Six Moon Designs Polycro Footprint Review

Overview

Six Moon Designs’ Polycro footprint is a clear sheet of the same polyolefin film used for window-insulation kits and shrink wrap. At 34 g, it adds less to a pack than a spare pair of liner socks. It’s sold as a 2-pack, sized for solo shelters, and aimed at thru-hikers who want a barrier between a thin tent floor and the ground without paying a weight penalty. The trade-off is durability: the sheet is cheap and light, and it wears out accordingly.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	34 g
Dimensions	244 x 102 cm (96 x 40 in)
Thickness	0.75 mil (0.19 mm)
Material	Polycro (polyolefin film)
Pack count	2 footprints per pack
Grommets	None
Color	Clear
Designed for	Lunar Solo, Skyscape Trekker, Skyscape Scout, Deschutes, Gatewood Cape, Serenity NetTent

Performance

Weight and bulk. This is where the footprint earns its place. Owners rate it highly on weight, and it packs down to roughly the volume of a folded napkin. Six Moon Designs positions Polycro as the choice for hikers who want to save the most weight and bulk. The company’s own Tyvek footprint is the alternative, and the company describes it as thicker, longer-lasting, heavier and bulkier.

Ground protection. At 0.19 mm, the film is thin, and Six Moon Designs says as much: it is not as durable as Tyvek, though it offers significant protection against rocks and debris. In practice, that means it takes the abrasion that would otherwise land on a silnylon or Dyneema tent floor. It also adds a moisture barrier against damp ground. Owners treat it as a sacrificial layer: it takes wear and tear in the tent’s place and is replaced when it’s worn out. The 2-pack makes that routine easier, since a spare is already in the bag.

Durability. Reviews tend to split here. Buyers praise the weight and the price, then rate durability well below that. Hikers on rocky ground, or on sites with sticks and sharp gravel, can expect pinholes and creases that turn into tears after a handful of nights. Clean, careful use on forest duff and sand lasts much longer. The film is also easy to cut with scissors, so a torn corner can be trimmed off.

Pitching. The film is light enough to lift in a gentle breeze. Six Moon Designs warns that it will blow away and says to weight it down after spreading it out. Stakes, a pack, or a pair of shoes at the corners work, and it should go down before the tent comes out of its stuff sack, not after. Without grommets, the sheet isn’t staked on its own, which also means there’s nothing to catch a tent’s guy-line tensioners.

Sizing. The sheet runs 244 cm long by 102 cm wide, which suits the solo shelters Six Moon Designs lists. Buyers pairing it with other narrow solo tents report that it trims easily to fit. A tent with a wider floor needs the larger version or a different groundsheet. Each sheet arrives folded, and it has to be fully opened to reach the stated dimensions. Buyers who think the sheet is undersized have often not unfolded it completely.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 34 g per footprint, with negligible packed volume
• Sold as a pair, so a spare or a second shelter is covered
• Clear film shows the ground, so debris is easy to spot before pitching
• Cuts to size with scissors
• Cheap enough to replace mid-hike

Cons

• Thin 0.75 mil film punctures and tears on rough ground
• Blows around in light wind and must be weighted at once
• No grommets or tie-outs
• Sized for narrow solo tents, so wider floors may need the larger version
• Less durable than Six Moon Designs’ own Tyvek option

Who Should Buy This

Thru-hikers and ultralight backpackers with a solo tent who want some floor protection at almost no weight cost, and who will treat the sheet as a consumable. It suits owners of thin Dyneema or silnylon floors, and it works as a groundsheet under a tarp or a Gatewood Cape. Hikers who camp on rocky or heavily abraded ground, who want something that lasts a full season, or who pitch in regular wind should consider Tyvek or a heavier groundsheet instead.

Verdict

The Polycro footprint does one job: it keeps a tent floor off the dirt for a few grams. It is not built to last, and buyers who accept that will find it good value. A solid pick for the weight-focused, and a poor one for anyone who wants to buy a groundsheet once.