View Full Version : Where does the tent go on/in your pack?
Hi everyone
I have a medium-large sized pack but I can find nowhere to attach my 2-3 person tent. My pack is full so there is no room inside and there doesn't appear to be any straps to secure a tent to it. The only place I could possibly fit it is between the storage flap at the top and the main body of the pack. However, doing it this way would cause the tent to stick out on both sides.
Is there a particular place where a tent should be carried on (or in) a pack?. Are you supposed to strap it to your body or just carry it around by hand?. I thought about using cordage to tie it to my pack but this seems kind of crude. I'm not even sure if it's supposed to be tied/strapped to the pack vertically or horizontally.
I have a small roll-up sleeping mat too and have no room for that either. My sleeping bag is a small one so I was able to fit that in the pack but it takes up a lot of space. I thought about useing a hammock, tarp and other sleeping methods but decided against them.
Just curious...where are you supposed to put all this stuff (tent, sleeping bag, mat, etc) when you hike. Obviously, the more bulky items you carry, the less room there is for other important supplies but of course, you have to have a place to sleep...
BobTheBuilder
03-05-2013, 19:34
It sounds like you're fairly new to this. The end goal for many backpackers is to have everything you need, small and light enough to fit in your pack, and then start making your pack smaller. It can be a long-term exercise, as smaller and lighter usually means more expensive. Everybody starts somewhere, though, so don't let any know-it-alls bring you down.
Could you identify the type of tent and the type of pack? It may give the people here something to start with as far as suggestions.
Drybones
03-05-2013, 19:38
There's no right or wrong place to put stuff, depends on the gear you have and what you have to do to make it work. You want to get as much of the weight as possible close to your back. You may need to break the tent down so you can put the fly and tent in your bag and maybe strap the poles outside. Without seeing your situation it's hard to say. Unless you have 2-3 people to share the tent with, you may want to look at getting a smaller tent.
Tuckahoe
03-05-2013, 19:51
The answer to your question depends on what sort of tent and pack you have.
For example i use an external frame pack and use a Lightheart Solo tent. I am able to compress the tent and pack it in the pack bag. But if necessary I have the option of strapping the tent to the pack frame.
It does sound like you have an internal frame pack, in which case you may want to pack the tent in the bag. Try packing the poles and stakes together seperate of the tent. Stuff tent into a stuff or compression sack andnget it small as possible.
Photos of pack & tent help a lot.
I have a Ginormous internal frame pack and a much smaller frame less pack.
Large pack first: The pack is basically a big bag with a lid on top. The 2 person tent (body & fly) go in a stuff sack under the top lid. Last in, first out. It the tent is wet, it is not in contact with the contents of the main pack bag. Poles & pegs go in their own stuff stack lashed to the back of the pack. There is a vertical daisy chain on the back of the pack bag for lashing stuff.
Smaller frame less pack: I have a tiny, single wall, 1 person tent. It goes in the top section of the pack. Poles & pegs also in their own bag lashed to the exterior. If I wanted to use the larger 2 person tent with this pack, there are lash points on the outside top of the pack.
Keep it simple. A good pack will have numerous lashing schemes.
Wayne
Gunslinger
03-05-2013, 20:03
I stuff my tent into the very bottom of my pack. I don't use the stuff sack that comes with it, just stuff it straight into my pack so it uses all the available space. I put it in first, that way if it is wet, it wont get anything else except the bottom of the pack wet. I put the tent poles inside the pack to one side of the internal frame.
Yes, I'm definately a beginner and you are so right about people starting out by getting everything they think they might need and then trying to get their pack down as light as possible. That is exactly the point I'm at right now. I've got all these gadgets and gizmos but now I have to try to make everything fit. I also want to keep from getting into the mindset of wanting to pack anything and everything and focus only on what I really need.
The tent is just a standard WallyWorld 2-3 person tent and the backpack is the largest one they have. I could eliminate the tent and mat altogetehr if I just got a hammock but I think I would feel too "exposed" in a hammock and there wouldn't be much room for my gear and anything else I might want to keep in the hammock with me. I'd also need one that was enclosed with netting and a canopy.
I was thinking about maybe fitting the tent between the top storage flap and the main body of the pack and then tying the mat to the side but that would be kind of bulking and cumbersome I think. I guess it can be kind of a fine act of trying to figure out what you really need vs what you probably don't need and what to do with everything so it's self-contained and lightweight.
