Explore It!

    During an unofficial poll, answers seemed split down the middle on whether to roll a tent or stuff it when packing it either for the off-season or between camps.

    Many of the most adamant answers were from people who were die-hard stuffers. Others, like me, heard both sides of the argument, saw substance in both and still didn’t know what to do.

    So instead of staying in the dark, I went straight to the people who ought to know – tent designers at some of the most well-known tent manufacturers in the world.

Explore It!: Do you recommend stuffing or rolling your tents and why?

Big Agnes: I say do what suits you. Be cautious of poking the tent with pegs, poles, twigs or what have you. – Chris Pottinger, tent designer

Eastern Mountain Sports: I prefer to roll when stored, so as I roll I clean off any debris on the tent that can damage the materials. Plus it is better for the coatings to have the materials be as flat as possible. I will stuff in the field to be quick. – Tony Roina, equipment sourcing and product engineering director

Kelty/Sierra Designs: It is best to roll/stuff/fold your tent a different way each time. This way you will not create permanent creases in the same place of the tent. A good way to store your tent is to fold the body of the tent in thirds length-wise. Drape the rainfly over the folded body so that no part of the rainfly is wider than the folded body. Lay the collapsed poles and the stakes across one end of the folded tent. Loosely roll up the tent from one end to the other, rolling it around the poles and stakes. – Phil Mesdag, product manager

Mountain Hardwear: Rolling, it’s better for the tent in appearance and for the long-term wear and tear on a tent. – Sean McDevitt, designer

MSR: Some will argue that rolling a tent repeatedly will form permanent creases and will lead to the weakening of the fabric. I have never met anyone who can fold and roll their tent the exact same way every time. When you need to save space in or on your pack, roll the tent. If you are caught in a storm and you need to quickly pack your tent up or if space is not a concern, then just stuff it. – Dale Karacostas, tent and shelter product director

Nemo Equipment: I recommend stuffing tents. Tent fabrics have a lot of technical coatings to keep them waterproof, breathable (in some cases), UV resistant, and have other specific properties. Repeatedly creasing your tents along the exact same fold lines will stress and wear out those technical properties faster than other parts of the tent. Stuffing your tent ensures randomness so that you aren’t ever stressing out the same areas, and it also gives moisture a better chance of escaping. – Suzanne Turell, product design director

The North Face: Not as much care goes in to stuffing and can often result in catching and tearing mesh, poles getting stuck into mesh or tent body, etc. If you look at a brand new tent in the stuff sack, they are usually folded and rolled up tight. The poles and stakes are almost always in the middle of the fabric. This is also good practice for backpackers if you are going to store your poles with your tent. – Scott McGuire, equipment product director

Explore It!: Does it depend on the type of tent or the material?

Big Agnes: No. Not really.

EMS: Nope, but sometimes keeping polyester flies and nylon floors away from each other are better when wet. This is why I stuff separate in the field. Nylon color can migrate onto polyester when wet.

Kelty/SD: This goes for any fabric type.

Mountain Hardwear: No.

MSR: My experience is limited to lightweight backpacking tents, but I believe that this would hold true for most backpacking tents.

Nemo: There is no tent, to my knowledge, that doesn’t even try to be water resistant/proof. As long as you have coated fabrics, creasing and stressing of fabrics is always going to be an issue.  With a folded tent, you might have a slightly smoother looking tent when you first pull it out of the bag to set it up, but when you are talking about shelter function comes first.

The North Face: For a super light tent, I recommend folding and rolling. It keeps the mesh “inside” and away from the dirt that may remain on the floor. It also makes one more cautious and aware of the dirt, debris and care needed on the tent as it is stored. If it is an expedition tent, it is bomber.

Explore It!: Are your tents sold stuffed or rolled? If opposite of what you recommend, why?

Big Agnes: They are loosely folded then rolled. It’s a clean presentation to the customer.

EMS: We roll them at the factory.

Kelty/SD: Our tents are sold rolled.

Mountain Hardwear: They come rolled. I don’t think anyone sells tents stuffed.

MSR: Our tents are sold rolled. This is so that they take up the least amount of space in transit as well as look nice and crisp when they are set up for the first time.

Nemo: Our tents are sold rolled because this offers the neatest presentation for customers when they are making a purchase decision.

The North Face: The North Face tents are rolled, which is easy care in the factory.

Explore It!: Do you stuff or roll your personal tent(s)?

Big Agnes: When I’m backpacking I’ll stuff the tent. I usually pack the poles and stakes separately from the tent. When I’m car camping I loosely fold then roll.

