Packing Strategy??

[sharper8]

In what order do you load your pack? do you unpack everything in camp and re pack in the morning? New to hiking need help!!!

[jakedatc]

pack in reverse order of how you use things during the day.

Sleeping bag and night time insulation at the bottom

sleeping pad, cooking stuff inside my pot next layer

my tent fits inside now so i put that on next

food bag and rain jacket and daytime spare clothes on top.

in the lid i have small loose items on the inside and stuff i use during the day on top.. snacks, drink mix, compass, knife

my pack has "back" pockets that i keep TP, First aid kit in one side and my water filter in the other.


it depends on your pack and what type of gear you have. just think about it smartly and then go do it for a few days in a row. you get in a habit and things you end up using more float their way to the top

[sharper8]

Thanks for the advice! seems simple but I'm sure there are some things to work out

[Stir Fry]

Short answer is yes. There are not many things that do not get used every day in camp, so it all gets unpacked.
I started by looking at my pack> If I did not use it on a trip I did not take it the next time. Then if I did not use it ever couple days it did not come with me again. Then if it does not get used every day it stays home. In this way I have reduced my pack weight from 65lb. to 25 now.

[jakedatc]

Just try different stuff. the key for me is to not have to unpack much to get things i need during the day

[Hashbrown]

It's important to find a method that you like best. In general, things that you only use in the evening (like your tent and sleeping bag) are more towards the bottom. I like to keep my whole food bag on top, so I can eat whatever I want whenever without having to unpack too many things.

Some people have an exact spot for everything, which makes it easier to find things. I'm pretty lazy, so I just unpack the bare minimum at night.

[PhotobugFred]

Take a look here - http://blackwoodspress.com/blog/9556...ck-a-backpack/ . A good overview. If you google "packing a backpack" you will find lots of links and even some YouTube videos on packing. They vary slightly, but the theory remains the same. Try a few out and see what works for you. And if something isn't coming out of your backpack in camp, it means you don't really need it with you .

["Atlas"]

Above all, get rid of everything that you dont really need. I started the A.T. this Spring with close to 90 LBS! I am down to 35, with pack and water.

Packing order, Sleeping bag on the bottom, because its squishy. Then Clothes bag and Food Bag. Finally Jetboil and Camelback on top of everything. I use the side bag for my at hand items, snacks and meds and First Aid Kit. In the Hood, I keep my rain gear. Easy Peasy. But in all honesty, everything gets taken out when you hit camp anyway, so try to pack to keep the WEIGHT CENTRAL to your pack.

[Starchild]

I keep things that I may need during the hike either on the top (lunch, snacks, steripen, electronics bag, TP) or on the back (extra layers, rain gear), some small items I keep in the hip belt pocket such as compass.

In the main compartment the sleeping pad I usually put in first then sleeping gear/clothes goes in a dry sack towards the bottom, the tent usually on one side of the pack running top to bottom rolled up in the poles - though if wet I may strap it to the outside under the pack. Any other clothes goes on top and all except the tent are enclosed in a plastic garbage/contractor bag. Camp shoes are positioned on both sides to help clear out and hold open the bag for the food bag which also contains the Jetboil.

I also try to pack heavy things towards the part of my pack closest to my back. With almost everything fitting 'in-line' now that doesn't seem to come into play much but I still try.

[RodentWhisperer]

I built my packing system upon Erik the Black's system: http://blackwoodspress.com/blog/9556...ck-a-backpack/ . Although my pack is different, and thus my system is different, the visual representation really helped my plan.

[sharper8]

Thanks everyone for the help! I'm gonna see what best works for me and my pack. What are those items you started out using that you sent home that you really didnt need?

[88BlueGT]

Packing will really depend on what you are carrying and what kind of pack you have. There are some people who stuff their tents on the OUTSIDE of their bag, some have their sleeping pads on the outside, etc. MY ULA Circuit gets packed like this...

Rain Gear 'inside' outside mesh pocket
Sleeping Pad Strapped to outside of pack (z lite - small)
Sleeping Bag stuffed in compression sack - stored at bottom of bag
Clothes all clothes in stuff sack - stored neck to sleeping bag on bottom
Misc. Gear On top of ^^^ (FAK, rope, etc.) - stored in stuff sack
Food On top of ^^^ - stored in stuff sack

As you can see, I use three different stuff sacks to organize my gear and I love packing my bag this way. I know exactly where to go when I need something and nothing is ever lost or out of place.

["Atlas"]

What are those items you started out using that you sent home that you really didnt need?

