this might be a stupid question but i dont have the right size stuff sack for my tent, i do however have an empty pocket in my backpack that i can stuff it into, is this going to damage it in anyway? or is this an ok way to pack it
It should be fine. In fact, you can pack it without a stuff sack inside the main compartment and not hurt it. (Well, not unless you're carrying a lot of rocks or other abrasive stuff in there.)
Stuff sacks mostly serve to organize things, or to keep dry things separated from potentially wet things. They're handy, but not mandatory.
Registered: 02/05/03
Posts: 3292
Loc: Portland, OR
The act of stuffing a tent shouldn't hurt it, unless you're jamming it into the same space with sharp items that could hurt it. It might become damaged if the pocket where you stuff it is an external mesh pocket, where it could be exposed to sharp things outside your pack, such as tree branches.
Just practice a bit of care and you should be fine.
Registered: 02/26/07
Posts: 1149
Loc: Washington State, King County
You might consider getting a plastic grocery sack and stuffing the tent into the sack, and both into the pack mesh. If something cuts or abrades the pack mesh into where the tent is, better that the first point of contact is the disposable sack.
Perhaps go for one of the better (not really really thin) type of plastic sacks. Grocery store plastic sacks are very thin, but sometimes other stores give out somewhat beefier plastic shopping bags (I cache those against the day when all plastic shopping sacks are eliminated).
its not a mesh pocket, i believe its the pocket where my sleeping bag is meant to go but i have a stuff sack for my sleeping back and it fits nicely inside the main compartment of the pack so i dont really need the sleeping bag compartment anyway.
First off....you can get that tent into the stuff sack it came with. Every tent has a "trick" to getting it in that bag. Cheap tents are harder to get in because the manufacturer generally makes the stuff sack just big enough to fit a tent that was packed by a machine. However, if you look at the floor construction, you can generally figure out how it is suppose to be rolled up. With nicer tents, for some reason, the manufacturer gives the user a bigger stuff sack.
At any rate...it doesn't matter if you stuff it anywhere in your pack. I sometimes stuff the tent separate from the poles to fit better in the pack. The biggest thing to think about is what will you do with it when it gets wet.
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Stuff it anywhere it will fit! There are no rules and some of us forego stuff sacks for things like tents to save weight. You can even roll it and lash it to the outside of your pack, especially when wet. Take care to fold/roll/stuff it with any netting or delicate bits towards the inside and try and keep it away from sharp metal or plastic things that might cut or abate the tent.
Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
My tent goes in one of the side pockets of my pack, so I can get at it without letting the pack contents get rained on. It is inside a stuff sack, for protection. If your outside pocket isn't mesh, the stuff sack isn't necessary. Yes, the tent will often be wet, and must be kept away from the dry stuff in your pack.
There will be more room in the tent's stuff sack, and less pressure/friction on the tent, if you carry the poles separately. Or you can get a slightly larger lightweight silnylon stuff sack.
Edited by OregonMouse (02/25/1401:06 AM)
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Another good tip is to stuff it in a way that it never folds in the same areas. Otherwise the wall of the tent might get damaged due to constant folding. A plastic bag is a must only if the wall of the tent is made of mesh, or you are going to store the tent alongside sharp objects.
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