The moment I realized I was packing my tent wrong for 5 years

I’ve been camping since high school and always just stuffed my tent back into that original sack. Last summer at a site near Lake Tahoe, my buddy pointed out my tent was getting these tiny crease tears near the poles. He said rolling it loosely instead of cramming it in can double the life of the fabric. I looked it up later and sure enough, the constant tight packing creates weak spots over time. Now I’m wondering how many other little gear habits I’ve got backwards. Anyone else have a moment where someone showed you a basic trick that saved your equipment?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaret_kelly5527d ago

Cringe remembering how many tents I probably wrecked.

ben_nguyen26d agoMost Upvoted

Those early attempts at putting up a tent without much practice definitely left a trail of bent poles and tangled rain flies. Most of us probably broke a few before we figured out you really need to stake the corners first. At least we learned from the experience and maybe saved someone else from the same frustration.