Pack Layout

imported
#1

I know that this maybe personal pref. on how to do this, but how do you pack your pack, everything in stuff sacks, clothes, kitchen, food? I have…
Deuter pack(4200 cu in) w separate sleep bag comp.
Tarptent
Big Angie Insulated pad
MontBell bag 7x10
snowpeak stove and 2 canisters
copper bottom cook set
Canon camera 540
clothers …etc

I know there must be a science to it, so you don’t have to empty the bag every time you stop. Just looking for the right mind set, so it won’t be a dread to stop and eat or change or… well you know!
Stuff like what you strap to outside of pack, etc…

Thanks for your help…Crawl

Crawl

#2

Good question! For me, that’s one reason I keep my pack very simple. I don’t carry a stove, water filter, camp shoes, or a camera, so I’m simpler than most.

I use a frameless pack that uses the sleeping pad as part of the pack suspension. My sleeping bag (no stuff sack) and clothes (in a small stuff sack) go in a trash compactor bag at the bottom. On top of that goes my tarptent (no stuff sack), followed by the food bag. The rain gear or other clothing I might need during the day gets packed loose around the food bag. In the pockets go the water bottle, personal hygiene, toilet paper, first aid stuff, tent stakes, and map/journal bag. And that’s it. Two stuff sacks (clothes and food), no pack cover, no straps.

All I usually need when I stop is food or toilet paper and that’s on top or in a pocket. If I need a light jacket, that’s handy, too. If I need water treatment I use Aqua Mira and that fits easily in a pocket.

Good luck, and thanks for bringing up a new thread!

Garlic

#3

So are you saying you don’t have a rain cover? And your Tarptent, why no stuff sack, mine has two internal poles and stakes, for protection of the poles, I thought the stuff sack would be good.?. Crawl

Crawl

#4

I have a Golite Jam2 Pack and also go a bit simpler. The Jam2 is also a frameless pack and I typically stuff my quilt into the bottom inside a trash bag first. Then I roll up my Ridgerest pad, stick it in the pack and let it unroll so it forms an external frame of sorts. Then in goes my cook kit (tealight stove and Heiny pot), clothes (in a stuff sack), and food. The Tarptent then gets stuffed in the rear, outside the pad/frame and any rain gear, hat, etc that I might need quickly goes around the food bag. Then I plop my Platypus on top of that and string the hose through the slit. In the big back pocket goes everything else (first aid bag, sundries bag, rope, skeeter headnet, etc). I usually put an empty 2L bottle in one side pocket to use at camp and carry a 2nd 3/8 blue foam pad (my only real luxury) strapped to the other side. So far so good. I have not hiked in a real downpour with this system yet, but it seems to me that the trash bag over the quilt and the ridge rest pad would work very well to repel most water that gets through that pack (which is supposed to be waterproof as well). All that might be needed would be to add another trash bag over the open top of the ridgerest to stop water from sneaking in that way.

The stuff I typically need is a quick outer layer for rest stops if it is chilly, sundries, first aid and food. Both the rain coat and food are right at the top of the pack and the sundries and first aid are easily accessible in the pocket.

best,
Purkolator

Purkolator

#5

I don’t use a rain cover because I don’t care if the pack itself gets wet. It’s silnylon, so it doesn’t soak it up and dries quickly. With all my insulation in the trash compactor bag and the tarptent on top of that, I’ve kept everthing bone dry in all but complete immersion and I haven’t tried that yet. Some hikers like to keep their packs dry, and that’s OK too.

My current tarptent (Contrail) doesn’t use poles, but when I used to carry them I’d stick them loose inside the pack or in an outer pocket.

It just seems easier and quicker, for me, to pack without the stuff sacks. I once helped a highly organized friend lighten his load and when we went through his pack we found over 30 stuff sacks that weighed a total of several pounds. I’m at the other end of that spectrum.

Garlic

#6

I do not know of any waterproof packs. Store your sleeping bag and gear in something waterproof, such as compactor bag,plastic trash bag or water proof stuff sacks. I like using different colored stuff sacks for different gear, so it is easier to find. Coming up with a new more efficient system is an almost daily routine! With your gear in waterprof sacks, pack covers are not essential, but they helpf prevent your pack from getting soaked, therefore a bit heavier, and they are nice at night if you are not in a shelter and want to cover your pack on the ground, or act as a clothes hammock in your tent. They can also be used to lug a large quantity of water from a distant spring at your campsite. Cich it tight, lay it flat on the ground, it will hold close to a gallon!

rambler

#7

Hi I’m Doodlebug, I just thought I’d post another more “average?” if such a thing exists? (ie non-ultralite) packing system.

