hours I'll apply a light dusting of baby powder to prevent the silicone from sticking to itself when stuffed into it's stuff sack.

Quick and easy. I'll let you know how it works when I get back from the Long Trail next week.

Use straight GE silicon out of the tube, apply several stratigicaly placed tiny dots on the bottom of your pad... problem solved!

Diluted silicon wil not harden as nicely as undiluted.

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I'd be interested to hear from someone who's been doing this for a while. I've never felt the need. I'd be concerned about the stuff getting everywhere, but where it was wanted.

I try to find a level space, might use pads cut to fit the tent floor well and normally use a nylon bag cover to keep my bag and pad together.

I did my pad this way 10 years ago and the dots are stil in tact.

What is so hard about controlling a thin dab of silicon on a finger to place a few dots?

Let the silicon cure overnight before using the pad in your tent.... it can't smear once hardened.

The original Theramarest pads were pretty slippery and Thermarest sold a friction spray. Probably no longer available...


BTW, the caulk is silicone, not silicon. (Silicon is a hard black crystalline substance used to make transistors, integrated circuits, microprocessors, and solar cells.)

Doug