Took me 8 trips to realize I was packing my tent wrong

I kept shoving the poles and rainfly into the stuff sack separately for 3 years. It was my neighbor at a campsite near Lake Tahoe who showed me you're supposed to bundle them all together and roll the fabric around them. Has anyone else missed something this basic after years of camping?

3 comments

3 Comments

uma_williams4d ago

The real trick nobody mentions (and I only figured out after watching a YouTube video) is that the tent fabric should be loosely folded, not stuffed, so the poles don't warp over time. Tight stuffing puts constant pressure on the pole joints and can cause micro-fractures that lead to snapping on a windy night. Taking 30 extra seconds to roll it correctly might save you from a broken tent pole mid-trip.

mason_lopez4d ago

Wow... that's actually a really good point. I never thought about the poles getting warped from tight stuffing. Always figured the bag was just the bag, you know? But I've definitely had poles start to feel weird after a few trips. Makes me wonder how many broken poles are really just from bad packing instead of actual manufacturing issues. Probably gonna take those extra 30 seconds from now on for sure.

rubyk264d ago

That thing about "taking 30 extra seconds to roll it correctly" is so true. I had the same problem for like two summers where I just stuffed my tent any old way. Then I started doing the bundle-and-roll method like you're describing, and it made a HUGE difference. My poles used to feel all bent out of shape after a few trips, but now they slide together smooth every time. Plus it takes way less space in my pack when I roll the fabric tight around the poles. It's one of those small tricks that saves you so much headache later.