Packing and Transporting Tents
There are a lot of things to consider when going on a
trip. You have to think about what
you have to bring and how you are going to bring it.
The same goes for camping.
Depending on what kind of outdoor
trip you have planned, your gear will be transported accordingly.
Tents for one need special care and
attention. Apart from your sleeping
bag, your tent will be your most important shield against bugs and the
weather. Keeping that in mind, here
are some things to think about for that beginner expedition.
If you are going on a family trip, a much bigger tent
will be needed. Most likely, you will
be driving to camp for this one. This
doesn’t mean, though, that you can just throw everything in the family car
and all will be well. Tents use a special coating to keep them rain
resistant or even completely rain proof… for a while.
This coating doesn’t last forever, so
to make sure it is preserved for a longer period, take measures to keep the
tent dry before you even reach camp. If
it is on a roof rack, use a tarp or canvas to cover your gear.
It is even better if you can keep the
tent inside the vehicle.
Still, with that weather coating in mind, it is better
to stuff the tent fabric inside its intended stuff sack.
Folding the tent creates creases on
the flysheet and body, further breaking down said coating.
Stuffing ensures that areas aren’t
folded the same way twice, thereby lessening this occurrence.
Of course, the tent was bought with
your protection in mind. This means
that you have to place the tent where it can be reached much faster in case
of rain. If it is inside a backpack,
putting it in an easily accessible compartment, or on top, will do the
trick. Pitching is the first thing
one should do when reaching the camp area, and therefore, this precaution is
very important.
Speaking of backpacks, keeping the tent easily within
reach is not the only thing to keep in mind.
For hiking trips, splitting the tent pieces among the other campers
will ease your load. Strapping the
poles outside the pack is a good tip for packing the tent, as well as using
a water proof stuff sack for the tent fabrics.
Keeping your other gear water free is
also essential.
Here’s something that will help for winter camping.
When packing up to go home in the
snowy wild, you might end up wondering why it is so difficult stuffing the
tent into the sack. The reason is
that your tent takes up less space in the sack when packed inside your
warmer house. In the cold, around a
quarter more space is needed. To
counter this, bring a much larger stuff sack when going on a camping trip.
With all of this in mind, your next
foray into the great outdoors might not be as troublesome as the last time.
If this is your first time, consider
yourself prepared.
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