EMS: Roll for storage, stuff in the field.

Kelty/SD: I roll my personal tent - it packs better in my pack (less bulk) and looks a little better when set up (I am a tent guy, so I want my tent to look good!).

Mountain Hardwear: Roll, religiously.

MSR: I usually roll my tents, but if they are wet or if I am in a hurry, I just stuff them.

Nemo: I always stuff my tents. It’s faster, easier, and most importantly – better for the tent.

The North Face: I stuff while out and stuff depending on weather. I roll once I clean and put the tent away.

Mountain Hardwear Dome Perignon hat

• Pros: Windproof; Fully covers ears; Doesn’t permanently stretch
• Cons: Breathability is to be desired; Only comes in men’s; Not the most fashionable
• Bottom Line: It’s not designed for high fashion, but the Dome Perignon will definitely keep your head warm in nearly any frigid condition – well worth the small price tag.
• MSRP: $30

Mountain Hardwear’s Web site

Keeping your noggin warm is crucial to cold-weather fun.
Whether you’re working hard or hardly working, if you have a frigid head, the rest of your body is bound to be cold.
And as with many outdoor adventures, windproof material is a pretty solid place to start when looking for a new winter hat.
The Mountain Hardwear Dome Perignon hat is just that – impenetrable to wind.
It’s made almost entirely of fleece, has a Gore Windstopper liner that keeps wind at bay, and it dips down to fully cover your ears.
The hat, which comes in small, medium and large, has an ear band that stretches in the back for a more comfortable fit.
I’ve worn mine, which I’ve had for more than seven years, in sub-zero Minnesota blizzards, snowshoeing in Utah, skiing in Colorado and snowmobiling in Wisconsin.
My head has never been cold with this hat.
If anything, it makes me sweat too much.
Despite Gore’s Windstopper technology that blocks wind and breathes at the same time, I’ve found the breathability to be desired.
That being said, in most conditions I’d rather have a windproof Dome Perignon that’s too warm and I need to take it off to vent than to have a permeable winter hat that doesn’t keep my head toasty.
The hat, which is reportedly one of Mountain Hardwear’s best selling dome hats, comes in a variety of colors. But that doesn’t help boost it’s aesthetics too much.
If you’re looking for headwear that’s more fashionable than functional, look elsewhere. But if you want a hat that does what it’s designed to do – keep you warm in nearly any condition – pick up the dome.

Men’s Mountain Hardwear Windstopper Tech Jacket

• Pros: Windproof; Durable; Pit zips
• Cons: Price; Less than expected wicking ability; Only offered in men’s
• Bottom Line: While it’s more expensive than other fleece jackets on the market, you get what you pay for: A quality windproof jacket that won’t fail.
• MSRP: $185

Mountain Hardwear’s Web site

Two of the best things to look for in a fleece jacket are wind resistance and breathability.
And the Mountain Hardwear Windstopper Tech Jacket has both – along with a host of other features that won’t fail you on the trail, the slopes or just bopping around town.
In fact, it’s one of the best outdoors gear purchases I’ve ever made.
The Gore Windstopper sandwiched between layers of polyester fleece is impenetrable in strong winds and keeps you warm when it’s calm.
While not as much as I expected from a technical fleece, the waterproof/breathable membrane wicks sweat when you’re working hard.
But where its wicking ability fails, its pit zips come to the rescue.
If you’re too warm and the Gore membrane isn’t working hard enough, unzip the pit zips and get the needed draft. I usually find that using the pit zippers works better than relying on the wicking ability of the Gore-Tex.
The zips also allow you to keep the jacket on, but take your arms out of the sleeves (acting as a vest with floppy sleeves) to cool down more.
The jacket also has a bottom cinch cord to help seal out drafts on really cold days – or powder during snowy adventures.
With articulated elbows, the fleece is incredibly comfortable allowing you to move freely during any activity. And I’ve found the fit is true to its size.
The hand pockets are well placed on the chest, and there’s an additional pocket on the front and another inside for extra storage.
Plus, the shoulders and forearms are reinforced with polyester Taslan (aka: sturdy, breathable, water-repellent nylon) for added durability when you need it – such as wearing a backpack.
While the jacket is made for mountaineering and alpine climbing, it’s a fleece you can spend all day climbing, skiing or snowshoeing in and then wear downtown afterwards for some après adventure.

(Correction: The Windstopper Tech Jacket isn’t waterproof as stated. It is water resistant.)