Marmot Thor 3P Footprint

Summary

If you can get one, the Marmot Thor 3p footprint gives you the option for the barebones setup with just the fly and ground sheet. It's definitely not as sturdy as the standard setup, but it does cut down on weight and might be suitable for a warm weather/rainy camping on the go.

I got the Marmot Thor 3P footprint as a ground sheet to extend the life of my new Thor 3P.  I was also interested in the fast bare bones setup option advertised online wherever they sell the footprint.

I've tried the barebones option a couple of times and it was a bit disappointing.  The rain fly and the ground sheet together give you decent rain coverage but zero wind protection. The poles are not that well designed for just the rainfly and footprint. In fact, there are four pieces of velcro on the inside of the rainfly to secure most of the poles but there is nothing to secure the center pole which slides all over the place and has a tendency to fall over. 

In addition, the footprint is smaller than the tent so don't expect it to be the same size as the tent floor. You end up staking the footprint and causing the stakes to be underneath the tent itself. (How does this extend the life of the tent?)

If I had to do it again, I would forgo the footprint and simply buy a cheap ground tarp that I can stake on the ground.  The Thor 3p tent is excellent, but the footprint itself is an accessory I wish I had passed on.