How To: Pack Your Tent

Pack up and hit the trail.

Even though your tent comes packed in a "Stuff sack", it may be better to think of it as a "Roll sack". Trying to stuff your tent into its sack can be a tall order, and can end up with you ripping your stuff sack and needing a replacement. Instead, follow these steps to efficiently pack up and put away your tent.

Make Sure Your Tent Is Dry

Even after a dry night in the backcountry, your tent will often end up with condensation on the fly due to temperature changes as the sun rises. Do your best to shake off any moisture, and leave your tent in a sunny area to dry before you pack it away.

If time constraints force to put your tent away wet, be sure to allow it to dry fully at home before you store it for any long period of time. Long term storage of a wet tent can lead to unrepairable (and potentially dangerous) mold and mildew on your tent. 

Put Away Your Poles

Collect your poles and break them down. Put them into your pole sack and set aside.

Lay Out Your Body And Fly

Find a flat, dry area to lay out your tent body and tent fly. 

Fold

Fold your fly in half lengthwise so that there is a long straight edge down the middle, and it is about as wide as your pole sack is long. Repeat with your tent body.

Roll

This is the most important step. Once your fly and tent body are folded, lay them on top of each other, grab your poles, and tightly roll them around your poles in your pole sack. 

Stuff

If you've rolled your tent nice and tight, you should find that it fits easily into your stuff sack, with minimum force or stuffing. If that's not the case, unroll and give it another try.