Chaco Taco
03-05-2013, 20:59
1.Ditch the stuff sack
2. Fold the tent in pieces, inner dome, then vestibule. I take the top most point of the vestibule where the seams all come together and fold in a triangular fashion and continue to fold in ward.
3. Each piece goes on the top of my dry sack and under my food bag. It usually can all lay flat taking up very little space in the middle part of my pack. This way, if I need to set up in the rain, food comes out first, then tent. No sense in unpacking all of the stuff in the rain to get to a tent on the bottom of the pack. PLus if it is damp when I start walking for the day and its sunny, makes it easier when I stop for 10-20 minute breaks and air dry.
I really don't like putting a wet tent under the top flap of my backpack. The stuff in your pack is already damp, but no point in soaking it with a dripping wet tent. The stuff bags will leak, a dry bag less, but it will hold that heavy wet tent until you can dry it out (sometimes several days during rainy periods). If possible, I like to have it on the outside and down low, even if it means strapping it.
Your tent should be the first thing available to you when you arrive in the rain and the last thing to put on the pack when you are leaving in the rain. That is the ideal situation and may not be the real world. Setting up and packing up in the rain is a bummer but you can guarantee it will happen many times. After a few times of going through that, you really appreciate a few dry days. :)
I like to keep my tent on the outside of my pack. East fast access, when wet...........stays away from all my gear inside of my pack
ULA and Osprey packs have room and straps there to secure it..........works for me.
Lay my Contrail and my Neo Air in stuff sacks across the top inside my pack.
k2basecamp
03-05-2013, 21:22
That's one of the advantages of an external frame pack - everything has its only special compartment. My solo tent has its own zippered compartment on the bottom so if its wet it doesnt soak everything else.
Long live Alpenlite !
Tipi Walter
03-05-2013, 21:23
I like to keep my tent on the outside of my pack. East fast access, when wet...........stays away from all my gear inside of my pack
ULA and Osprey packs have room and straps there to secure it..........works for me.
Excellent. A drenched tent can't go inside a pack. My Mystery Ranch packs have two bottom loops to hold a tent, same as with the old Dana Designs Terraplanes, etc. I often pack up a soaked tent and it's dripping everywhere so there's no way it's going inside my pack. Plus---I like to keep the tent poles separate in a long outside pocket along with the pegs and pull these two items out first and get the poles snapped together before bringing out the tent. This works well in a downpour.
Also make sure your tent stuff sac is overly big to accommodate frozen hands or worse, a completely ice encrusted tent which will be a much bigger wad for packing in the morning. Have curse words ready.
Cookerhiker
03-05-2013, 21:34
...Also make sure your tent stuff sac is overly big to accommodate frozen hands or worse, a completely ice encrusted tent which will be a much bigger wad for packing in the morning. Have curse words ready.
I don't do nearly as much winter camping as you but I've been there - happened 3 different mornings on the Colorado Trail. Frozen hands trying to stuff a frozen tent fly in a small sack- not fun.
RodentWhisperer
03-05-2013, 22:15
Just curious: did you whittle down your gear list, as was suggested in your earlier thread?
Rocket Jones
03-05-2013, 23:28
The tent is just a standard WallyWorld 2-3 person tent and the backpack is the largest one they have.
WalMart's largest packs aren't all that big. I'd suggest that you need a bigger pack. Not so big that you can fill it with a bunch of uneccessary gear, but big enough to hold what you're trying to pack right now.
BobTheBuilder
03-06-2013, 00:22
I just read all these comments and I take back what I said about the know-it-alls. All of the comments seem well-intentioned and decent, restoring my faith in WB. Some newbies in the past have gotten some snarky comments, but maybe those people have moved on to a Justin Bieber forum or something.
Good luck and enjoy your hike. (And get a smaller tent)
My large pack is a Terraplane. My experience has been mostly dry out west. If I ever wake up to a sodden tent I have options to lash the tent outboard.
Original Poster: you can buy accessory straps at any good outdoor shop or make your own. If your backpack lacks lash points, improvise. Get creative. Look at photos and videos of top of the line packs online. Imitate them. If you start looking at new packs, be sure and compare the external storage provisions. A vertical daisy chain on the back is indespensible in my book. Compression straps can also hold accessory straps or cord for tying stuff on.
Wayne
Ox97GaMe
03-06-2013, 00:43
As has been stated, where you pack your tent is a matter of choice. Start one ay and figure it out as you go on your journey. Here are the primary things to consider.....
