Multi day use and stuff sacking of a "Tarp Tent" style tent

[jackattack]

Hi

recently purchased a Six Moon designs Luna Duo Outfitter, a single walled with attached side mesh walls/doors and an attached floor. not ultra light weight, it is lighter than my current MSR elixir 2 buy about a kilo. Taken the luna duo out a few times in the field car camping to get used to using a single walled tent. Last weekend was an early morning and fast pack up - tent was still wet and got a bit dirty putting it a way. I choose not to use a ground sheet.

My question is how does one deal with the issues of stuffing a single walled tent away for multi day use when wet. I do have some suggestions for myself but throwing it out there for more experienced uses to suggests strategies to reduce a soggy dirty tent on the following nights. I am used to double wall tents where I have always used a ground sheet and can store the fly and ground sheet separate from the inner, keeping the inner dry.

My list of solutions.

- Use a ground sheet and I have a tyvek one on order.

- Try and pack up and stuff tent after sun is up allowing it to dry. if not possible air out at lunch or when break in weather or a cave if rainning.

- Wipe down inner and outer with a absorbent hiking towel before stuffing.

- Stuff the outer bit first, as much as possible and try and keep floor as going in last. Tricky as all attached but trying to go nose or ridge first.

- store ground sheet separately

thoughts?

[Zapruda]

Single wall tents are a pain, unfortunately. But they are light and simple.

This is what I do. I don’t like hanging around in the cold morning waiting for it to dry, so I wipe it down with a chux cloth a few times and give it a shake. When I stop for lunch I lay it out and hope for the best. When I set it up the next night it will usually be dry by the time I go to bed.

The vast majority of my gear (sleeping bag, down jacket etc) is stored in a large dry bag and the tent goes in its own stuff sack on top of the SEALED dry bag. This method works well for me.

If you have an outside pocket on your pack you could always store it there so it gets some drying done during the day. I’m not a huge fan of this method though. I think shelters need to be packed inside your pack.

Hopefully someone else can give you some more insight.

Cheers

[crollsurf]

I'm more of a folder. roller than a stuffer.
Most important for me is getting out of my quilt without brushing the sides of the tent (which can be hard with my TT Protrail as the walls sag overnight). Seriously don't want to get my quilt wet if days of rain are expected. No rain, don't care so much.
Give the tent a shake down and wipe down the outside.
Pull stakes and poles and make sure tarp, mesh etc is inside the boundaries of the floor.
Then fold over (thirds or halfs) so width wise, it will fit in the tent bag and tarp,mesh etc are wrapped inside the floor. Then roll up, wiping dirt from under floor as a go.

Lunchtime, hang over tree or bush to dry out (same with quilt if needed) being careful wind wont rip tent. If that is not an option I will wipe down tent when I setup that evening.

[jackattack]

thanks crollsurf for the reminder of the option of folding!

This is why i posted, to pick up what was obvious and simple but missed by me!

I'm more of a folder. roller than a stuffer.
Most important for me is getting out of my quilt without brushing the sides of the tent (which can be hard with my TT Protrail as the walls sag overnight). Seriously don't want to get my quilt wet if days of rain are expected. No rain, don't care so much.
Give the tent a shake down and wipe down the outside.
Pull stakes and poles and make sure tarp, mesh etc is inside the boundaries of the floor.
Then fold over (thirds or halfs) so width wise, it will fit in the tent bag and tarp,mesh etc are wrapped inside the floor. Then roll up, wiping dirt from under floor as a go.

Lunchtime, hang over tree or bush to dry out (same with quilt if needed) being careful wind wont rip tent. If that is not an option I will wipe down tent when I setup that evening.

[jackattack]

If you have an outside pocket on your pack you could always store it there so it gets some drying done during the day. I’m not a huge fan of this method though. I think shelters need to be packed inside your pack.

Hopefully someone else can give you some more insight.

Cheers

He Zapruda, yeah tent is going in its own dry bag thingy and will be inside bag as I too feel tents need to be protected.

[Gadgetgeek]

I do a wipe-down, then try to roll the tent to contain any water as best I can, packing it apart from the dry stuff. I don't really worry about putting up a damp tent, so I've not worried about pulling it out during the day. I'd rather get into camp early and have time to set up in the light, than risk dropping anything out on the trail while moving. Only exception would be if I had the hammock fly that was wet, and wanted a bit of shade over lunch.

[norts]

Something I prefer to do when drying my tent, is when I stop for lunch is to put it up. Doesnt have to be a good set . Prefer to do this than putting it over a tree etc. I just feel safer and not likely to rip it as you pull it of the tree or bush you have thrown it over.
Taz

[Lindsay]

I use a Tarp tent Moment. Like others I give it a quick wipe down with a chux, shake it and stuff it into its sack. As it lives in the large mesh pocket on the side of my pack (Gossamer Gear Mariposa) there is no chance of it wetting anything inside. I also have a home made footprint cut from a cheap Kmart tarp that I roll around the tent bag to protect it while walking. If and when the sun comes out I stop and set up/spread the tent out to dry. Only takes a few minutes in direct sunlight.

[Neo]

Yep as above. With my TT I use a cloth to wipe any condensation inside apon waking and before packing. Outside too and a bit of a shake if it's really wet.
I stuff mine, it's so easy. Set it up during a break or when first getting to camp to dry.

[Orion]

I don't think there's really any difference between a single and double wall tent when it comes to packing one up when wet. They both get wet when it rains. They both get condensation. The only difference is that a double wall tent is better at keeping the condensation from dripping onto you while you're in it. Either way, when you pack the tent up you're going to spread all of that moisture around onto the dry parts of the tent. When I stuff my double wall Nallo tent on a wet morning I know that the inner material and the floor are going to be wet when I set it up again at the end of the day.

So what I do is.... nothing. I just stuff it into the sack and put it inside my pack (outside the liner and/or the extension sleeve). Then when I set it up I mop the floor a bit. It takes about 60 seconds. If for some reason we decide to sit around for an hour or so in the middle of a warm sunny day I'll take it out and drape it or even set it up. But usually not.

My single wall tents get the exact same treatment.

A little water and dirt is messy but pretty far down the scale in terms of minor annoyances.

[Nuts]

I guess there's multiple ways, but I packed these by grabbing the two vent hoods, flipping it into a square shape then rolling all onto the black base then into a bag. In our carry they go in the outside/front pocket with the bag opening facing down ie. if it was wet then pack up wet/ dry when the opportunity comes up (or likely that evening).. the good is that they dry very quickly with the coated polyester & so little unsealed fabric.

[Warin]

When wet I try to pack the outer separate from the inner.
The outer gets packed outside my dry stuff, in the hope that it will get dryer over the day ..

The inner usually has the floor - so it gets folded up with the floor facing outwards - that outer floor gets wiped down as it is packed to remove dirt and water.
That then gets put in the packing bag, and usually inside .. unless it is fine in which case its gets packed outside.