This thread at Whiteblaze has a long list of tips from people who spend weeks and months on the trail.
On packing tents:
There are two thoughts on packing tents when breaking camp. One, fold and roll as the factory packages it. Two, grab a corner and start stuffing it in the bag. The latter method supposed to prevent any weak spots or holes developing because of repeated folding in the same place all the time. If you do yours the second way, leave the sleeping bag in the tent and stuff them together. Saves a little time packing, and unpacking too. You’ll just have to get a somewhat larger stuff sack than the one for the tent or the bag alone. I can say this works OK for a week or two, might be alright for long hikes also.
Another tent tip:
If you’re freestanding tent has a mesh roof practice setting it up upside down so that when you have to set up in a rain storm you will keep the inside dry.
On cheap, handy stuff from Wal-Mart:
Here is the really cool trick: If you get soaked take your clothes and roll them up in it and wring, do it a few times. It is amazing how well it removes the water, enough to put everything back on, and your body heat will finish the drying process in minutes.
And those are just from the first couple pages. Definitely worth a click.
I’m quite skeptical about the advice to roll up the sleeping bag inside the tent. This would be a particular problem with waterproof (or even waterproof-breathable) single-wall tents. It would be nearly impossible to get the air out of the bag inside such a tent.
One would also need to be careful in the case of tents that have any hardware attached since down bags are somewhat fragile and could be damaged while stuffing.
A tent tends to collect a lot of junk over time and I wouldn’t want that getting jammed into my bag. In addition, tents are often damp inside, especially in rain, and stuffing a down bag into a damp tent would quickly lead to a loss in loft.
Finally, I’m of the opinion that many small items are easier to arrange in my pack than a few large, awkward ones. Combining two of the largest items (bag and tent) into one package could overwhelm a lot of the small, lightweight packs.
Dan
I had the same thoughts as Dan when I read the leaving the bag in the tent part. Sleeping bag is something I would fight to keep it dry. On one backpacking trip, the bag was the only thing that was dry, and I would not let it sleep in my damp tent.
I tend to agree with Dan as well. And a good hard wearing tent should be able to survive a hell of a lot of folding, and rolling, before it gives you problems.
The wet clothes trick does work though.