4 Tips to Make Sure You’re Packing Your Tent Properly

camping tent in a wilderness

So, your week-long camping trip is over. Now, you must pack your stuff to get ready to go home. But hold on, are you packing your tents properly? You can give yourself a whole lot of problems if you’re not careful.

For instance, have you been noticing that mold has been growing on your tent when you unpack it, or that it has a musky smell every time you do? Chances are that you are packing the tent up while it is still wet.

That said, here are a few tips to show you how to properly pack your tent. These will ensure that the next time you use it, you will not run into any unpleasant surprises!

Check for any damages before packing

While modern tents are built to be durable for most weather conditions, they are not exactly indestructible objects. For this reason, make sure you check your tent for any damage before you remove all the pegs and poles and flatten it. This is important because you would not want to be greeted with holes the next time you set it up again. 

Do not forget to check the poles and pegs, either. You would not want to deal with a broken pole that renders your tent useless the next time you use it.

In other words, discovering potential damage before packing the tent allows you to patch them up quickly. If you find any holes, patch them up with some tape. If any poles are broken, buy replacement poles as necessary. 

Store the pegs and poles properly 

The poles and pegs that your tent requires to stand and not move around too much are usually included in the tent bag in a special pouch. This is to ensure that these sharp objects do not go around poking the user and the tent when packed away. 

You would want to put the pegs and poles in their proper bag. If you have lost the bag or your tent did not come with one, you can use something else to wrap them up safely to ensure they do not damage the tent by accident. 

Roll your tents 

You might be tempted to stuff the tent into the tent bag when trying to put it away. Unfortunately, this will end up becoming more inconvenient for you. You might accidentally tear the material, and there’s no guarantee that it will fit into the bag, anyway.

When you take the time to roll the tent properly, you make the entire thing take up as little space as possible. This means that you’ll be able to easily slip it into its bag and keep it protected at the same time.

Dry the tent before packing 

One of the most critical steps you must never forget when packing your tent is to dry it thoroughly beforehand. Failure to do so will mean that, when you unpack the tent, you will be greeted with a stinky and moldy tent. This is no place you would want to be sleeping in. 

To ensure that your tent is perfectly dry before packing, leave it under the sun or, at least, dry it with a towel. If the area you are camping in is very wet, you can pack it into the bag for the meantime and dry it as soon as you get back home.

Conclusion

These are a few guidelines that you need to keep in mind when packing your tent. Failure to do any of these will mean that you will have to pay the consequences of improperly packing your tent. Save yourself the headache and disappointment of unpacking a broken, moldy, and smelly tent by properly packing it in the first place.

Are you looking to purchase tents and other camping gear in Oklahoma for your upcoming camping trip? At Outfitters Mega Shop, we have plenty for you to pick from. Grab your tent from us today!