I got rid of most anything that I bought thinking "I might need this." I didn't need them. Trowel, Towel, bungee type cords, extra everything....extra lighter, batteries, knife. I had built in several layers of redundancy should things malfunction. I chalk it up to the Army.

[Tipi Walter]

Nobody can tell you how to stuff a pack. It all depends on the pack design, whether external or internal, and experimentation. Only you will know were things need to go. Ergo the fun of a new pack is playing around with the possibilities.

[ChinMusic]

Camp stuff near bottom
Needed clothes and food for day near top
Soft stuff near back
Hard stuff away from back
Heavier stuff stays in middle

[bigcranky]

[QUOTE="Atlas";1350035]I had built in several layers of redundancy should things malfunction. I chalk it up to the Army.[/QUOTE]

I started out the same way, and for the same reason. Multiple redundant versions of everything, "just in case." Overbuilt "bombproof" pack and tent, which together weighed about as much as my entire base weight now.

So, two things to keep in mind:

1. Limit the amount of stuff you bring to what you actually need, then

2. Make sure those things are as light as possible, within reason and budget constraints.

These sound simple, but really aren't. The only way to figure out part 1 is to get out there and hike. That experience will also help with part 2, as you see what gear is available that will do what you need and not break your back, or your wallet.

A good starting point for a beginning long distance hiker would be the [URL="http://www.backpacker.com/november_08_pack_man_/articles/12659?page=4"]Mountain Crossings Method[/URL].

[jakedatc]

not sure in what world they can get a 2L hydration system, naglene and a water bucket into 12 oz. since well.. an empty nalgene is 8oz. not to mention being cumbersome and unnecessary. 2 1L gatorade, smartwater, powerade bottles (which ever fits your side pocket the best)

[lonehiker]

Stop in and see the guys at Neels Gap. they will help you fine tune your packing system and go through your gear. you will also have 2-4 days under your belt and will already have some idea as to what you can mail home. better yet, get out and do a couple 3-5 day trips to figure this out on your own.

[Malto]

There are three principles that used in determining the pack order. (You should know that I have a very low volume and low weight gear, about 8 lb base and I use a frameless pack which causes the pack out to a bit more critical.). The two principles are:
1) minimize the unload if I need to get something out of the pack. The primary item needed during the day is lunch and afternoon snack refill.
2) keep weight as low and close to the back as possible.
3) have a soft solid surface against my back.

So in order.
1) air at is folded and placed in trash compacted bag. If its looking like rain I use the compacted bag in the whole pack, if not, I fold the bag around my pad to protect it a bit from scuffing.
2) for multiday trip I use two food bags. A day bag which has everything needed for the day and a storage bag which has future days food food in it. If there is overflow beyond what will fit in the storage bag I place that in the day bag. (for my thru hike I was sometimes carrying twice as much food weight as my gear weight). The food storage bag is placed in the bottom of the pack.
3) next comes my quilt and bivy. I do a loose roll of the two together which also protects the quilt a bit from mositure or dirt. This is stuffed loose in the pack.
4) my tarp and cook set is next. My cookset fits into my 850ml pot and is the only real hard item in my pack. Placing this on my quilt gives it a soft surface to conform into the quilt filling all the voids. The quilt is also in this layer.
5) day food bag is next.
6) clothing sack is next. Since this is also soft it fills all the voids in the top of the pack.
7) when the top is clinched down everything compresses to the volume of the pack. I can control how hard or soft the pack is by how hard it is cinched. This eliminates any need for any other compression system and this was eliminated from my pack.

While the exact method I use won't make sense for most on here who are used framed packs with heavier bulkier gear, the principles likely apply.

[Old Hiker]

Nobody can tell you how to stuff a pack. It all depends on the pack design, whether external or internal, and experimentation. Only you will know were things need to go. Ergo the fun of a new pack is playing around with the possibilities.

I agree. It is a LOT of hit or miss for the first week or two. The AT was a LOT different from just a weekend or week long trip.

My JanSport Klamath has outside pockets where all the small stuff went. It has a sleeping bag compartment on the bottom where my bag and kitchen stuff went. I dislike having to paw through or unpack the entire pack to get to something.

Top lid: maps, guidebook pages, phone, journal, paperback book if I had one.
Side pockets: water filter in one, TP supplies in the other.
Front pocket: first aid, meds, trowel, extra bandanas. Anything else used a lot.
Mesh side pockets: water bottles.
Main compartment: extra clothing in the bottom (didn't use them much), food bag in the middle, tent on top - tent was packed last usually.
Everything in plastic bags or waterproof bags, of course.

After a couple of weeks, this setup seemed to work for me.