Every good tent deserves a good footprint. I first experimented with using a Tyvek footprint for my first Six Moons Design single person tent, and again decided to purchase a Tyvek footprint when I bought my double Six Moons Design tent. While I haven't directly compared the weight benefits between an alternative footprint and Tyvek I would have to think Tyvek, pound for pound, is lighter than an alternative option. Tyvek as an exterior building material found on your home is incredibly durable and strong, helping seal out moisture underneath the siding on your house. I think the big complaint I read (and hear) is that Tyvek when new out of the bag is kind of crunchy, in the sense that the material doesn't relax like say polyester or a soft plastic footprint might. As such for at least the first few uses of your new Tyvek footprint getting in an out of your tent can have a noticeable crunching sound as the Tyvek reacts to your movement and weight. if you are a lite sleeper you may also notice this during the silent night when you roll over in your sleeping bag. This could be obnoxious for some people, but I do believe that over time the Tyvek will relax and this issue would be rather short lived. It depends on how often you are willing to put up with the noise until the super moisture barrier material gets comfortable with its new job. Given this is my second Tyvek footprint, I had read that some people have put their Tyvek in the washer and on a low heat tumble dry cycle. I tried this for the first time and honestly didn't see a ton of difference before and after one wash in terms of the mailability of the Tyvek material. Again, I think the more you use this material the less crunchy the noise will be and I do suspect that running it through several washing cycles is probably one way to accelerate the break in of the material. I personally don't have an issue with the noise during its intended use under my tent. While I mentioned the likely weight benefits of Tyvek compared to an alternative, I also tend to think it offers some volume benefits. Tyvek is incredibly thin, but strong material. I think it is likely thinner than a 6 mil plastic sheet, for example. As such, you can with some effort really roll up the Tyvek into a pretty small volume roll. When the footprint arrives in the mail it is about as compact as it will be until it breaks in. Once unfolded the footprint can find a bit of life and resist going back to its original folded format. Again, washing the material may help it become more flexible and easier to fold in a compact format. I give Tyvek a 5-star rating because of its combination of low weight, low volume, and durability. I think it is superior to alternative polyester or plastic footprints.
