Packing your pack

[squeezebox]

Do you pack up your pack differently if it's clear vs. raining / cold vs. hot / long day vs. short or any other reason ?

[nu2hike]

I pack my pack the same every time regardless of the weather! I do pack differently depending on the season. I tend to keep whatever I think I may need where I can reach it easily!

[gumball]

What nu2hike said. Things I might need quickly are right on top.

[Phoenix Firebird]

There is a method to everyone's madness, & I personally pack my pack the exact same way everytime...regardless of the day, time, & hike.

[Turk6177]

I pack mine the same every time, except for when I pack a wet tent. I generally put that in the bottom of my pack and then put my trash bag liner in on top of it to keep the rest of my stuff dry. If my tent is dry, then everything goes into the trash bag liner in my pack. I always keep my current day's food, my water filter and my junk drawer stuff sack on top, which includes my TP and hand sanitizer.

[Theosus]

I do it the same way each time. Eliminates confusion and having to dig.

[Firefighter503]

Same way each time. This places any wet clothes/tent near the top of my pack anyways, so that I can set them back up if it is still raining the next day before unpacking everything else.

[RCBear]

Same way every time. Items I will need during the day go in the lid and belt pockets. Shelter system always goes in the outside pockets, whether wet or dry. I never put it inside the pack.

[George]

I use a bivy, and that is also my pack liner, so on days of likely rain everything goes in in bivy with the top folded over

[Tipi Walter]

Totally personal question---"how to pack my pack?" Everyone does it differently and so comes the enthusiasm when getting a new pack. What works best? For you? For me?

Where do I put the crampons? Where are my crocs for creek crossings? Where do I put my granola bars for quick access?

Here's a tip---store your tent poles separately from your tent in a separate pocket so when you get to camp in the rain you can first pull out the poles and snap them together and then they are ready for the tent to be unrolled.

[ChinMusic]

I ended up packing it the same way every day. You will find what works well and stick with the method. Having a standard A-B-C-D-E way of packing is a good way to catch yourself when you forgot to pack "D".

[Hot Flash]

Mine gets packed the same way every time. That way I can poke a hand in and pull out whatever I want without having to look or rummage around.

[leaftye]

Yes, depending on weather, but it's mostly the same.

[mediauras]

I pretty much pack the same every time, that way i know where everything is. But depending on conditions I take different gear, and if i know I'll run into weather (rain or snow) I'll make sure necessary gear is accessible and leave stuff either inside bag on top, or in outside mesh pocket.

[Drybones]

There is a method to everyone's madness, & I personally pack my pack the exact same way everytime...regardless of the day, time, & hike.

Agree...do this and you will be less likely to lose stuff and your pack will carry in a consistant manner.

[CarlZ993]

I generally pack my pack the same way every time. The only difference is if my tent if wet or not. And whether I'm packing a single-wall tent or a double-wall tent. If either style tent is dry, it goes in my pack inside my trash compactor bag. If my single-wall tent is wet, I make sure it is packed on top of my closed trash compactor bag in my pack. If my double-wall tent is wet, I pack my dry (hopefully) main tent body in my trash compactor bag & the rain fly & ground sheet on top of the trash compactor bag. My tent poles (if applicable) & stakes remain in the tent pole stuff sack on the exterior of my pack.

[fredmugs]

I pack it the same but you should try and always pack it like it's going to be raining, in other words, you want to be able to get to the things you need quickly.

[rocketsocks]

I pack it the same but you should try and always pack it like it's going to be raining, in other words, you want to be able to get to the things you need quickly.
this is what I do as well...though I always seem to be mixing stuff up, never packing it quite the same way has when I left the house.

[Skyline]

Same way each time regardless of weather or weather forecast.

I always have my tent and ground cloth in stuff sack lashed to outside of pack. Poles and stakes wrapped up and placed in a side pocket, again lashed.

This way, if raining when I arrive at campsite I don't need to get into pack to get the tent. Just set up, put pack and me in tent to finish getting organized. In morning, I can pack up all but tent inside a dry tent, then move out and take down tent, put in stuff sack, then lash to outside of pack. Nothing else is wet.