Packing a Wet Tent

[DrBeetleKill]

How are you guys packing a soaking wet tent or other gear? I really like how Exo has the water bladder storage compartment that keeps all of the other gear dry. I run an SG pack, so I am looking at some options. From what I can tell, SG's water pouch isn't the same and will potentially drip to my other gear. Dry bags are an option, but curious to see if I am overlooking some great options. Appreciate it.

 

[Legend]

Shake it off and put it in the stuff sack it came in. There will be no issue.

 

[Tanner]

I use mostly Hilleberg tents. For the wet shell, I bring a contractor bag to keep it separate from the dry liner and the other shit I don’t want soaked. Pull it out and dry it out at your first opportunity. Worked great for a lot of very wet hunts.

 

[GunsAreFun]

That’s where a sil-nylon stuff sack comes in handy. Stuff it in there after shaking it out. Keep it somewhere handy and air it out when you stop for lunch.

 

[Nevvon]

Never had any issues packing the tent wet. Last sep in alaska it rained ever day on me. Tent went away wet each morning, at lunch i dried it out when possible. Each morning i would grab it by the top, close to center,and really spin it in circles to shed as much water as possible.

Biggest thing is to really dry it out when trip is over. I made the mistake 20 plus years ago and ruined a good tent thinking it was dry enough to store.

 

[wyodan]

Strap it to the outside until it's pretty dry. Really I've never worried about it too much.

 

[TaperPin]

I generally don’t like to pack anything wet inside the pack, even if it’s in a big garbage bag or waterproof stuff sack. In wet conditions keeping dry things dry is too important to trust my bad luck.

 

[shootnrun]

As said above. Shake out, into stuff sack, into pack.
Clothes and sleeping bag/pad have their own dry sacks, so im not overly concerned. Hunting in generally wet weather in PNW, if a wet tent in the pack is going to ruin its contents, I'd never be able to leave the truck.

 

[mtnbound]

The water bladder pocket of an EXO pack is where I tend to put anything wet until I can dry it out. If the weather is looking to be bad, I will put anything that is critical in a dry bag, so I can just stuff it in my pack, but if needed.

 

[Bubblehide]

Dyneema doesn't absorbe water. They make stuff sacks, dry sacks and tents out of dyneema, and typically, dyneema reduces the weight you're carrying.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

I’ve used pack liners and just put the tent outside them. Like this: https://www.garagegrowngear.com/pro...8JuI0iqAHLO8syw9hPCA0VSFKWedZJ4CsmxUj_3GXMvk0
That way you keep it separate. Strapping to the outside can work well if you’re moving and not through thick areas - if you get into a tighter/denser area, good way to rip a fly up. It really just depends how far you’re moving and what kind of terrain.

I have an Exo and if I’m using their liner, same approach. I’ve also used the bladder sleeve and that works quite well.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I pack mine in a dyneema bag either way so no issues with it leaking if packed away wet.

I hate packing a wet tent though so a lot of times (condition depending) I’ll wipe it down with my Peleton 97 and throw it on over my base layer. By the time I get to where I’m going, it’s dry. Obviously wouldn’t do this in super cold conditions but in milder weather I don’t mind.

 

[DrBeetleKill]

Not a fan of packing a wet tent either. I don't run bags for any of my clothing and will occasionally put my sleeping bag in a contractor bag and that's it. That's why I really like the Exo option. Looks like I need to get some good dry bag options. I appreciate all of the suggestions.

 

[coldsoup]

Shake it off, toss it in a separate sack or if not, pack it outside. Also depends on if you're using a single wall or double wall tent. If it's a single, I'll fold it, so the inside remains dry and if it's dual, I separate the rainfly from the mesh.