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Most, if not all, backpacking tents come rolled, but is it best for the tent, or is it just to make us buyers feel good about a clean, crisp, costly piece of gear that we'll store in the basement, garage or closet most of the year? In fact, it's both. But for many of the world's most popular tent manufacturers, it's also good for the life of the tent. "It's better for the tent in appearance and for the long-term wear and tear on a tent," said Sean McDevitt, a Mountain Hardwear designer. He, nor Mountain Hardwear, is alone. MSR, EMS, Kelty, Sierra Designs and The North Face all say rolling your tent is better for it as well. But there's a catch One common thought about rolling a tent is that it'll create permanent creases in the fabric thus making it weaker and less weatherproof. All of the aforementioned companies acknowledge some potential truth in that, but not enough to outweigh the cons of stuffing your shelter in its stuff sack Ð at least for long-term storage. "I have never met anyone who can fold and roll their tent the exact same way every time," said Dale Karacostas, MSR's tent and shelter product director. However, Suzanne Turell, Nemo Equipment's product design director, disagrees. Turell said stuffing is the best thing for a tent because of its technical fabrics and the threat of creasing it along the same lines. "Stuffing your tent ensures randomness so that you aren't ever stressing out the same areas, and it also gives moisture a better chance of escaping," Turell said. While six of the seven tent manufacturers talked to agree rolling is ultimately better for the tent, most designers both stuff and roll their personal tents depending on the situation. Big Agnes tent designer Chris Pottinger, who said it ultimately doesn't matter whether you stuff or roll, is one who does both. "When I'm backpacking I'll stuff the tent. I usually pack the poles and stakes separately from the tent. When I'm car camping I loosely fold then roll," Pottinger said. But if you're still stuck on stuffing, the designers all reiterated that you should be careful to not push the poles or stakes into the tent's mesh fabric. It's also a great idea to let your tent completely dry out of its bag when you're back from your trip, make sure zippers are clean (especially in Southern Utah's dusty climate), and store it loosely in a dark, dry area. So while you can continue debating the merits of tent packing, I'll be listening to the majority of main manufacturers, including my tent's maker, and continue rolling mine. By Ryan Dionne http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20090828/SPORTS/908280326Cutline: While many people advocate for either stuffing or rolling a tent to pack it, many major tent manufacturers recommend rolling tents to ensure longer tent life.
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