View Full Version : Packing in your Backpack
tucker0104
10-04-2007, 03:58
Has anyone ever tried to compartmentalize everything in their pack? Basically having a stuff sack for food, stuff sack for random stuff that never gets used that way you don't have to dump everything out to get to one thing. With everything compartmentalized, you can just take each stuff sack out until you get tot he one you need and then just drop them right back in.
SGT Rock
10-04-2007, 04:05
I do it with 4 stuff sacks most of the time:
1. Food
2. Clothing
3. Quilts
4. Miscellaneous gear
And on occasions:
5. (sometimes carried) winter hammock stuff
Yes, all of my things are compartmentalized with stuffs. I have a few more than S. Rock, but I find it is the easiest way for me not to lose stuff. Gum
LIhikers
10-04-2007, 05:38
I do it too. But for all the little things I rarely use I have a heavy weight zip lock plastic bag. That way I can see what's in there and don't have to dump everything out to get the item I want.
Appalachian Tater
10-04-2007, 07:19
Yes, everything except for the sleeping pad.
Sleeping bag
Clothes
Food (2)
Toiletries
Miscellaneous
Water filter
I use the same four that most of the others use (sleeping bag, clothes, food, misc.), with a fifth bag (mesh) for stove/pot/matches and one for tent or hammock. The trick is to reduce the weight and size of each. My misc. bag is usually no bigger than a softball, unless it has a paperback book in it, then it's a bit larger and lumpier.
I do wish there were a way to organize the "misc" bag, though. I tried splitting it in two (ie. using two instead of one) but that didn't work at all; the one I needed was always the one buried deepest in the pack. ;)
I do that, too: food; clothes; toiletries/medicines; stove and pot; sleeping bag; maps and writing stuff.
Each bag is (ideally) sized appropriately, and I try to always use the same color bags for each group (ex. clothes always in black stuff sack) so that I don't have guess what's inside.
I use a white trash compactor bag for a pack liner because it's almost impossible for me to see what's in my pack if the liner is black.
Gray Blazer
10-04-2007, 08:49
My old jansport is compartmentalized already. 6 different compartments. Easy to stay organized
I even break my food bag down to separate sacks for snacks, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
SGT Rock
10-04-2007, 09:03
My old jansport is compartmentalized already. 6 different compartments. Easy to stay organized
Your pack is so old it still has a compartment for live leeches in the first aid kit.
Gray Blazer
10-04-2007, 09:38
Your pack is so old it still has a compartment for live leeches in the first aid kit.
(Must come up with a good comeback:-? ...I think I'll have some more coffee.)
whitefoot_hp
10-04-2007, 10:39
I do wish there were a way to organize the "misc" bag, though. I tried splitting it in two (ie. using two instead of one) but that didn't work at all; the one I needed was always the one buried deepest in the pack. ;)
First Aid Kit containers can be converted into nice organized misc. bags. I baciscally keep all of my toiletries, first aid, and misc stuff in a small wal mart first aid kit container. one of the red ozark trailes. this helped me get rid of a lot of junk i used to take.
Gray Blazer
10-04-2007, 10:53
Crown Royal bags make nice organizers.
bigcranky
10-04-2007, 12:27
I remember the first time I took my old hiking partner backpacking. He rented a pack and sleeping bag from the local outfitter, and showed up at my house with this HUGE pack. (For a summertime hike in Virginia.) Every single item was just tossed in the pack, and all the small heavy stuff had migrated to the bottom. Needless to say it was a disaster in the making, so I got him a couple of stuff sacks, and he could organize his food and small items.
So, yeah, you can organize your pack any way you like -- from "whatever" to "obsessive-compulsive." Me, I like 3 or 4 stuff sacks, one for my bag and sleeping clothes, one for my food and kitchen, and one small one for my little miscellaneous items. If I need additional clothing, it might go in another sack. My tarp gets shoved in an outside mesh pocket on my pack. (And that's another way -- having mesh pockets and hip belt pockets and all that on your pack can help organize things.)
shelterbuilder
10-04-2007, 15:49
Your pack is so old it still has a compartment for live leeches in the first aid kit.
SGT - I'm surprised that you'd admit to being old enough to remember when they made 'em like that!:D :D :D
Come to think of it, my pack is like that, too....
