Getting the size of a stuff sack right for a particular item is difficult, as they are usually too small or too large. If you ever struggled with stuffing your wet tarp or tent in a ultralight stuff sack that is too tight you know what I mean. On the other hand, oversized stuff sacks fail to sufficiently compress their content, resulting in bulky items in your backpack. There are sacks with a roll top or compression straps, of course, but that tends to add a little weight and bulk.
Here is a simple hack to add a minimal compression system to any stuff sack (as long as it is not a waterproof dry sack):
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Add a small grommet (eyelet) to the bottom edge of your stuff sack. If possible exploit the seam allowance so the hole goes through multiple layers of fabric. If the fabric is single layer and/or really lightweight, so may need to sew in a reinforcement.
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Take a piece of bungee cord, tie an overhand knot to turn it into a loop and feed this through the grommet from the inside.
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Fill your stuff sack, close it and feed the cord lock from the drawstring through the bungee cord loop. Now press on the sack and at same time pull the draw string tighter until you have reached the desired amount of compression. Don’t overdo it though or you will risk ripping out the grommet.
