Growing up I alway's was taught to roll and fold my tent real nice like so being rolled up it may fit in the carrying bag. Many old tents tho didn't have carrying bags.

Sleeping bag-same thing. Switched from a roller to a stuffer.

I bet now most people are getting to be stuffy people.

Stuff

Roll the tent. Stuff the sleeping bag. Roll the tarp.

I roll tents and stuff sleeping bags.

Stuff both...didn’t even know stuffing was an option until my first BW trip when someone else mentioned it. I think it’s a fair amount of time and energy savings.

Both.
Always start with tent & tarp folded / rolled.
As trip goes on I sometimes stuff or even leave loose to fill up space in a Duluth Pack.
A saggy pack can be miserable.

Use to hate it when I rolled the tent up and it was to big for the sack, so I would start all over.

I fold & roll tents. I stuff everything else. Once home, the sleeping bag is unstuffed and the tarp is folded.

Fold and roll the tent, but our current tent has some short poles attached that make that necessary. We stuff the tarp and sleeping bags. Everything is stored loose back home.

Roll my Tarptent because of the struts. Yes I can take the struts out but why?

Like andym and Blatz, my tent has struts attached and the maker's recommendation is to roll. The tent bag is plenty big enough for it to easily fit. YBMV . . .

I've stuffed other tents in the past.

Sometimes it depends on how much of a hurry I am in.

Stuff everything--one of our early tents showed focused degradation of the floor's polyurethane coating along the fold lines.

TZ

Stuffer. I'm way too poor to afford to be a roller.

deerfoot: "Sometimes it depends on how much of a hurry I am in."

Not if Uncle Phil was watching, John! (bit of an inside joke, sorry...)

I use to roll but became a stuffer when I made my 1.1 oz silnylon tarp. It never touches the ground and never gets all that dirt and stuff on it when wet. When I got my Nemo Losi tent it came with a burrito bag for stuffing the tent and fly, and it’s so much nicer and faster. I just wish I could stuff my air mattress too.

Blatz: "Roll my Tarptent because of the struts. Yes I can take the struts out but why?"

Yeah, mine is a Tarptent too.

Roll the tent and tarp and stuff the sleeping bag.

Roll tent, roll tarp, stuff sleeping bag.

I graduated from a roller to a stuffer about a decade ago. When I started updating my gear to lighter, backpack trip friendly versions, it seemed rolling was no longer necessary.

Stuff my nylon tent, tarp, and down sleeping bag. I do roll my inflatable air mattress.

rtallent: "

deerfoot: "Sometimes it depends on how much of a hurry I am in."

Not if Uncle Phil was watching, John! (bit of an inside joke, sorry...)"

Yes Ray, things started to go downhill once Phil retired from the bush.

Stuff, stuff, stuff! Faster, easier, cleaner, everything always fits.

mgraber: "Stuff, stuff, stuff! Faster, easier, cleaner, everything always fits."

agree 100%

Roll the tents and tarps, stuff the sleeping bags.

It totally depends on the item. Sleeping bags get stuffed (down-fill)
CCS tarps and Lean get stuffed.
Hammock stuffed
Snowtrekker-rolled with poles.
Actually, most tents get rolled with poles inside.
Expeds rolled up very tight because they make the stuff sacks too dang small.
Js rolled and stuffed ;)

Pinetree: "Growing up I alway's was taught to roll and fold my tent real nice like so being rolled up it may fit in the carrying bag. Many old tents tho didn't have carrying bags.

Sleeping bag-same thing. Switched from a roller to a stuffer.

I bet now most people are getting to be stuffy people."

I always stuff my Eureka Timberline. I think the material retains some "memory" and so I don't fold it...ie: not creasled repeatedly in the same area.
My big canvas Eureka 12x12 wal tent is different. There's no way I could stuff it so that does get folded.
Sleeping bag - stuffed.

They are called "stuff bag" for a reason. ;)

Roll the tent body. And stuff the tents rain fly. Stuff CCS kitchen fly, and stuff the sleeping bag... and stuff my belly even though it looks like a roll!

