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Kodak-RM
08-02-2013, 13:17
Do you roll or stuff your tent? Which way works the best while hiking?

atmilkman
08-02-2013, 13:21
You may start out rolling, but you'll eventually just stuff and go. Manufactures will tell you to just stuff also as it prevent the tent from developing creases in the same spot which can lead to premature leaking.

Ktaadn
08-02-2013, 13:25
Hi, My name is Chris and I used to be a meticulous folder/roller.

I am in recovery though and I have been stuffing for a few years now. With the support of friends and family, I hope to never relapse.

HikerMom58
08-02-2013, 13:30
Hi, My name is Chris and I used to be a meticulous folder/roller.

I am in recovery though and I have been stuffing for a few years now. With the support of friends and family, I hope to never relapse.

Ha Ha!! That's really funny Chris!! It took a lot for me not to fold it .. I stuff it now. ;) Never going back either...

Sarcasm the elf
08-02-2013, 13:31
Do you roll or stuff your tent? Which way works the best while hiking?

Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

These days i usually fold the tent and fly of my double wall separately and the put them in the front pocket of my pack so that they can dry during the day.

max patch
08-02-2013, 13:36
Manufactures will tell you to just stuff also as it prevent the tent from developing creases in the same spot which can lead to premature leaking.

I've also heard that, but I'm a roller (I roll around the stakes and the poles) and I've never experienced that problem before it was time to replace the tent because it became technologically obsolete.

Kodak-RM
08-02-2013, 13:42
You may start out rolling, but you'll eventually just stuff and go. Manufactures will tell you to just stuff also as it prevent the tent from developing creases in the same spot which can lead to premature leaking.

Now do you stuff in the smallest stuff sack possible or one to give it room to breathe?

I have my second section hike coming up at the end of the month. Last year I rolled it all the time. I am constantly learning new and exciting ideas/techniques all the time on here.

rocketsocks
08-02-2013, 13:43
Saw someone post this once...thought it was funny...

Bro, just stuff it in the bag it came with

Kodak-RM
08-02-2013, 13:46
Hi, My name is Chris and I used to be a meticulous folder/roller.

I am in recovery though and I have been stuffing for a few years now. With the support of friends and family, I hope to never relapse.

LOL!!

I will be up on your neck of the woods towards the end of the month... We will be hiking the state of MD SOBO. We are breaking it up over 4 days. Looking forward to some great hiking for our second section hike.

HikerMom58
08-02-2013, 13:52
Now do you stuff in the smallest stuff sack possible or one to give it room to breathe?

I have my second section hike coming up at the end of the month. Last year I rolled it all the time. I am constantly learning new and exciting ideas/techniques all the time on here.

I don't stuff my tent in a stuff sack. I do make sure that the netting is protected in the middle of the tent material, then I just stuff the tent down the bottom of my pack. I do the same thing with the fly. My daughter taught me that trick.. just make sure the netting is not "exposed" in the bottom of your pack. You can fill up the small spaces in the bottom of your pack with the tent and fly. (basically using the bottom of your pack as a "stuff sack" for your tent and fly.)

A.T.Lt
08-02-2013, 13:56
I used to meticulously fold and roll both my tent and sleeping bag....this year I discovered "the art of stuff" I fit the tent, fly and foot print all in the sack in came in ...its much faster , easier and i think it compacts easier also..and when you pull your stuffed sleeping bag out it just lofts nicer!

Hill Ape
08-02-2013, 14:00
on trail i roll, fairly loosely though. at home after i've aired out the tent i store it stuffed in a pillowcase. i think most people try to use stuff sacks on trail that are simply too small, for tents and sleeping bags. even the ones that come with tent/bag are usually too small. i use gg airbags.

atmilkman
08-02-2013, 14:01
I've also heard that, but I'm a roller (I roll around the stakes and the poles) and I've never experienced that problem before it was time to replace the tent because it became technologically obsolete.

