Stuff sacks

[BrianOH72]

I'll be section hiking the AT next summer and was looking for some pointers on how many stuff sacks and the best brand and approximate sizes I should put in my pack. Just looking for the best setup possible. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Connie]

It depends: I like an Opsak odor-proof food bag, roll-top dry clothing bag, Opsak odor-proof stove bag, Opsak odor-proof trash bag, and a "ditty bag" for the small stuff.

Often different colors are used.

I like the Sea-to-Summit roll-top evac bag for a dry clothing bag.

Some people use cuben.

Some people like a compression sack for bulky gear, like the sleeping bag. I would rather have my sleeping bag in the Granite Gear bag shaped like the bottom of the backpack.

Some people use no bags whatsoever to separate their gear, rummaging thru everything.

Some people like a trash-bag, oven bag, or, Gossamer Gear lightweight liner for the entire pack. Other's rely on a pack cover, Packa, or Heart Fire Gear Hood for the backpack in the rain. I am thinking I like the Heart Fire Gear Hood.

It depends: there are backpacks with a compartment and a pocket for almost everything for backpacking.

Is the best, the most lightweight, the most organized, the most waterproof?

[Gram Weenie]

I make my own out of 1.1oz SilNylon.They weigh almost nothing,and you can make whatever size you need

[MuddyWaters]

Take as many as you need

I often have......zero.

I might have a single gal ziplock with bunch of things in it

I usually use a cheap 5 gal mesh paint strainer bag as a clothes sack, secured with rubber band. Makes good pillow with unused clothing.

[Studlintsean]

I use:
trash bag for dry bag to hold sleeping bag and extra clothes
Roll top sea to summit for clothes (in trash bag)
small ditty bag for FAK
Zpacks blast food bag

[Studlintsean]

I should add that I use a ziplock bag for cell phone, keys, ID, and money and another ziplock for my small camera.

[Ktaadn]

I don't use any stuff sacks. I do use grocery bags to keep my clothes dry and zip locks to keep my food organized.

[swisscross]

Trash compactor bag for sleeping bag, sleep clothes and dry clothes. I keep my sleep and dry clothes in seperate plastic grocery bags.

Have a ZPacks blast food bag that holds 3 to 4 days of food with my cook kit and first aide kit.

Few more grocery store bags for wet shoes (that I use as a pillow under my sleeping pad) and dirty clothes.

Trash goes in a used zip lock bag.

[Traveler]

For what its worth, how many and what type of stuff sacks I have depends on what I am doing and time of year. If I am out for a day or two I will probably have some stuff sacks. If I go out for longer I tend to start shedding stuff sacks (at .5 to 1 ounce each, they add up).

I will most always have a trash bag as a pack liner. Beyond that I typically keep the cooking gear in a stuff sack as a constant, however the use of stuff sack varies with the seasons and activities. My stuff sacks brand varies from the sacks provided by the manufacturer (bags, tents, etc), to some Sea-to-Summit UL sealed sacks. I use a heavier Sea to Summit sack for the stove/cooking pot/fuel.

In short hikes where I will be in and out of the pack a lot (camera gear, etc), stuff sacks are handy to keep things sorted out and I will use:

Stuff sack for the sleeping bag
Stuff sack for the tent
Stuff sack for rain gear or jacket appropriate for expected conditions
Stuff sack for socks/gloves/small worn items
Stuff sack for clothing depending on what I am bringing (no stuff sack for an additional shirt for example)
Stuff sack for odds and ends (wallet, keys, phone, etc)
Plastic bag (ziplock) for map(s) in my pocket

If I am out for longer I usually don't need a lot of interior pack access so I start shedding weight and lose a lot of the sacks with an approximate weight savings of 8 ounces. I line the pack with a trash bag and will stuff the tent and sleeping bag into the bottom of the pack (I will keep the stakes and poles in their own sacks lashed to the outside of the pack). The sleeping bag tends to fill up empty nooks in the pack better than sacks will as will clothing when rolled/wrapped together without a sack too. The cookware/stove is always kept in its own stuff sack, food I will keep in plastic bags whenever I can (Premixed food like Mountain House packages can be stuffed into the pack individually. Other garments like rain gear or jackets go in without a sack. I try to leave any changes of clothing I am likely to make during the day on top of the pack, along with snacks or food I will use.

