How Do You Pack Your Tent?
...roll it into a stuff sack?
...fold it?
...stuff it in any way you can?
Roll it up in a nice package with poles and pegs unless it is really wet.
Whatever you do don't fold it. Folding can cause creases which leads to material breakdown. I cram mine in it's stuff sack.
Getting lost is a way to find yourself.
I stuff it in a stuff sack and put my poles outside my pack to prevent them from stabbing a hole in anything. I have heard folding is bad because the same places get creased every day and can get weak at those points. I would say the same for rolling the tent. The only way to get random creases every day is to stuff it.
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Whether you think you can, or think you can't--you're right--Henry Ford; The Journey Is The Destination
If it is stuffed it takes up more room and folding the same way again and again can weaken the coatings but probably not for silnylon which is impregnated. I do both depending on time, stuff if it is raining, fold if there is no hurry. Just do what you want.
Has anyone ever bought a new tent that was stuffed inside the original packaging?
Shake, 1/2, 1/2, 1/2, roll, stuff.
Nope. And regarding folding, unless you have some superhuman ability to perfectly fold the tent along an exact crease line every time, I don't think it's an issue. Now, if you're one of those people who can fold a fitted bed sheet perfectly the same every time, then maybe there's an issue - or perhaps I should say, issues.Originally Posted by Franco
Normal variation in folding/rolling, and the fact that you aren't ironing it and intentionally creating a crease should prevent any repeated folding damage. I usually just fold the body of my 1 person tent in thirds and loosely roll it to fit inside my pack, and fold and loosely roll the fly and carry it in the mesh pocket on the outside of my pack. Poles go vertically inside the pack, stakes in a small stuff sack on the outside with the fly.
"That's the thing about possum innards - they's just as good the second day." - Jed Clampett
No but that's all about presentation.But I have had manufacturers tell me to stuff it instead of folding and rolling.
My tent is large with three poles and 36 sq feet of interior space and I usually have it flat on the ground and fold it twice and then roll it tight enough to fit inside its stuff sack. Occasionally I stuff the whole wad but generally when stuffing it cannot be cleaned off properly while putting into the sack and so rolling first helps.
All this is minutiae really cuz you'll do it however you feel like doing after the 1,000th morning striking camp.
The tough part is wadding up and packing a totally frozen and ice-encrusted tent and trying to get this wad inside its stuff sack. Hellish. And Odin help you if you're using a tent which comes with a comically small stuff sack. Best thing then is to replace the sac with a bigger . . . . sac.
After folding and rolling tents for the last 40 years I find no drawbacks to the technique. Actually, UV and worn floors and broken zippers will kill a tent way way before folding and rolling.
Last edited by Tipi Walter; 02-02-2017 at 23:00.
I stuff it in my back, on top of the sleeping bag (which is at the bottom).
Fold it into thirds (different direction every other day), then roll it around the stake bag and drop it (no need to stuff) into the stuff sack. If it's dry and there is room, it goes into the pack, otherwise it gets strapped to the top of the pack.
“He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” –Socrates
How Do You Pack Your Tent?
stuff sack with pegs goes into stuff sack containing poles.
fly is rolled around that
this goes in larger stuff sack
then cram the tent in, along with guy lines
Have learned about stuffing instead of folding&rolling decades ago and ever did so.
Just last year when I've go my new MSR I switched to folding&rolling, because the MSR comes with a nice bag with "side entrance" (duffel bag style), in which the tent snugs in much better when folded&rolled.
True, this is not real folding, the modern dome tents can hardly be folded exactly, like the old canvas tents could be.
Honestly I cannot imagine that daily folding and rolling could ruin a modern tent fabric within a hikers life.
While on the trail, I just stuff it.
When I'm putting it away for storage between hikes, I neatly fold/roll it up.
I've found a simple "Target" bag fills my packs volume way better than any long narrow common tent stuff sack...
1-compactor bag w all must be dry gear
2-food bag
3-shelter
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On trail I stuff mine into it's sack and call it a day. Tent stakes are in their own bag and I put them into the bag with the tent poles. At home it's kept in a large storage bin uncompressed along with a silica gel packet for good measure.
MSR Hubba Hubba NX
Stakes and ground sheet in mesh outer pocket....diy tyvek tent stake envelope
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Collapse tent poles...fold tent to width of tent poles...place polls on tent and roll them up in the middle. Strap to outside of pack on the bottom or put inside pack. No stuff sack needed.
stuff tent into garbage bag... bring hammock instead.
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