Packing a Pack

[kayak karl]

When packing a pack how do you distribute the weight. heavy items high, against back, low in pack?? What works best for you:-?

[angewrite]

You'll figure it out as you go. It depends on the way your pack carries. Generally for me my sleeping bag is on the very bottom, water bladder against my back (there's a pocket for it), food bag center and upright against the water, extra clothes, tent, filter and stove shoved on either side. When I get close to town and my food bag is lighter I usually end up layering my stuff by frequency or use/ what I'll need next- since at that point none of my gear really has a significant weight difference.

Hope that helped a bit and just play with it until it feels right.

-Bobcat

[JAK]

Last in. First out. ;)

Seriously.
Blue foam pad first, like a coil.
Then sleeping bag.
Then food.
Then the rest.

[warraghiyagey]

Center of weight in your pack should roughly match your natural center of gravity. Other than that, arrange by convenience and accesssibility.

[gumball]

Similar to what these folks said. I split my food and center the larger meal bag in the middle and put a weeks worth of snacks on top for easy reach. Too much weight at either the top or the bottom causes me shoulder pain, but once I figured that out and what worked for, I've not had any problems.

[fiddlehead]

If you use a hip belt (i don't) it's best to put the heavier stuff on top. That's always my food bag and that's what i need the most anyway.
I also put the softer things (clothes, sleeping bag, tent) next to my back so i can use a lighter pack that way. I use a small folded pad and that goes right against my back (in the pack of course)
If it looks like rain (usually does on the AT anyway) then the raingear goes next just below the foodbag.
Main thing is to put things back in the same place so you know where they are in the dark. different color stuff sacks can be nice too for putting stuff back in as my sleeping bag and clothes bag stuff sacks are the same size.

[Uncle B]

This works for me in my Osprey Aether 70:

1) Thermarest (folded flat to the size of the bottom of the pack, not rolled)
2) Tent laid flat as possible (poles & stakes removed - will slide them inside the pack vertically along the side later)
3) Sleeping bag (in dry sac) laid flat as possible
4) Clothes (in dry sac) laid flat as possible
5) Bag w/ stove, pot, spork
6) Food Bags (one snack foods the other hot meals, both in dry sacs)
(5 & 6 are not really stacked but are on the same "layer")
7) Rain gear/pack cover stored in the zippered top compartment for quick accessibility.

I fill any "air space" as I go up in layers with ditty bags (odds and ends not covered above). Everything is contained within my bag (nothing strapped to the outside). I don't use compression bags, the pack itself is one big compression sac. By not compressing sleeping bag, clothes, etc. it allows the weight to be distributed more evenly wall to wall across the entire bag.

This works great for me, but just like HYOH, PYOP and see what works best for you.

-Uncle B

[Lilred]

I keep my tent outside of my pack, that way, I won't get anything inside my pack wet, while setting up my tent in the rain. my thermarest is outside my pack too.

Inside my pack, my sleeping bag is on the bottom. It has an oven roasting bag lining the stuffsak so I don't have to worry about it getting wet when I set my pack down. On top of that are my clothes. My first aid kit and extra TP is stuffed along the sides of these two things. On top of my clothes is my food bag, then my kitchen and rain gear and pack cover on top. Gotta be able to get to that rain gear quick.

My water filter, collapsible bucket, bear rope and extra 1 liter platy go in the mesh pocket on the back of my pack.

I have a top lid, which seems to be becoming more and more disliked by people. But I keep my toiletries, maps, journal, headlamp, glasses, things like that in there.

knife, snacks and camera, and the current page of my handbook, go in my hip belt pockets.

[Colter]

Most people find it's best to keep the weight in close to your body and the heaviest items near the top of your pack. In close near the top of my shoulder blades is where I like the heaviest items. How you distribute the weight can have an enormous impact on how comfortable the pack is. Many experienced backpackers find that it's best to avoid hanging items of any weight on the pack (a pair of shoes hanging by the laces, for example.) Items like that swinging back and forth can be very annoying and can significantly increase your workload.

[JAK]

I think if you are hiking with a very heavy load, and you are a skinny person capable of carrying such a heavy load, then it helps to carry the weight close to your body and up high, because you can put the weight on your hips with a slighter forward lean than if you are carrying the weight lower. In rugged terrain where you might stumble I think it is more important to carry the weight closer to your center of gravity, so weight still close to your body, but the denser items on the bottom.