Stuff, roll, or fold

[Parma]

What is your preferred method of packing your backpacking tent?
Stuff it, roll it, or fold it?
Do you do one way in the field and another when you pack it for long term?
Just curious to how others do it?

 

[Adventures With BeeGee]

I fold it until its the length of the poles and then roll it. It's the method I use in the field and when I'm at home.

 

[Nick]

Most of my tents get folded and rolled. Well most of it anyway. For some of the I usually end up kind of balling up the fly into a wad. Something in between folding, rolling and stuffing. My old Missing Link was easier to just stuff though.

 

[gnwatts]

I wrap it around my tent poles and stuff it. I leave it in storage in a large bag, loosely "stuffed".

 

[Noun Sequitur]

I stuff. Related question... do you bring the tent pins? They are heavy enough that I leave them behind. Have any of you been in a situation where you were glad you had (or wish you had) tent pins?

 

[Nick]

By pins, do you mean stakes?

 

[Noun Sequitur]

Sorry yeah. The ones that came with my tent are barely big enough to qualify as golf tees let alone stakes.

 

[Nick]

Ha! Yeah, I'd never heard them called that.

If I'm going to bother bringing my full tent and fly, then I bring the stakes. I think all of my tents would actually require them to setup the fly. And if it really gets windy, it's nice to have the body staked down even if it's weighted down nicely to keep it from flapping around a lot.

 

[Parma]

I always bring the stakes. I have bought lighter ones though. Some of the stakes you get with your tent can be pretty heavy for their size.

 

[Noun Sequitur]

I haven't used the fly in a while but I believe mine clips to the same tabs that the tent poles fit in to. The only stake I need for structural support is the one for the vestibule. I've always thought that my fat self would be enough to hold the tent down... but I suppose if i ever was caught in a strong wind, I'd probably regret leaving the stakes behind.

That's a good idea to find lighter stakes. Mine are small to the point of wondering if they are even useful... and they are made out of steel and disproportionally heavy.

 

[Joey]

What is your preferred method of packing your backpacking tent?
Stuff it, roll it, or fold it?
Do you do one way in the field and another when you pack it for long term?
Just curious to how others do it?

I stuff it in my backpack. I do the combo fold/roll around my tent poles and then stuff it in its storage sack when storing it.

 

[Joey]

I stuff. Related question... do you bring the tent pins? They are heavy enough that I leave them behind. Have any of you been in a situation where you were glad you had (or wish you had) tent pins?

Yes I bring the stakes, and yes I've been in situations where the stakes weren't enough to hold down the tent. I almost always stake down guy lines as well. I guess it has a lot to do with where you are camping.

Some times I bring the stakes and don't use them, but that's rare. And some of my tents aren't free standing, so they require stakes to hold them in place.

 

[TannerT]

X2 to what @Joey said.

 

[The Rookie Backpacker]

I stuff mine into bag it came with but pack poles separately in pack (poles running down corner of pack/ tent compresses much smaller away from poles). I get more room in pack that way. When at home/long term, I keep it open and hung in the garage to ensure it breathes.

Great question! Thanks for posting!

 

[Laura]

One of my first backpacking experiences in the desert was to get caught in a heavy rainstorm. I learned to always use stakes! I also learned on that trip to always keep my tp in some sort of waterproof bag. Most leaves have no absorbent properties whatsoever.

 

[Bob]

Stuff...my tent, footprint, stakes stuffs into the size of half liter water bottle. Poles are in separate sleeve. MSR ground hog stakes or the blue Easton round ones......both weigh in at about .3 ounces. TP, I carry two Ziplocs of it .....if one gets wet you have another

 

[Yvonne]

usually I stuff it with the stakes and poles come seperately.
If I camp in the desert without the fly, I fold my tent and then pack it in a small bag.

 

[Vegan.Hiker]

I guess it has a lot to do with where you are camping.

I was just going to say this. In the northeast it's never a good idea to leave the stakes or fly at home no matter what the forecast is. Even on a lean to platform (where you can't stake) surrounded by 3 walls, I've had problems with wind throwing my tent around.

About stakes, I have an ultralight backpacking book that has a clever idea. It says to replace just one of your stakes wih one of the wider types so that it doubles as a trowel. Even non free standing tents will usually be okay if you pull one stake out temporarily. I doubt it'll save much weight but I like cutting down on the number of items by having things serve multiple purposes. Less clutter and one less thing to remember.

 

[605troutbum]

I prefer to roll and wrap it around the other stuff in my pack. I love this about backpacking! Even the tiniest stuff like this matters, maybe Im just a bit of an ocd gear junkie.

 

[Michael]

We split the weight of 2.7 kg.
I fold and roll our tent, store it in a bag w/ two Ziplocs of titanium stakes, stuff it in my backpack. A lightweight footprint outside of the backpack. Poles are in a separate bag, carried by Heike.


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