Serious question about tent floor thickness measurements

I was looking at tent specs on REI's site last night and noticed something weird. The floor denier on my old tent is 70D but a similar priced tent from another brand has 150D. That seems like a huge difference for tents that cost about the same. Does the higher number really mean it will last longer or is there more to it? Has anyone actually tested how these hold up over a few seasons?

2 comments

2 Comments

lucashart1mo ago

Yeah the_nina basically hit it, I read something similar from a guy who repairs tents for a living. He said he sees way more shredded 150D floors than 70D ones, but it was almost always because of bad seam placement or the floor bunching up weird. The thicker fabric doesn't help if it's stitched poorly or if the corners pull too tight. Also that denier number is just the thread thickness, not the weave quality or if it has a coating layer. I had a cheap 40D floor last like 6 years just because the bathtub design was solid and I always used a footprint. Honestly the way you pitch it and the ground prep matters a ton too.

the_nina1mo agoMost Upvoted

It's a lot like buying jeans where a thicker denim doesn't always mean they'll last longer if the stitching is bad. Manufacturing quality and how the floor attaches to the tent walls matter just as much as the fabric weight.