I've usually kept my food/garbage in 1, 2 or 3 ziplocks and no other food container in my pack, and the few clothes items and my sleeping bag in the same waterproof sack, and my hammock rolled in one package -- so i only have one stuff sack. at night i take the sleeping bag/clothes out and use that same stuff sack to hold my food ziplocks to either hang from a mouse hanger, hang right next to my hammock or hang from a tree if i'm in a "bad neighborhood". I reverse the process in the morning. My motivation has been to keep the weight down. Silly or what?
take a look, they also have the 3 pack combo,"ultimate dry sacks",i used one sack to make 2 big patches on my broken windows from my 2p. kestrel tent . http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5543939#Features+%26+Specifi cations
super compact & lightweight, 4 real http://www.outdoorproducts.com/catmain.aspx?catid=3
3-Pack Ultimate Dry Sack | Prod ID: 153OP
SGT Rock
10-04-2007, 17:32
SGT - I'm surprised that you'd admit to being old enough to remember when they made 'em like that!:D :D :D
Come to think of it, my pack is like that, too....
I've got two of them in the basement.
Toolshed
10-04-2007, 17:46
Besides Stuff Sacks for food, sleeping gear, water filter & spare clothes,
I have been carrying one of these (http://www.rei.com/product/641976) for many years now - It holds all my misc stuff, extra batteries, earplugs, tent pole section, candle stub, plastic toothpicks, spare cord, daily and pain medications, hard candy...
I also carry one of these for my first aid kit. (I also keep both packs in separate plastic bags for ultimate dryness).
I have the OR Models which cost $10 a decade ago, but they are still in great shape. You really get what you pay for.:sun
Gray Blazer
10-05-2007, 07:56
SGT - I'm surprised that you'd admit to being old enough to remember when they made 'em like that!:D :D :D
Come to think of it, my pack is like that, too....
Thanks, Shelterbuilder. Gotta keep 'em in their place. Next thing you know someone will say we got brokeback packs. :D
oldfivetango
10-05-2007, 08:04
If you don't mind looking a little bit geeky,then check out the
Luxury Lite Pack.It is compartmentalized by design and is waterproof
to boot(but they do recommend extra seam sealing etc.)
www.luxurylite.com (http://www.luxurylite.com)
Oldfivetango
Landshark
10-09-2007, 16:36
Stuff sacks:
1 for clothes
1 for food (put into giant ziplock first)
1 for stove, pot, mug, spoon
1 for misc: first aid stuff in ziplock, headlamp, mini-knife, mini-mp3 player, medications, spare batteries, spare matches, rope
1 for tent w/o poles or stakes
1 for sleeping bag
filter in big ziplock
toiletries in big ziplock (goes into food bag to hang at night)
tent poles and stakes slid down against back of pack
platypus bottle rolled up and stuffed anywhere in pack
fuel canister in plastic bag
z-rest outside pack
handgel, bandanna, bear spray, snacks, and hair bandanna in pack pockets
and that's about it.
Passionphish
10-09-2007, 17:03
I took all the stuff that i would need while hiking and put it in a small pack that I rigged out of this (http://www.rei.com/product/757666). It hangs in place of my sternum strap. That way I don't have to go in and out of my pack But packing for the hike and un-packing for camp. While that doesn't solve the organization issue. It does simplify what you have to organize in the pack. Hope it helps.
The Solemates
10-09-2007, 17:35
i dont compartmentalize anything, except those items that typically come with a stuff sack, like my sleeping bag and tent. Sometimes I will put all my food into a plastic grocery sack or on rare occasions a stuff sack, but usually I just throw 2-3 loose gallon sized ziploc bags full of food in with the rest of the gear. If my environment necessitates hanging my food, I use the stuff sack from my sleeping bag.
saimyoji
10-09-2007, 18:29
i dont compartmentalize anything, except those items that typically come with a stuff sack, like my sleeping bag and tent. Sometimes I will put all my food into a plastic grocery sack or on rare occasions a stuff sack, but usually I just throw 2-3 loose gallon sized ziploc bags full of food in with the rest of the gear. If my environment necessitates hanging my food, I use the stuff sack from my sleeping bag.
And then re-pack your bag in the sack now smelling of food? :-?