Thats kind of the 6,000' view, there are a lot of variables in this of course, like using a pack that has a lot of pockets (but pockets typically add more weight than stuff sacks).

[freightliner]

I use a See to Summit Dry bag for my bear bait. A small sack for my first aid kit and battery charger. I don't have to worry about anything getting wet because I use a ULA epic pack. I should also say that I use the sack that the product came in. The only extra clothes I have is a pair of socks and they just hang out in there somewhere. Just buy sea to summit and you'll be fine. They have a pack liner that will work perfect for you.

[jawnzee]

A trash compactor bag for down stuff that I will absolutely not get wet.

An Opsak for food/trash.

A small ziplock to keep my dinky stuff easily accessible.

Another ziplock to keep my maps dry.

[Havana]

This is one of those things that you may actually have to experiment with to see what works for you. Some folks go with none, some improvise and some are meticulous organizers with color coded stuff sacks for everything. I use a couple of waterproof stuff sacks.

I have a stuff sack for my bag. I have a stuff sack for my food which I can also use to hang it. I have a stuff sack for my clothing which also doubles as a fairly worthless pillow. And my tent came with a stuff sack and I usually use that unless the tent is wet in which case it gets stuffed in the netting on the outside of my pack. When I'm feeling particularly anal, I put my cooking gear in a net sack though it's usually just wedged in wherever it fits.

One thing you'll discover is that putting soft items in a sack causes them to become, in effect, a brick. One of the joys of having soft items outside of a sack is that they can be wedged in however you want filling all the nooks and crannies taking maximum advantage of the space in your pack. That's why it's popular to just use a trash compactor bag as an overall pack liner (in effect a giant, waterproof stuff stack) and just jamming everything in. I can't take take that sort of chaos. Your mileage may vary.

[Feral Bill]

I just got an UL dry sack from Outdoor Research for my sleeping bag. It was on sale and seems promising. I usually bag most things in regular cheap stuff sacks, for convenience.

[HooKooDooKu]

I have a few bags to keep some things dry:
Trash compactor bag as a pack liner to keep cloths, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad dry.
About a 15L dry sack for food (with another smaller dry sack inside that lined with a small trashcan liner for trash).
Small Dry sack for 1st Aid kit (so that it can be kept in an outside pocket and not have to ever go digging for it).

After that, I use just a few stuff sacks as needed for organization:
Small sack for toilet use (contains trowel, paper, and hand sanitizer) kept in an easy to access outside pocket.
Night-time toiletry bag (glasses, contact solution/case, comb, tooth brush/paste, soap, etc).
Misc small gear (flash light, extra batteries, pocket knife/tool set, piece of rope for use as cloths line or bear hanger, etc.)


Bottom line, it's a bit of trial and error on how you pack and where to put what. As you figure that out, you'll start to figure out where you need dry bags for keeping some things dry, and general stuff sacks to better organize smaller pieces of equipment in your pack.

[map man]

Since you posted this in the "Ultra-Light Hikers Forum" I assume that going light is important to you. Think about using one trash compactor bag as a pack liner and another trash compactor bag at the bottom of your pack to put your sleeping bag, insulated jacket (if you use one) and clothes that need to stay dry. If segregating your clothes is important to you just use a plastic grocery bag for that. Everything else goes on top of that (to help compress the bag and jacket), outside your dry bag. Use a stuff sack as a food bag (an Ursack with low smell Opsack inside if you plan to sleep with your food, or something lots lighter -- Sea to Summit and OR make good ones -- if you plan to hang it). Everything else that you want to keep organized or dry (or both) use quart or gallon freezer grade zip-locks. Many packs, like most ULA packs, have some storage outside of the main compartment and that's where a wet tent can go (NOT in a stuff sack). If you only have one compartment then a water proof stuff sack for the tent or tarp is a good idea. That makes just two stuff sacks -- one for food and an optional one for your shelter, depending on your pack.

Lots of stuffed-full stuff sacks lead to a bunch of rigid footballs in your pack. Try putting a bunch of footballs in your pack and see how much wasted space you end up with.