Footprint FAQs

Footprint FAQs:

Nearly all Big Agnes tents have an accessory footprint available for them. This footprint provides three primary purposes:

• To protect the floor of your tent from punctures and abrasions.
• As an extra layer of protection to keep water from seeping into the floor of your tent.
• For Fast Fly Setup, an optional setup without the inner tent body (pictured below)

When using the Fast Fly, it’s important to have the footprint that was specifically designed for your tent to make sure it’s the same size and has the same attachment points as your rain fly.

Which footprint do I need for my tent?

Each Big Agnes tent has a footprint that is specifically designed for it. The dedicated footprint will be a custom fit and have the buckles needed to set up the Fast Fly. The footprint will have the same name as your tent, and when a tent is re-designed or updated, the footprint will receive similar updates. This means a newer model footprint may not work with an older model tent of the same name, so if you plan to utilize the Fast Fly setup, make sure to select the proper footprint that matches your size and model tent.

Bikepack Footprints

You may notice that some of our footprints feature the word "Bikepack". These footprints are designed with extra material, to provide coverage for the vestibule areas of the tent as well as under the tent body.

While this feature is especially nice for bikepacking, it can be useful for whenever you're using your tent! That's why bikepack footprints and standard footprints are interchangeable.

Any tent with a bikepacking model available (Copper Spur, Tiger Wall, Fly Creek, Blacktail Hotel) can be used with either the standard footprint, or the bikepack footprint for extra ground coverage.

If you're bikepacking and looking to save a little weight, bikepack tents are also compatible with the standard footprint for that tent model!

Pro Tip: On bigagnes.com, you can find the footprint(s) compatible with a given tent on that tent's page, under "Key Accessories", and vice versa! 

If you have questions about which footprint will work best with a tent you already own, please call our Big Agnes gear specialists at 877.554.8975 or open a case to help you find the correct footprint for your tent.

How do I Fast Fly my tent?

The Fast Fly setup allows you to erect the tent without the inner tent body, which will increase the useable space of your tent as well as lighten your load. Setup instructions include:

1. Lay down your footprint in a flat area clear of debris, and stake out all corners.
2. Assemble the poleset and insert the tips into the grommets on the footprint.
3. Drape the rain fly over the poleset, and clip the buckles directly to the footprint. (If you have a tent with a cross pole, make sure to use the pockets to hold it in place)
4. Use the remaining stakes to stake out the vestibules.
5. Attach the Velcro loops to the poles, and stake out all guy lines.

My footprint is smaller than the floor of my tent body and the webbing straps are longer than those of my tent body…is this right?

Yes it is. Our footprints are designed to be smaller than the tent body itself to prevent it from catching rain and re-directing water underneath your tent. Because of the smaller fit, the webbing straps need to be longer so that everything will line up properly when the tent is fully staked out. You may notice that the footprint and tent body don't match up exactly during setup, until they are staked out with appropriate tension.

Is my footprint supposed to stay attached to my tent if I pick it up and move it?

The footprint is designed to fit when it is fully staked out. When you pick up the tent, the poles apply inward tension pulling the corners in, and the floor will sag allowing the footprint to fall off the pole tips. Ideally, you will set up your tent in the spot it will stay all night, but if that’s not the case you may need to re-attach the footprint once you find your new spot.