Blissful
10-09-2007, 19:03
I used a double zip Ziploc bag for misc personal stuff so I could see what I had (like my headlamp). Did replace them every so often. A fellow WBer made my clothing bag that doubled as my town bag and had that the whole hike. We also had our cooking gear in a sil nylon bag (pot, cozy, spoons, pocket rocket, and lighter). Food was in Ziploc bags to separate lunch and breakfast and then went into the Outdoor research dry bags Wally world sold (we used two as we split the food).
modiyooch
10-09-2007, 22:47
Has anyone ever tried to compartmentalize everything in their pack? Basically having a stuff sack for food, stuff sack for random stuff that never gets used that way you don't have to dump everything out to get to one thing. With everything compartmentalized, you can just take each stuff sack out until you get tot he one you need and then just drop them right back in.
everything is compartmentalized and in zip lock bags or garbage bags to keep dry. My wallet is a zip lock bag. I have a large, but not heavy, external frame, and I won't change it for this very reason.
modiyooch
10-09-2007, 22:51
And then re-pack your bag in the sack now smelling of food? :-?
I do the same thing. stuff sack doesn't smell because all the food is contained in small zip lock bags within larger zip lock bags. I am very conscientous about food smells and spills.
Me Too, bags in bags is the way to go. There is nothing worse than stinky clothes that smell like stinky food too.
Does anybody use trash compactor bags as a liner, or know of something just as strong but a little lighter? It might be the brand I'm using but they are like four or five ounces a piece.
dessertrat
10-10-2007, 10:06
I keep all of the little stuff in one of those nylon organizers you can get from EMS or REI, and a bag for food. Clothing I just stuff in as padding around the stove and cookware, or stuff it in on top. That's pretty much it. So, I guess the answer is no, not quite, but organizing the small stuff, and having the food already in a bag to hang, is handy.
The Solemates
10-10-2007, 10:16
And then re-pack your bag in the sack now smelling of food? :-?
in most cases, i sure do. although if the food is in ziplocs, then that cuts any smell drastically.
I change this habit if I am in bear country.
gearfreak
10-10-2007, 11:03
I recently laid out the contents of my bag on the front walkway of Mountain Crossings for Winton Porter to review. His only advice for me regarding weight savings was to consider giving up my Hiker Pro water filter. However, from an organization standpoint, I found his advice to make lots of sense. He recommended I remove my tent and sleeping bag from their compression sacks and put them in larger stuff sacks so they could spread out and lay flatter in my pack. Same for clothing and food. I had my food packed in 1 gallon ZipLoc's by the day but now follow Winton's advice of putting everything in one stuff sack allowing it to spread out and fill any voids the single bags were creating. I do continue to use the Ziploc's to organize smaller items (oatmeal, power bars, coffee bags, etc.) by the day, but I let freeze dried meals and foil pack tuna "float" in the stuff sack. Lastly, for what it's worth, he recommended I put my water bladder on top of everything else instead of using the hydration sleeve. This put to rest the argument I was having with myself regarding what a pain in the @#$ it is to unpack gear to remove and replace the bladder. Yeah, I've tried the quick connect to fill it without removal, but I hesitate to lay my ULA Catalyst on a wet, muddy bank while I pump water into the bladder. :cool:
Has anyone ever tried using the Ziploc XL bags for pack liner? It actually works great and they're thicker than compactors or trash bags. The weight doesn't equal any more than a compactor. It works well for us!
i use a large black garbage bag for a pack liner. it's lighter than a trash compactor bag, though not as durable. my pack is a golite gust, which is a single sack with a roll top, one outside zippered pocket and two added water bottle mesh pockets. really, just a sack with straps.
my stuff is organized thusly:
main bag/pack:
-sleeping bag in stuff sack (with a small piece of fleece sewn on one side, for use as a pillow). this all goes into a white garbage bag.
-hammock underquilt in its own stuff sack.
-hammock in its snakeskins, just rolled up. no stuff sack.