Stuff both

A few years ago MIT did some silly research into crumpling paper over and over, the equivalent of stuffing. The research found that the tiny paper folds tend to be in the same place over and over, so after a bunch of crumpling, the entire piece of paper was weaker because of the number of tiny folds that had been folded multiple times. Applying that to a tarp or tent, one might surmise that stuffing will weaken all of the fabric more than folding and just keeping an eye on the folds, sealing when necessary. Also, we all know tents and tarps never fold the same way twice. :)

On the other hand, sleeping bags are filled with fibers that you don't want all nice and flattened out, so stuff away.

In the end, we have stuffers and folders on these boards and if either was a problem, we wouldn't do it.

~M

Have always rolled my tent, stuff the sleeping bags.

Thinking about getting a stuff sack with compression straps for the tent.

I stuff the tent, sleeping bag and tarp... if it goes into a stuff sack, I stuff it.

I use a hammock instead of a tent, but all of my things are stuffed.

I stuff everything except my sleeping pad, and only because I can't. Stuffing causes mainly random edges and fold points. Rolling causes consistent 180 degree folds and stiffer edges that wear more. It just causes too much wear and tear when the same creases are used over and over, then that crease in on the end where the rolled tent comes in contact, through the stuff sack, with the ground, other objects in the pack, and whatever else you are transporting it with. Stuffing doesn't have the same corners that rolling does and conforms to fit the space better. It's a no-brainer.

Stuff the sleeping bag and tarp. Roll the tent with the fly inside.

Mike

A1t2o: "Stuffing causes mainly random edges and fold points. Rolling causes consistent 180 degree folds and stiffer edges that wear more. It just causes too much wear and tear when the same creases are used over and over, then that crease in on the end where the rolled tent comes in contact, through the stuff sack, with the ground, other objects in the pack, and whatever else you are transporting it with. Stuffing doesn't have the same corners that rolling does and conforms to fit the space better. It's a no-brainer."

This makes sense to me, but so does the opposite argument that has been made (that fewer and more concentrated folds are easier to repair). Does anyone have any data on this? I doubt any individual has enough tent experience to make anything but anecdotal conclusions. I'd think a tarp or tent manufacturer would have enough experience.

The MIT study is interesting, but it how does crumpling compare to 180 degree folds? And is paper a good proxy for camping gear? I wouldn't think most camping gear forms creases like paper which would cause it to fold in the same places.

Chuckles: "

A1t2o: "Stuffing causes mainly random edges and fold points. Rolling causes consistent 180 degree folds and stiffer edges that wear more. It just causes too much wear and tear when the same creases are used over and over, then that crease in on the end where the rolled tent comes in contact, through the stuff sack, with the ground, other objects in the pack, and whatever else you are transporting it with. Stuffing doesn't have the same corners that rolling does and conforms to fit the space better. It's a no-brainer."

This makes sense to me, but so does the opposite argument that has been made (that fewer and more concentrated folds are easier to repair). Does anyone have any data on this? I doubt any individual has enough tent experience to make anything but anecdotal conclusions. I'd think a tarp or tent manufacturer would have enough experience.


The MIT study is interesting, but it how does crumpling compare to 180 degree folds? And is paper a good proxy for camping gear? I wouldn't think most camping gear forms creases like paper which would cause it to fold in the same places. "

The idea is more that we are avoiding a build up of wear and tear in certain spots that might lose their waterproofing or even wear through before the rest of the material degrades. If you spread that out, it should take longer for defects to form. Typically, you don't repair tent at this point anyway, except for a coat of waterproofing. If you are wearing through the material, you probably just get a new one.

I just know that I'd rather see it well used and completely worn out rather than specific fail points while the rest looks to be in good condition still. At least with the first option I would feel like I got my money's worth out of it.

"This makes sense to me, but so does the opposite argument that has been made (that fewer and more concentrated folds are easier to repair). Does anyone have any data on this? I doubt any individual has enough tent experience to make anything but anecdotal conclusions. I'd think a tarp or tent manufacturer would have enough experience.


