Packing up my tent

[abmacus]

I just got my Hubba Hubba tent. I am trying to work out the best method to pack it away nice and small. The stuff sack/bad they provide could fit my 4 man weekender in. I have thought about using an event stuff sac that someone gave me as a pressie once. Would this damage the tent if used on walks and then when I got home put it back into its normal bag. The only other experience that I have had with light tents was some Black Wolf (I think ) and it had this very nice bag which you rolled up your tent and then was able to use some straps along the bags sides to compress it down to a small size. I carried the pole separately in my pack.
Any hints as to get the tent down to a small pack size without causing too much damage are welcome

Cheers

[alanoutgear]

I agree - the HH tent bag is a monster. I use a couple of loops of elastic shock cord to compress the bag and that works well for me.

[corvus]

alanoutgear ,
I really doubt that you could damage (unless you try) your tent by putting it in an alternate "stuff sack" in my opinion the tent carry bag is just that a bag to pack your tent in not a "stuff sack" which are for sleeping bags IMHO
corvus

[Franco]

A larger than strictly necessary bag makes it easier to pack the tent when it is wet. Not only because nylon expands when cold and or wet but also because you are less likly to fold it up taut in the situation.
Your pack will provide the compression...
Franco

[norts]

I use alot of double sided velcro, for holding things closed that have been rolled or folded, definitely use a piece on my tents.
Stops them unrolling as you put it in the bag.

Roger

[andrewa]

Use anything that work for you. You won't damage it. If using a tent with separate fly and inner, i tend to roll them separately and put them in appropriate sized stuff sacks, and pack the bits separately. If using my H'berg, where the inner and fly are most easily packed together, I use a sack appropriate to what they roll up to, but I also carry a silinylon sack for the fly should I want to separate it if it's wet.

A

[JohnM]

I've found lots of stuff sacks in your pack are a false economy: they just create pockets of space that can't be filled.

Like Franco says, better to just put it in your pack in a roomy sack, and let all the other things around it provide the compression.

I went stuff sack mad once... It was like carrying around a whole bunch of nylon rocks... heaps of dead space everywhere, and no overall improvement in pack space. Took ages stuffing everything into it's special little sack in the mornings though. A real P.I.T.A on cold mornings, with cold fingers. Now the only things I compress are sleeping bag and down vest/jacket.

[MartyGwynne]

I agree, I just roll my HH up with the fly sort of rolled up in the tent and place it in the supplied sack and manage to squish it down with other gear packing onto or around it.
I do stow the poles and pegs separate though and not in the tent bag when walking.
But yes it is a big bag, I can also put my home made footprint in the bag as well as the tent (plenty of room).