Stuffed? or not?

[Grounded]

I've been steadily acquiring gear instead of skeezing from others. In the process of researching I read several books. One said that you don't fold anything gear-wise you just cram it in a 'stuff' sack. That's why they're called 'stuff' sacks.

The reasoning was that folding creates repeated crimping of fabric at the same point. This causes damage over time and a weak spot. Stuffing is supposed to avoid that. Is the book full of baloney? Being the neat freak I am this goes against the grain, even if it sounds logical.

So whats the word? To stuff or not to stuff. 

[Magic City Matt]

Welcome to the club fellow neat freak. I had a hard time with this at first as well. Actually I read something interesting in Allen and Mikes really cool backpacking book. They recommend not even using stuff sacks at all unless absolutely necessary but more over to just toss everything in and shake your pack down to compress all of the spaces out. The Logic behind this is that stuff sack form hard bulky object which don't conform to the shape of the pack as well therefor wasting space. I had a really hard time with this but leave it to my wife to show me when her pack was almost a quarter less the size of mine that this really works. So I guess the trail is no place for neurosis of neatness but I can still keep my tent as clean as a whistle by gum.

[Nalgene Ninja]

How do you use gum to clean your tent? 

[Magic City Matt]

So it's a very long and arduous process but the idea is simple. First you get one of these packs of  bubble gum.I find big league chew works best. Some use bubble tape. I like the compactness and weight of big league chew better.

Step 1: Chew the gum. Yes the whole package. The less you use the longer this will take.

Step 2: Massage jaw to relieve the cramp you have from chewing all that gum

Step 3: Form Gum into a thick pancake shape

Step 4: slap gum up against the floor and side of tent to remove dirt and bgs and other nasty things. This is something of an exact science and requires practice so it does not stick permanently to your gear. Please practice at home.

Step 5: Dispose of gum. If you are brave you can enjoy the benefits of the now vitamin and protein enriched gum by re chewing it.

[Joshua Szulecki]

Doesn't that leave your tent sticky?

[Rob]

I too am a relentless neat freak! However I have learned to NOT fold my gear such as tent or any other items that have a durable water proof treatment. It actually can, over a period of time cause problems with your gear ( usually will start to leak or tear at the folds) if repeatedly folded the same way. You should also NOT store your gear, especially sleeping bags, in their stuff sacks as this causes, over a period of time, problems with loft of the insulation and if you do not properly clean and dry your gear it will most definately cause mold or mildew to grow. I still can't help myself when it comes to regular clothing though. I usually fold over at the center then roll the garment up which helps reduce wrinkling too. ( I know, when on the trail who cares about wrinkles, hence the self applied term neat FREAK.)  Happy Trails......

[HammockHanger]

stuff stuff stuff

[Lostsheep]

I go against it all. I'm the neat freak w/ the OCD, but I have a plan. Being disshelved in the outdoors wreaks havoc on the way I think things are "supposed to be", but I get over it.

I fold my tent into 1/3rds. Fold the fly into 1/3rd and place on top. Then roll it. Then put that into its stuff sack. Yes it's a little awkard at fitting, but it keeps me in check. If the space is critical and I choose the tent, I remove the fly, fold it into a square, and place it w/ my sleeping bag in my pack. This reduces the size of the tent in it's stuff sack, and keeps it nice and orderly.

The rest:

Clothes rolled into one stuff sack. Food placed into a hard 12 cup rubbermaid container for durability. Thermarest Prolite 3, folded flat and placed in the middle of my pack. When folded in half (longwise) and rolled, it's too short to strap to my pack. The rest, stuffed. Works for me.

[Grounded]

  Thanks everyone for the advice. Sorry for the late reply, I've been under the weather. Which is a nice way of saying I was putrid.

Rob, you mentioned to stuff anything w/ a water proof coating specifically. How about stuffing sleeping bags? Any dis/advantage?

I bought a new bag and promptly broke a strap off. I compressed a little too much, but they are a bear to get in that bag rolled up.

Cheers!

[Rob]

Stuff the sleeping bag, they usually come with a stuff sack, I like to use mine when on the trail because it compresses it into a manageable size, you can also purchase compressable stuff sacks if you are not concerned about the extra weight. Some folks just stuff it right in the bottom of their pack. Some packs have separate compartments for this. As mentioned in my previous post I would not reccomend leaving it in a stuff sack when storing it, this can lead to problems with the loft of the fill, especially in synthetic bags. Over a period of time the fill can start to clump. My Mountain Hardwear bag also came with a huge duffle bag to store it in, which doesnt compress it at all. When in doubt, stuff it! Hope this helps. There may be other oppinions on this subject out there, but this is what works for me.    Happy Trails!