Tent in a Compression Sack?

[Kor]

Is it bad for a tent and rain fly to stuff it in a compression sack for the course of a trip?

[Footslogger]

That's how most of them are shipped ...at least in a pretty tight fitting stuff sack.

Can't see why it would be a problem unless the tent was wet and you left it in the sack for a really long period of time.

'Slogger

[kyhipo]

why not its still a bag,and well why not!I wouldnt think its a big deal,I even thought about it myself.ky:banana

[Hana_Hanger]

Great Question!
Being in a compression sack is a whole lot different then in a stuff sack.

I know a sleeping bag being compressed so tightly is much harder on that piece of gear over a long period of time...but hummm on a tent which has no insulation?? I was wondering this myself.

Waiting for more answers :D

[Fiddler]

As long as my tent is dry I stuff it, with the sleeping bag still in it. The bag compartment in my pack can be opened on the inside with a draw-string closure (so I then have a larger pack with no bag compartment) as well as with the outside zipper so no space is lost. Lash the tent poles to the outside of the pack. This saves time both setting up camp and breaking camp. When I pitch the tent the bag is already in it ready to put the pad under and crawl in. When the tent is damp inside from condensation, or outside from rain, I stuff them separately. Of course, in storage between hikes the tent is loosely rolled and the sleeping bag hung in the closet.

[The Snowman]

Better to just stuff the tent . Tents tend to have a lot of hooks, pins and other hardwear that can cause damage in a compression sack.

[saimyoji]

I can speak from experience with my Eureka Timberline 2 man. I always kept it rolled. Yes, it has hooks and poky metal things, but if rolled properly all the metal parts end up dangling at one end, and it rolls up way small. After almost 10 years of such storage, the tent is still in near perfect condition (I'm a little anal about keeping it clean).

I recently tried the stuff method: just stuffed it into the sack. After a week I pulled it out, the metals and poky parts had made indentations in the fabric, made me think it had weakened it (lucky there were no rips in the netting).

Maybe it depends on the tent you have, but I'll always roll my tent from now on. People who say that folding it repeatedly in the same places weakens the fabric at those folds can come on over and check out my tent.

All of the above is if the tent is dry or wet. The tent can be disconnected from the poles and fly so that the tent part can be rolled/stuffed under the fly with minimal moisture inside. The fly and poles can then be packed accordingly. The trick is to pack the fly without the bottom part getting wet. Admittedly, this is not a great tent to use for days on days of drenching, soaking rain.

[Ridge]

I experimented with the compression sack thing with my small one man tent. I found its easier, and less space needed, to just tie the tent, poles in its original bag on the rear of my pack. I find that its easier to access the tent put it up and toss in my pack when raining. Also, I tie the tent to my pack with the bag opening downward, lets water drip out and keeps rain from filling up the bag.

[Skyline]

I experimented with the compression sack thing with my small one man tent. I found its easier, and less space needed, to just tie the tent, poles in its original bag on the rear of my pack. I find that its easier to access the tent put it up and toss in my pack when raining. Also, I tie the tent to my pack with the bag opening downward, lets water drip out and keeps rain from filling up the bag.


Agree, stuff sack is better than a compression sack.

And attaching to the outside of your pack makes it a lot easier to pitch or take down when it's raining--you won't get the interior contents of your pack wet (or as wet) because you won't have to go into the pack body to get your tent out or put it back in while it's raining.

One other suggestion: If your tent has a rainfly, store it in a separate stuff sack. When you pack up wet, the rainfly will be the wettest thing and it won't be mingled with your main tent body. The main tent body will therefore stay relatively dry--and you'll appreciate that when you next set it up.

[Fat Man Walking]

Would it be a little crowded if you tented in a compression sack?

[DLFrost]

It's a bad idea to tightly pack a tent because of the twisting stress that can applied to seam threads. Repeatedly folding urathaine-coated cloth on the same seam tightly can encourage the coating to crack or seperate over time. If you use a compression sack with a fly/tarp, stuff it in loosly rather than folding/rolling it tightly first.

I always folded my tent loosly, placed it flat inside a waterproof sack, and put it at the bottom (upper, main pack compartment) or side of the pack where it would be compressed by other gear. The fly might ride in the outside back pocket if it was soaked. These days I use a hammock, and the tarp goes into the pack somewhat-firmly stuffsacked, where it shrinks further under load. It actually functions like padding/support around harder items.

Doug Frost