Yep, like elf says 6 of one half dozen of the other. I'm like you in a way I just kinda roll my poles a little at the start at one end then start mushing and stuffing. I don't even bother trying to dry out half way through the day. Never a problem with leaks or mold. Like you said, the tent will be wore out someplace else.

Ktaadn
08-02-2013, 14:26
Yep, like elf says 6 of one half dozen of the other. I'm like you in a way I just kinda roll my poles a little at the start at one end then start mushing and stuffing. I don't even bother trying to dry out half way through the day. Never a problem with leaks or mold. Like you said, the tent will be wore out someplace else.

I don't think they are equal in this case. All the folding and rolling takes more time and for me it was always harder to slide it in the stuff sack.

The other problem I had was folding in the winter. My hands would be freezing by the time I got my icy tent packed up and its almost impossible to put a tent away with gloves on.

atmilkman
08-02-2013, 14:31
I don't think they are equal in this case. All the folding and rolling takes more time and for me it was always harder to slide it in the stuff sack.

The other problem I had was folding in the winter. My hands would be freezing by the time I got my icy tent packed up and its almost impossible to put a tent away with gloves on.

I'm with ya. When it's freezing it's what ever will work.

Studlintsean
08-02-2013, 14:55
Saw someone post this once...thought it was funny...

Bro, just stuff it in the bag it came with

I think I have said it before and ill say it again. I enjoy Red-Dog's straight forward answers....BRO

Rasty
08-02-2013, 17:23
I'm a roller.

The Ace
08-02-2013, 18:01
Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Well, I only carry one tent.

Procedure for striking the tent:

1. Remove all stakes except the one on the right end point and the one on the left end point
2. Remove trekking poles
3. Allow tent to collapse
4. Put all tent lines on top of the collapsed tent
5. Fold the sides walls inward causing the floor to overlap itself to a width of about 12 inches
6. Remove the stake on the right end point and fold right end point over to line up with the left end point
7. Remove stake on the left end
8. Fold over in half again (the tent, not me)
9. Roll up what is left
10. Shove tent in stuff sack
11. Put in backpack
12. Hike one mile
13. Turn around, go back and retrieve stakes

Siestita
08-02-2013, 18:17
I don't believe any one technique is necessarily best for all tents. The only way that I can get my Traptent Rainbow (which contains a short built in ceiling pole) into its stuff sack is to first roll it up around that pole, creating a cylinder, and then start stuffing. After the Tarptent is completely in the sack I then add to the stuff sack its main pole, the bag of stakes, and my Tyvec ground cloth/footprint.

Sarcasm the elf
08-02-2013, 18:40
Well, I only carry one tent.

Well there's your problem.


13. Turn around, go back and retrieve stakes

Now you're gettin it right!

Onedawg
08-02-2013, 19:18
With the tarptent contrail, rolling is about the only option.

russb
08-02-2013, 19:26
The whole crease thing and wearing out the fabric or waterproofing is a holdover from years gone by when canvas and urethane coated nylon was the common materials. Try to crease silnylon let alone in the same place twice. That said, fold, roll, stuff, its all personal preference.

Rasty
08-02-2013, 19:48
I don't believe any one technique is necessarily best for all tents. The only way that I can get my Traptent Rainbow (which contains a short built in ceiling pole) into its stuff sack is to first roll it up around that pole, creating a cylinder, and then start stuffing. After the Tarptent is completely in the sack I then add to the stuff sack its main pole, the bag of stakes, and my Tyvec ground cloth/footprint.

My double rainbow is the same.

S'more
08-02-2013, 19:54
I don't stuff my tent in a stuff sack. I do make sure that the netting is protected in the middle of the tent material, then I just stuff the tent down the bottom of my pack. I do the same thing with the fly. My daughter taught me that trick.. just make sure the netting is not "exposed" in the bottom of your pack. You can fill up the small spaces in the bottom of your pack with the tent and fly. (basically using the bottom of your pack as a "stuff sack" for your tent and fly.)
That's what I do - just shove it in there.