-food bag-this is a larger stuff sack with a walmart shopping bag inside. individual meals (mostly lipton noodle-based dinners, and oatmeal/dried milk breakfasts) are in ziplock bags. the meat components of the dinners, either jerky or foil-pack chicken or beef, all go in one ziplock. drink mixes (cocoa/soup/koolaid/crystalite) go in another ziplock. lunch items (a block of cheddar or individually wrapped string cheeses, pepperoni stick (or slices) or landjaeger, and bagels) all have their own ziplocks. my only condiment is usually just an old toothpaste tube (trial size) of mustard, which gets thrown in any old how. so, one stuff sack with a lot of ziplocks. i like it that way because then i can mix and match depending on my mood, weather, available light, or hunger.
that's it for stuff bags inside. my stove, cup, windscreen, potstand, and pot all fit inside the pot's cozy. alcohol bottle goes outside in a mesh pocket. clothes just get pushed down inside into the empty spaces. no stuff sacks for any of it.
the outside pocket contains everything else. the really small stuff (compass, aqua mira drops, lighter, and anything else that's small)) goes in a really small mesh bag. first aid kit and repair kit go in one small silnylon stuff sack. headlamp, headnet, skeeter repellent, foodbag line, and TP (in a ziplock bag) just go in loose. i think that's everything.
so, 3 bigger stuff sacks and 2 much smaller ones.
the food bag is my hanging bag. my sleeping bag stuff sack becomes my pillowcase, and the hammock underquilt stuff sack doesn't really have a second use.
Jack Tarlin
10-10-2007, 18:40
The color-coding idea for stuff sacks is a good one. You'll very quickly memorize which is the food-bag, which has clothes, etc. I do this with my bandanas, too. One is for the field kitchen (cleaning; wiping pots dry; as a pot-holder, etc)., one is miscellaneous (headband, sweatband, bandage, eyeglass cleaner, etc.) and the last one, usually a red one, is for personal use, i.e. cleaning of one's more fetid areas, etc. You REALLY don't wanna use your red bandana on your cookpot!
BigwaveDave
10-13-2007, 16:20
I use 4 small stuff sacks of different colors to keep me organized.
faarside
10-13-2007, 16:34
I do wish there were a way to organize the "misc" bag, though. I tried splitting it in two (ie. using two instead of one) but that didn't work at all; the one I needed was always the one buried deepest in the pack. ;)
I organize "misc" items in 2 places. First, a small stuff sack in the main compartment of my pack contains things I do not need regularly or in an emergency. Second, things I might need quickly or in an emergency are in one of the two zipper compartments on the side of the pack. My pack is a Lowe Alpine Netherworld ND70.
Let's see, I have one for food, one for clothes, one for bag, one for toiletries and first aid, a teeny tiny one for backups; batteries, memory cards, money, etc. I have a top lid on my pack I keep extra t.p. my maps and handbook, my journal and headlamp go in it. My snacks, the page from my handbook I'm using currently, snacks, camera and my knife go in my hipbelt pockets. Love them hipbelt pockets....
Me Too, bags in bags is the way to go. There is nothing worse than stinky clothes that smell like stinky food too.
Does anybody use trash compactor bags as a liner, or know of something just as strong but a little lighter? It might be the brand I'm using but they are like four or five ounces a piece.
I don't line my pack, I line my stuff saks instead. Well, just my bag, food and clothes saks. I use the large turkey oven roasting bags. Weigh like a feather and are nearly bombproof.
I don't line my pack, I line my stuff saks instead. Well, just my bag, food and clothes saks. I use the large turkey oven roasting bags. Weigh like a feather and are nearly bombproof.
I've used the same bags in my saks for three years now, not a tear to be found.
I use two to three stuff sacks for food, most likely will be able to use 2 most of the time because I had to carry extra food because I was on the wilderness. The top pocket of my pack acts as another stuff sack. I put important things in there such as a pack cover, first aid kit, maps. I am thinking I will buy a stuff sack for clothing.
Kirby
Appalachian Tater
10-14-2007, 12:43
I am thinking I will buy a stuff sack for clothing.
Kirby
Which makes a wonderful pillow. What are you going to do with your rancid crusty socks? They can pollute your entire pack.
OR Hydrolite stuffsacks are waterproof and lightweight.
Which makes a wonderful pillow. What are you going to do with your rancid crusty socks? They can pollute your entire pack.
OR Hydrolite stuffsacks are waterproof and lightweight.
I am going to carry a plastic bag for my wet or clothing deemed unwearable.
Kirby
What are you going to do with your rancid crusty socks?
When I'm on the trail, I keep a couple of bags from the last grocery stop. Those superlight plastic shopping bags are great for wrapping up smelly stuff like socks and underwear. And no guilt about throwing the bags away later.
Appalachian Tater
10-14-2007, 17:45
I use heavy-duty double-zip freezer bags for the dirty clothes, and a lot of other things, too. Gallons and quarts. My dirty socks are way too nasty for a thin grocery bag.