- Your rainfly (and maybe tent) will be wet more days than not. Rain, snow, or dew will exist almost every day. You will want to ensure that you are able to keep the wet components away from items you are trying to keep dry
- tent should be first thing unpacked when you get to camp and last thing packed. You dont want to have to unpack your entire pack in a downpour while you dig in to retrieve the pack. Once the tent is set up, you can unpack everything and keep it somewhat dry. Also not a bad idea to be able to set up your tent mid-day if a storm comes up and you want to wait it out.
- wet tent may be better on outside of pack, especially on a sunny day. Let the moisture seep out of the tent so you have a dry shelter when you get to camp.
Chaco Taco
03-06-2013, 06:41
Folks indicating not puting a wet tent in your pack is bad, well that why I shake out as much as I can, and wipe down with a shamwow. Yea there will still be moisture but that is what I have a dry sack in my pack. When I fold my tent up in this manner, the bottom of the tent typically stays fairly dry. When it goes into the pack, not many wet parts of the tent actually touch anything in my pack. Sometimes I do keep the vestibule section on the outside in a bottle sleeve or strapped in the back part of my pack. Just clarifying
1.Ditch the stuff sack
2. Fold the tent in pieces, inner dome, then vestibule. I take the top most point of the vestibule where the seams all come together and fold in a triangular fashion and continue to fold in ward.
3. Each piece goes on the top of my dry sack and under my food bag. It usually can all lay flat taking up very little space in the middle part of my pack. This way, if I need to set up in the rain, food comes out first, then tent. No sense in unpacking all of the stuff in the rain to get to a tent on the bottom of the pack. PLus if it is damp when I start walking for the day and its sunny, makes it easier when I stop for 10-20 minute breaks and air dry.
Old Hiker
03-06-2013, 08:40
I started with a JanSport Alaska Tall - I was a "kitchen-sink" type camper, usually not hiking more than 5 miles or so with my Scouts to a campsite in VA and Germany. It worked well for me. After getting to FL and taking 30+ mile section hikes, I got a JanSport Klamath - 3.5 pounds or so, smaller, etc. I had to start looking at what I carried and USED. I still overpack, but mostly food.
My pack has a sleeping bag compartment at the bottom that my hammock or tent + cookset goes into, plus whatever odds and ends I use during mealtimes or camp set up. the main body holds my sleeping bag (down - compressible in a waterproof sack inside a compression sack), food bag, etc. I have my tent poles separate from the main body in a small bag inside my main compartment. I'm afraid if I put them outside in the mesh water bottle pocket and under a strap, I'll lose them. Everything else small goes into the top cover (maps, extra bandana, reading book, headlamp, etc.) or the side or front pocket.
Mostly, it sounds like your pack may be a bit small OR and a big OR: you have too many gadgets and gizmos. My opinion only (!)- I don't know what you have. I know I cut back on a LOT of what I thought I needed and concentrated only on what I used for the most part.
Good luck - don't give up. It's a fun learning curve.
rusty bumper
03-06-2013, 10:07
My Tarptent Moment gets rolled up and slid into it's 4"x20" stuff sack along with the collapsed pole and the 2 pegs. It then goes in the longish mesh pocket on the side of my Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus pack.
Rocket Jones
03-06-2013, 10:40
I made a new stuff sack for my tarptent because I found the long and thin bag it came with inconvenient to pack. The new sack is about an 8"x8" square, about 4" tall and can be compressed down quite a bit more. It's not a hard 'sausage' of stowed tent, so I have more options on where to keep it whether wet or dry. I also keep the poles and stakes separate.
On days when my tent and rainfly are damp from dew and condensation I take down my tent, shake off as much moisture as possible, and find a place to dry while I have breakfast. It usually just hang the body and fly in a tree for a while. If there's a place I will lay them in the sun. I doesn't get them completely dry, but it helps.
Tipi Walter
03-06-2013, 16:48
On days when my tent and rainfly are damp from dew and condensation I take down my tent, shake off as much moisture as possible, and find a place to dry while I have breakfast. It usually just hang the body and fly in a tree for a while. If there's a place I will lay them in the sun. I doesn't get them completely dry, but it helps.
I was out in January for a trip into the Big Frog and got hit with a 180 hour rain---my personal length record. It lasted around 8 days. There are time spans where you just want to pack and move---there will be no incentive or chance to dry out a tent.