TIL my old way of packing a tent was just wrong

For years, I just stuffed my tent back into its bag. Rolled it up messy, shoved it in. Figured it was fine. Then on a trip to the White Mountains last fall, my buddy saw me do it. He said, 'You know that wrecks the waterproof coating, right?' He showed me his method. You fold it neatly along the original seams, then roll it tight from the foot end. No creases in the same spots. I've done it his way for about six months now. The tent looks newer, and it dries way faster after rain. I was creating weak spots for no reason. Anyone else have a basic gear habit they had to unlearn?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_ray19d ago

Nah, hold up. I gotta disagree a little with michaeladams here. Its not just about preference, stuffing a tent in a ball really does grind dirt and grit into the seams over time. That's what wears out the waterproof coating faster, not just normal use. But I also think theamason is overcorrecting a bit. You don't need to fold it perfectly along the original seams every time. Just don't cram it in like a rag. A loose roll, even a messy one, is way better than a tight fold in the same spot over and over because that creates a permanent crease. The real trick is just shaking out the dirt before you put it away. That alone makes a bigger difference than how you roll it.

theamason23d ago

That line about "creating weak spots for no reason" really hit home for me. I used to do the same messy roll and just cram it in the bag, figured tents were built tough enough to handle it. Now I take the extra two minutes to fold along the seams and it's wild how much better the tent fits in its stuff sack and dries out after a rainy trip.

michaeladams23d ago

lol @theamason i mean yeah folding it nicer probably helps but ppl act like youre destroying your tent if you dont do it some perfect way. i stuffed my old tent in a ball for like 5 years and it still worked fine until i finally replaced it for a different reason. waterproof coating degrades over time no matter what you do, especially if you actually use the tent in rain. sounds like your buddy just had a preference, not a major rule.