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  • Tent stuffing

    I recently heard that it is better to just stuff your tent into the bag rather than fold it up, the person said that it helps keep it waterproof.

    Any knowledge?
    "I can enjoy society in a room; but out of doors, nature is company enough for me."

  • #2
    Originally posted by Chris I View Post
    I recently heard that it is better to just stuff your tent into the bag rather than fold it up, the person said that it helps keep it waterproof.

    Any knowledge?
    I've always heard that folding, if folded in the same place each time, creates weakness in the fabric...or some such. Perhaps it depends upon the fabric in question? I'll never know, as I think stuffing is far easier, quicker, and more space-efficient than folding. Maybe that's why they call them 'stuff sacks' and not 'fold sacks'?

    Dick

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Chris I View Post
      I recently heard that it is better to just stuff your tent into the bag rather than fold it up, the person said that it helps keep it waterproof.

      Any knowledge?
      I generally fold and then roll mine up, but never the same way; I believe that avoids the problems described. I think either that or stuffing are the best options.
      Ahh............Wilderness.......

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      • #4
        Some people FOLD them ? I'm just happy to get my hammock back in the stuff sack


        RC
        "Lead by Example, Follow by Choice"

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        • #5
          I fold it for the actual hike but store it stuffed.
          Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
          It's about learning to dance in the rain.

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          • #6
            I always stuff my tents, ive always beleived that folding creates weak spots too.

            plus i think they pack smaller like that.

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            • #7
              My tent would never fit in original bag , if to not to fold and roll it ( very tight !! ) . So far ( I've have it for ~ 5 years ) there is not any problems with water protections . Maybe it depends on tent .
              I have Tree Frog 24 from NF .
              Last edited by dog; 06-05-2007, 10:48 PM.

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              • #8
                Yea......I'm a stuffer too. Heard that same story about folding creating weakness so I've been stuffing for about 20 years.

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                • #9
                  I always stuff. Common sennse dictates that if you fold it the same way all the time, the fabric will get more wear and the waterproofing will break down.

                  Plus if it's stuffed, it's not quite as tight and less chance of mildew starting if you're out for a few days and it's a little damp from condensation.
                  "If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it." Lyndon B. Johnson

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                  • #10
                    Hey Chris! Stuff it!

                    The best, the most successful adventurer, is the one having the most fun.

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                    • #11
                      Would demand hard work and training to fold and roll it the same way every time . I've never even try ( for last ~ 45 years ) -) .
                      Last edited by dog; 06-07-2007, 02:48 PM.

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                      • #12
                        I agree with all of those whose say "stuff it". The best thing I like about doing this, is the short amount of time it takes to pack up everything in the morning.
                        Tom
                        --getting lost is not a waste of time

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                        • #13
                          Contrarily

                          I fold lengthwise a few times and tightly roll the tent, then rainfly and groundcloth around the poles. It always fits in the bag, takes no time, and helps for quick setup too, just unroll and that's it. I have never had a problem. I have always thought I got better weight/bulk-distribution/balance from that method. At home afterwards, my tents hang until aired out and store stuffed in large stuff sacks.
                          JLK
                          They are not dead who live in the hearts they leave behind -Tuscarora Proverb
                          I've swam in Duck Hole, have you?
                          sigpic

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                          • #14
                            How much do your tents weigh? I have one that is 2-man and about 6 lbs - is that average to pack with?
                            In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. John Muir

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by ellsaf View Post
                              How much do your tents weigh? I have one that is 2-man and about 6 lbs - is that average to pack with?
                              "Average" is relative.

                              it depends on your backpacking "mode". I have a little 2 man that will just squeeze 2 in comfortably that weighs just under 3 pounds.

                              I have another "convertible" that in 2 person mode weighs about 6.

                              there are the ultra light people who have shelters, sometimes just a silnylon tarp that weighs under a pound and is pitched using their trekking poles.

                              The conundrum is that the farther the distance I hike, the less weight I carry so my "average" is different depending on the hike I am doing.

                              One word of advice. It's very in forums to hear what all the different people are doing, how much weight they are carrying, what equipment they are using etc., and get caught in the trap of thinking that you need to change in order to be able to do better. That's not the case. if you are comfortable with the weight and the gear you are carrying and the way you are hiking, then it's fine. You probably don't need to change anything.

                              But if you are exceedingly tired at the end of a day, your back is aching from the load, your feet are hurting, etc, then you might consider making changes. I have seen people go so light, they are without any comforts and in some cases taking a risk by not having something vital with them in order to keep the weight down.

                              I still hike in $8.95 wool OD army surplus pants in the winter and I'm just as comfortable as the people wearing the $250 hi-tech miracle fabric pants.

                              Just a thought.

                              hawk
                              "If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it." Lyndon B. Johnson

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