The MIT study is interesting, but it how does crumpling compare to 180 degree folds? And is paper a good proxy for camping gear? I wouldn't think most camping gear forms creases like paper which would cause it to fold in the same places. "

Good question. But when I stuff my tarp, I can see tiny folds. If I can see tiny folds, then chances would seem to be that when I stuff it again, it will naturally fold where those tiny folds are. But I wonder how many of those are 180 degrees? There outta be another study! :)

I roll my tent, poles safely in the middle. Then it fits right in the bag for packing. As for creasing in the same spots over and over again, it's unlikely I'm folding in the exact same spots every time.
I roll my sleeping bags when they're stored away or if I have lots of time, but during the trip when breaking down camp for the day's journey I'm likely to stuff the bag.

Stuff, I read that folding neatly creates creases that break down the material over time. Especially bad for tents. The fact that it is also more fun is just bonus.

MississippiDan: "Stuff my nylon tent, tarp, and down sleeping bag. I do roll my inflatable air mattress."

Oh, true, that is the one thing I do roll.

Your research contradicts my preferred research, and I reject it. Nay, I rebuke it.

Darn it. That does make sense though. Sigh. Well, my husband will be pleased.

Mesaba: "A few years ago MIT did some silly research into crumpling paper over and over, the equivalent of stuffing. The research found that the tiny paper folds tend to be in the same place over and over, so after a bunch of crumpling, the entire piece of paper was weaker because of the number of tiny folds that had been folded multiple times. Applying that to a tarp or tent, one might surmise that stuffing will weaken all of the fabric more than folding and just keeping an eye on the folds, sealing when necessary. Also, we all know tents and tarps never fold the same way twice. :)


On the other hand, sleeping bags are filled with fibers that you don't want all nice and flattened out, so stuff away.


In the end, we have stuffers and folders on these boards and if either was a problem, we wouldn't do it.


~M"

Tents and tarps are not paper, paper is stiff. I'd bet money the tiny folds from stuffing a tarp or tent are also never in the same place, same as your claim about folds. I usually sell my tents after about 10 years of hard use and get something newer, but have never seen a shred of evidence that stuffing harmed my tarps or tent.

I wrapped some recording gear once for a TV cameraman. Key word - once.
He said to never, ever wrap cable. Just stuff it.
Ever since, I stuff. All of it.

I stuff both

I stuff sleeping bags; roll tents and do both with tarps.

mgraber: "Tents and tarps are not paper, paper is stiff. I'd bet money the tiny folds from stuffing a tarp or tent are also never in the same place, same as your claim about folds. I usually sell my tents after about 10 years of hard use and get something newer, but have never seen a shred of evidence that stuffing harmed my tarps or tent."

Yep, the same with rolling.
I guess for me the disorderliness and ill-fit inside tent bag are what would bug me most about stuffing.

Roll my clothes and tent
Stuff my sleeping bag
I roll my stuff on the ground so I I’m not a high roller!

Fold tent and fly to about the size of the back of the food pack and put the food barrels in front and fill in with the rest. It helps cushion the back of the pack. The mostly deflated sleeping pads are folded and used to cushion the back of the other 2 packs.

Depends on the tent. I stuff most tents, but my 1-person Bowfin Tarptent has to be rolled because it has some integrated pole type parts and the stuff sack is super long and skinny. I also do a rough fold on my CCS tarp because I like to stick it down along the shoulders of my pack.

Sleeping bags stuff better than roll IMO unless they are a slumber party bag :)

Tent - Both - Depends if the tent is inside my pack or outside my pack
Sleeping bag - stuffed & compression when out and about

Stuff Quilts and put the Tarp into tarp sleeves. I keep one end of my Hammock attached to the tree and roll it up before disconnecting and stuffing into bag (faster).

When used, I stuff the Tent and Sleeping Bag. I fold my Sleep Pad, and use it against my back inside the pack.

I roll my clothes, but stuff my down and other poufy items.