In an internal framed pack- no sleeping bag compartment- I put my sleeping bag (in a silylon stuff sack) in first- fold my thermrest up in a rectangle and stuff that between the sleeping bag and inside of the back of the pack (against your back inside) - no t rest stuff sack- your pad takes up very little room this way.

then my clothes bag (another sil-sack) then the tarp tent in a sil-sack) - if I have tent poles - either tuck down the side inside the pack bag or in an outside pocket. then food bag and cookpot with stove inside. ( if you have a fuel bottle- one that fits inside the pot if possible- if not out in outside mesh pocket.) if I have outside mesh pockets misc ditty bag stuff goes there- if not- it goes near the top of the pack since I need access to that stuff.

raincoat or windjacket stuffed in near the top- water bladder laid on top of everything- tube threaded through the port.

this method keeps your most heavy stuff (water food) behind your shoulders close to your center of gravity.

recently I’ve gotten interested in having a front pack like www.aarnpacks.com I haven’t tried it out yet- but it looks really cool - I have a upper back injury that gets aggravated by pack straps pulling back and using a front pack is supposed to counter balance the backpack. I’m trying it out on the LT next week.

Doodlebug

#8

I forgot to add- I use a pack cover too. I’ve tried the pack liner method too and just prefer the cover.

doodlebug

#9

I use a compactor liner in my pack. The liner I now have has about 5,000 miles on it. No pack cover. Years ago I tried a pack cover and everything got week after a few hours of hard rain. I put my sleeping bag in a compression sack and then in a kitchen trash bag. I use a stuff sack for my clothes which doubles as a pillow at night. I have one pot and spoon, stove (tuna can), sponge, soap go inside it with a large rubber band to hold everything together. I have a food sack that the stove and food go into and it hangs at night. On my last thru hike I never had anything wet!!! Never!!! But we did have a very dry year in '02. On one of my section hikes this year it stormed every day for a week. Everything in my pack was dry. I saw a lot of very wet gear from other hikers though. With about 50 years of hiking I’ve learned to stay dry.

Have a great hike.

Papa Smurf

#10

Doodlebug mentioned keeping the heavy stuff behind the shoulders, as a woman, (and I know this works for many other women also) I like to put the heavier stuff closer to the bottom of my pack. I have a Granite Gear pack - one compartment only. I will put my tent in the bottom (its in a larger loose bag so it can mold to the contours of the pack)then I’ll put in my food if it’s heavy, and everything else on top of it. Yes, everything is in sil-nylon bags that I made. one for clothes, one for toiletries, one for firstaid/repair/emergency, I carry a jet boil , that usually goes near the top or on one side of the pack. rain jacket just gets shoved in to stuff into some small spaces left over. I also always have a fanny pack so lunch/snacks go there as does the camera etc so I don’t have to get into my pack during the day.

HeartFire

#11

Thank you your entries, I get the mind set, you have to protect you stuff, whether internaly or externaly, pack covers aren’t a must, but won’t hurt, compactor bags are “the bomb”…haha! Hadn’t really thought about not keeping my tarptent in it’s stuff sack, can see where that could be extra protection inside the pack, if it isn’t wet! Great info… it helps! Crawl

Crawl

#12

I use an Osprey 55 liter pack, and pack it the following way:

Water Bladder goes in water bladder pouch (close to my back) first, then:

Sleeping bag in waterproof stuff sack
Garbage bag full of clothes
Tent body & fly (Hubba), poles strapped to outside of pack
Fleece jacket
Rain Gear (Pants, Poncho, Packcover) in a ziplock on top of everything else.

2 outside pockets–

1 for food bag
1 for first aid, bug goop, headlamp

It took me only one trip through the whites to realize that I would want my most useful outer layers to be more accessible than anything else.

On my person, I keep my pocketknife, compass, and map, as well as a small snack for a sugar boost.

Happy hiking

liz