Stuffing a MacCat

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06-16-2007, 13:58
Nest

Stuffing a MacCat

I know Brian is pretty busy and it would take a while for him to be able to respond, so I figured you guys could answer a question for me. I just got my MacCat delux in the mail, and although lighter, it is larger than my old tarp. Part of this is because the stuff sack it comes in is bigger than what the tarp could potentially be stuffed in. It is possible to overstuff a silnylon tarp? I would like to put it in the stuff sack of my old tarp so I don't lose space, and would like to be able to use the sack he sent for other things.

Also while I'm on the topic of the tarp, what length lines do others put on the side tieouts?
06-16-2007, 14:05
angrysparrow

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cerberus

I know Brian is pretty busy and it would take a while for him to be able to respond, so I figured you guys could answer a question for me. I just got my MacCat delux in the mail, and although lighter, it is larger than my old tarp. Part of this is because the stuff sack it comes in is bigger than what the tarp could potentially be stuffed in. It is possible to overstuff a silnylon tarp? I would like to put it in the stuff sack of my old tarp so I don't lose space, and would like to be able to use the sack he sent for other things.

Also while I'm on the topic of the tarp, what length lines do others put on the side tieouts?

No, there should be no problem stuffing the tarp to a very small package. It's not like a quilt that has lofting material that should be stored 'unpacked'. I've got a MacCat Deluxe as well, and agree that it can stuff smaller than the sack it comes in. It will actually stuff down to half that size, in point of fact. If you wanted to use the sack the tarp comes with, you could easily just add a compression strap around it.

The tie-outs I use for my tarp are 5' for the sides, and 10' for the ridgeline.
06-16-2007, 14:32
southpawx3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cerberus

I know Brian is pretty busy and it would take a while for him to be able to respond, so I figured you guys could answer a question for me. I just got my MacCat delux in the mail, and although lighter, it is larger than my old tarp. Part of this is because the stuff sack it comes in is bigger than what the tarp could potentially be stuffed in. It is possible to overstuff a silnylon tarp? I would like to put it in the stuff sack of my old tarp so I don't lose space, and would like to be able to use the sack he sent for other things.

Also while I'm on the topic of the tarp, what length lines do others put on the side tieouts?

I use 10' of 2 mm line with a homemade tensioner on the sides of my cat tarp. probably longer than i'll ever need but its not much extra weight.
06-16-2007, 14:44
Coffee

I use 9' all around with self tensioners on the sides. Some do shorter, but I have used all of the length a few times. When one side of the tarp is on a hill, or on the side of a creek, the extra line is nice to have. The longer on the ridgeline gives me the option to hang on longer distances than some. I also have longer webbing on the hammock for this reason.

I would stuff it where ever. Look into mesh snake skins. They are really nice and make setting up the tarp really fast.
06-16-2007, 14:57
Nest

Ok, guess it will go in the smaller bag. With how much I paid for the tarp (definately worth the price though) I would hate to somehow ruin it. Now I can seam seal the stuff sack Brian sent with the tarp and use it for a food bag.
06-16-2007, 15:03
Nest

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammock engineer

I use 9' all around with self tensioners on the sides. Some do shorter, but I have used all of the length a few times. When one side of the tarp is on a hill, or on the side of a creek, the extra line is nice to have. The longer on the ridgeline gives me the option to hang on longer distances than some. I also have longer webbing on the hammock for this reason.

I would stuff it where ever. Look into mesh snake skins. They are really nice and make setting up the tarp really fast.

I'm still not sure how snake skins work. I just took a 11 day trip on the AT, and setup and take down time were a problem. My hammock is an ENO, so it is in it's own stuff sack. My underquilt and bugnet are in a compression sack, my top quilt is in a compression sack, and my tarp is in it's own stuff sack. The good thing is that since everything is in small little sacks they pack real nice into gaps in my pack. It's just a lot to keep up with, and takes a while to put up and down.
06-17-2007, 08:13
Just Jeff

There's no problem with sil being compressed, but if you put it into too small of a sack it's a hassle to get it in there...it's so slippery that it keeps popping out as you put more in. No big deal...just use a slightly larger sack.

Also consider this - if you stuff it so tight that the sack is a rigid tube (or cube or whatever shape), it can't conform to the spaces in your pack. So even though it's compressed more, it takes up the same or more pack space. I like leaving enough squishiness in my tarp/quilt/clothing bag/etc that everything mashes together to fill the shape of the pack, rather than compressing it into rigid shapes that leave gaps between them when they're in the pack. Just what works for me...gotta be happy with your own style!