Stuffing tents instead of rolling. Okay?

[tgdavies]

I've recently started stuffing my Illumina X into its bag, like you'd put away a sleeping bag, instead of folding and rolling on the ground. Quicker and easier, and perhaps picks up less dirt.

Is there any reason *not* to do this?

[headwerkn]

Bad and not recommended for DCF and presumably other UHMWPE materials, but generally not considered so much of an issue for silnylon.

I used to stuff my Hilleberg Nammatj bare into the kanga pocket of an Arcteryx Bora 63 pack. Being quite a big tent, it wouldn't fit that slightly odd shaped pocket rolled up in the typical sense... stuffing it in bare made full use of the available space. I don't think the material suffered for the handful of times I did that but I did wonder about some of the hardware, specifically the wire vent loops.

[north-north-west]

Don't do it with waterproof (or water-resistant) zips, either. Always make sure that they're rolled and, wherever possible, rolled so the zip is on the outside. Creases and folds across those zips will cause them to fail a lot earlier than they should.

[craigprice]

I’d always thought I was supposed to stuff dcf and ultra rather than fold it. I was recently illuminated by Ron of MLD, and several other gurus of ultralight tarp/tent businesses. Including Henry from Tarptent and other luminaries.
While repeatedly folding in the same spot might be bad, stuffing is apparently THE worst for laminates such as dcf and accelerates degradation. Apparently rolling is recommended.
Since I have always rolled my gear anyway rather than stuffing or folding, (admittedly because it was quickest and easiest esp in the dark and rain to pack up/or unpack), I was comforted by the guidance, and rather pleased that I had inadvertently stumbled upon the optimal pathway.