Drybones
08-02-2013, 20:12
Saw someone post this once...thought it was funny...

Bro, just stuff it in the bag it came with

Sounds like an LW post, brief and concise.

Drybones
08-02-2013, 20:15
I fold to get the right length package then roll with stakes inside and stuff in the back pocket of my pack, last thing to go in, first to come out. BTW, I do always put it in the bag it came in.

Drybones
08-02-2013, 20:23
The biggest issue I have putting the tent away is that I have a habit of leaving something in it.

atmilkman
08-03-2013, 15:33
The biggest issue I have putting the tent away is that I have a habit of leaving something in it.

Now where's my scissors?

rocketsocks
08-03-2013, 16:56
Sounds like an LW post, brief and concise.It does doesn't it?, but I don't think it was him, hmm...it had me laughing one night though.....

ah, I remember the thread now....it was a thread about how to roll /fold your sleeping pad, and there were some very good and concise ways people would approach this thorny issue...and than like a bolt of lightening it came...

"Bro, just stuff it in the bag it came with" still has me chuckelin, guess I amuse easy.

hikerboy57
08-03-2013, 16:59
i stuff it.use the sack it came with

Franco
08-04-2013, 02:08
Funny thing is that sometime ago ,when at another forum there was a discussion about how hard it is to put back gear (particularly tents) into the original stuff sack , when I suggested that it is a lot easier if you do it the way it is done at the factory one of the guys proceeded to abuse me for it.Never the less if you do happen to want to do that (minimise space) folding and rolling is more efficient than stuffing.
With some shelters because of built in struts stuffing is really not a good at all option.
If your tent uses poles anyway , typically rolling the tent up around those works best.
to each his own but I don't get at all the idea of splitting various components , just sound to me a better way of forgetting one or more at home..
(poles ? I thought you had those...)
Anyway I did make a couple of clip to show "that" guy that in fact my remark "it is easy to do" was correct.
Here is one :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxg4miBqh-Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxg4miBqh-Q

Firefighter503
08-05-2013, 12:11
I had a Tarptent Contrail that I folded/rolled around the built in stakes and put in its stuff sack. Now I use a Hexamid that gets folded/rolled/whatever into the top of my pack last with no stuff sack. Last in/first out, and no real reason to use a stuff sack IMO.

mibrahim
09-04-2013, 12:41
Does anyone use compression bags for their tents?

BirdBrain
09-04-2013, 13:04
Just stuff it. This goes for many other items too. Ditch the stuff sacks. Stuff all the soft stuff in the bottom of you backpack (sleeping bag, clothes, tent, etc). Then pack the heavier items on top of that. I use a trash compactor bag in the backpack. I have a cook set that everything fits in the pot. I have a ditty bag for the smalls. I have a food bag. Nothing else is in a sack. Ya'... I'm a gram weenie.

Last Call
09-04-2013, 15:19
23817Have always just stuffed it....

slbirdnerd
09-04-2013, 15:27
I stuff, but not in the bag it came in which is too long and skinny. I stuff my Fly Creek UL2 in my Scout UL2 bag. Tent first, then fly, then footprint.

Slo-go'en
09-04-2013, 15:37
In most cases it is much easier and quicker to stuff then it is to roll.

wornoutboots
09-04-2013, 22:45
I bought a small compression sack I "stuff" mine in & I keep the poles on the outside of my pack

firesign
09-22-2013, 10:42
What's best for a cuben tent?

Cheers guys

steve0423
09-22-2013, 22:27
What's best for a cuben tent?

Cheers guys


I thru'd with a Lighheart solo in cuben this year. I just stuff and go. I'm no fan of shelters so I used it a LOT.
Over the course of 5+ months, I noticed no ill effects from stuffing, (or from anything else for that matter)

MuddyWaters
09-22-2013, 22:46
I fold my hexamid up so that the mesh is on the outside. It picks up debris. Then I roll it up, wiping the debris off of the mesh. In the right conditions small debris clings to it from static charge like a magnet. Then I stuff it into the sack.