Where do you pack it?

[One Half]

Where do you pack your tent?

I havent hiked much and most often my husband has carried the bulk of the tent. I think he used to just stuff the tent into his pack somewhere. We have had very few outings where we have had to pack a wet tent. Where do you pack your tent when it's dry? Where/how do you pack it when it's wet? Do you have a waterproof bag to hold your tent when hiking so it doesn't get other things wet?

[Old Hiker]

I have a sleeping bag compartment at the bottom of my JanSport Klamath. I put my tent and kitchen in there, with my sleeping bag in a waterproof bag inside the main compartment.

No need for a waterproof bag for me - the stuff bag does well. It's in the bottom of the pack in a separate compartment, so it doesn't touch anything else.

LightHeart Gear SoLong 6, by the way. VERY small stuffed package.

[Second Hand]

I've had to pack up a soaking wet tent on more than one occasion. One time when it was particularly wet, I carried it on the outside of my bag strapped across the bottom of my pack.

Now I use a hammock, Usually the hammock doesn't get wet and I can just pack it in my bag. If my tarp is soaked I'll pack it in the outside pocket.

[Malto]

dry and not going to rain, pck in the middle of pack. wet or going to rain, on top outside of pack liner. note, I use an 8 oz, very small shelter so bulk is not an issue.

[Trail Ponderer]

Well, depends on the size/weight of your tent and your pack setup. My tent (Tarptent Moment) fits in a outside stuff pocket on outside of pack. I would never put wet tent inside my pack because I want to try to keep the inside of pack as dry as possible to protect sleeping bag and dry clothes. I also like to have the tent on outside because if it is raining and I am entering/exiting camp I can set up/break down tent without opening up pack. If you do have a break in the rain and you have a wet tent you can easily access it at breaks or lunch and attempt to air it out. If you don't have a stuff pocket on your pack look for points to lash your tent to outside of pack preferably near top for more comfortable carry.

[bigcranky]

My tent slides vertically into the stretch mesh pocket on the front of my pack (farthest from my back.) Wet or dry, it's fine in that position.

[Nooga]

I use a garbage bag in my pack to keep items dry. On top of the garbage bag, I pack my food bag, tent, and rain gear. That way if it is raining, I have access to rain gear, food, and my tent. For the tent, it is first out, last in.

[mattjv89]

Right in the top of the pack. If it's raining when I make camp I'll want access to the tent before any other gear. If the tent is dry it goes inside the pack liner to keep it that way a little longer, if it's wet I close the liner and stuff the tent in on top.

[Coffee]

I have a dry bag (zPacks) liner for my pack. Everything goes into the dry bag except for my tent which goes on top of the dry bag. This keeps everything organized within my pack with the tent going in last and coming out first, and I avoid keeping the tent outside the pack and risking damage. Also, I can easily access the tent for drying during the day if the sun comes out.

[Deacon]

I have a dry bag (zPacks) liner for my pack. Everything goes into the dry bag except for my tent which goes on top of the dry bag. This keeps everything organized within my pack with the tent going in last and coming out first, and I avoid keeping the tent outside the pack and risking damage. Also, I can easily access the tent for drying during the day if the sun comes out.

This is exactly what I do.

[One Half]

I have a dry bag (zPacks) liner for my pack. Everything goes into the dry bag except for my tent which goes on top of the dry bag. This keeps everything organized within my pack with the tent going in last and coming out first, and I avoid keeping the tent outside the pack and risking damage. Also, I can easily access the tent for drying during the day if the sun comes out.

so inside the pack but on top of for dry bag.

Thanks all for the responses

[rafe]

Outside the pack, cinched in under the two front compression straps.

[daddytwosticks]

If tenting (Tarptent Notch), it gets put into a mesh bag and strapped horizontally to the bottom of my pack (Osprey Exos 48). If using a tarp or poncho-tarp, placed in an outer pocket of my Exos 48 or GG Murmur.

[Alligator]

Depends a lot on the shelter and the pack it's going into. Some of my packs have outside kangaroo type pockets that are good for wet things. If you have a double wall tent and you and your husband have those pockets, split the tent up. I'm usually hiking with a partner if I have a full tent like that. Otherwise, I have stuck my Megamid inside the top of the pack, lashed it onto the top lid too with sleeping pad straps. I used to put the double wall tent under my top lid and then buckle the straps. I generally put my tarp in a side pocket or the the back pocket. I do not like to put a tent low on the pack as it drags the pack down.

[Odd Man Out]

My tent slides vertically into the stretch mesh pocket on the front of my pack (farthest from my back.) Wet or dry, it's fine in that position.

Me too.....

[Another Kevin]

Since I don't usually have water bottles in the water bottle pockets of my pack (too hard to reach with the pack on), I find that one of those will take a TarpTent Notch quite nicely. The struts on the Notch are longer than a water bottle is tall, but my pack has a little bit of bungee laced above the pocket that will hold the part that sticks up. That way I don't have the wet rainfly and tent floor inside the pack at all, even outside the compactor bag.