View Full Version : How do you organize your gear?
greginmi
03-12-2009, 11:26
I'm new to backpacking and getting ready to do some hiking with my son in Boy Scouts. We will be doing multiple weekend hikes with a couple 10-14 day hikes planned for Philmont Scout Ranch and Isle Royale over the next couple years.
I'm curious how others organize the inside of their packs? I'm an engineer and have to keep things neat and organized. I don't want to be digging around looking for small items at the bottom of my bag.
I've got people recommending options like 1-2 gallon ziplock bags to compression sacks for everything.
My logic says a mixture of compression sacks for sleeping bag and base/middle layers. I like the idea of ditty bags for the non-compressible items like food/cooking gear and miscellanous stuff.
Ziplock bags always seem to have a habit of expanding when used to compress things like clothes. Also, I plan to fit my outerlayers (fleece and wool) in the remaining open space since compressing them would compromize their insulation capabilities.
Thoughts and feedback much appreciated.
Regards,
Greg
4eyedbuzzard
03-12-2009, 11:36
Compression sacks are heavy (relatively to regular sacks) and can actually kind of "overcompress" sleeping bags. If you do use one be EXTRA careful that you get your bag out of it ASAP at camp to allow it time to reloft, and especially after getting back home. I use a silnylon stuff sack with fleece on one side that doubles as a pillow, but many hikers actually just compress their sleeping bag into a waterproof plastic bag at the bottom of their packs and then let it "loft" a bit against whatever else they are carrying to help fill up pack space.
I use a few sil bags to keep things roughly organized(food bag, first aid and hygiene, etc), but if you overdo the organization bit with stuff sacks and ditty bags you'll wind up with bags inside of bags and carrying a lot of useless weight, and not have any easier time finding that one little bag in the middle of the pack during the day.
Pedaling Fool
03-12-2009, 11:42
I organize it everytime I repack; I still have not figured it out
KISS - Keep it simple, stupid.
The less crap you have, the less crap you have to organize.
garlic08
03-12-2009, 11:49
Pretty much ditto everything the buzzard said. I once met a hiker who asked me to help him lighten his load. We took apart his pack and found over 30 stuff sacks (he had as many as three layers of sacks within sacks) and about as many ziploc bags. They weighed about 4 or 5 pounds all together. You can organize way too much. All you need is a large plastic bag for waterproofing, a food bag, a ditty bag or two. Great question and have fun at Philmont.
fiddlehead
03-12-2009, 11:49
Here's what i do: Tent goes in the bottom, along with my rain pants (if i'm carrying them, and that depends on what trail i'm hiking)
then i put my 2 small stuff sacks vertically in side by side on top of the tent. In one are all my clothes, and in the other my sleeping bag stuffed pretty hard in bread sized (loaf) bags.
Then my cookit which holds my stove and cup goes closest to the outer side of the pack (The side furthest from my body when hiking) The fuel canister gets stuffed in somewhere near the cookit.
On top of that goes my food bag and sometimes a snack bag on top, with my rainjacket stuffed down behind it.
I usually have a fleece jacket and that gets strapped into the top strap of my go lite breeze pack when i close it.
On the outside goes my small ditty bag with everything else: spoon, glasses, razor blade, aspirin, duct tape, photon light, lighter, needle and dental floss, etc.
And the other pocket gets my 1 litre water bottle.
Then there's a big outside mesh pocket that gets my tent if it's wet, my packcover, and my 5 gallon plastic bag that i use for camp only to carry water.
My guitar gets strapped to the side without the water bottle.
I always pack it the same, (unless the tent is wet) and could take everything out and put it all back in blindfolded. I clip my light onto my shirt collar with a small attached clip so i have it just in case i forgot where i put my snickers bars or something most valuable in the middle of the night.
Heavy stuff should go on top but also stuff you need the most goes up there.
I generally don't need my tent, sleeping bag or clothes when i'm hiking and only need the stove sometimes for lunch. I rarely go deeper than my food bag in the daytime.
Have fun out there.
Many Walks
03-12-2009, 11:54
We go with a mixture. Compression sacks for things that fluff like clothes, sleeping bag, tent, etc. Food goes in a Sea to Summit dry bag that is adjusted down in size as food depletes. Cookset goes in a ditty bag. First aid, smellables, meds, tp, etc. go in ziplock bags. Make a place for rain gear that is handy. As you hike you'll figure out what works for you. The only logic to follow is to keep things accessible that you're likely to use often and the things you'll only need at camp can be buried deeper. Of course watch your pack loading as recommended by the design, generally with the heaviest stuff toward the top and the lighter items lower. Keep water easy to reach for drinking and refilling, have your camera ready for that perfect picture by being mounted on your sternum strap, waist belt or other handy spot and you'll be good to go. Sounds like you're on a good track. Everyone does it slightly different and there really isn't a right or wrong way, just make adjustments along the way that work best for you. Enjoy hour hiking!
I use one compression sack for both my sleeping bag and hammock underquilt. My hammock and suspension go in the bag they came in, as does my tarp and its suspension. My insulation clothing (long johns for sleeping, extra socks, gloves and warm hat) go in another sil nylon sack. My kitchen (stove, pot, spork, and lighter) go in another sil sack. My personal sack has my toothbrush, comb, headlamp, charger for my cell, and extra batteries for my camera). My food bag is a larger sil sack. All these go inside my pack. My raingear (jacket and pants) is packed into their own pockets and placed in an outside pocket on my pack. In small waistband pockets I have my maps, first aid, cell phone, and camera in baggies. In the side pockets are my water bottles. I know what color bag is what. That keeps it simple.
4eyedbuzzard
03-12-2009, 11:55
Pretty much ditto everything the buzzard said. I once met a hiker who asked me to help him lighten his load. We took apart his pack and found over 30 stuff sacks (he had as many as three layers of sacks within sacks) and about as many ziploc bags. They weighed about 4 or 5 pounds all together. You can organize way too much. All you need is a large plastic bag for waterproofing, a food bag, a ditty bag or two. Great question and have fun at Philmont.
I've seen that--hell, I've even called myself on it a few times. And besides, if hikers get too organized it kills the fun of watching everyone dump their stuff out on the shelter floor to find something.:D It's a better sideshow than watching my wife empty her purse. We need our entertanment in the woods too!
I'm new to backpacking and getting ready to do some hiking with my son in Boy Scouts. We will be doing multiple weekend hikes with a couple 10-14 day hikes planned for Philmont Scout Ranch and Isle Royale over the next couple years.
I'm curious how others organize the inside of their packs? I'm an engineer and have to keep things neat and organized. I don't want to be digging around looking for small items at the bottom of my bag.
I've got people recommending options like 1-2 gallon ziplock bags to compression sacks for everything.
My logic says a mixture of compression sacks for sleeping bag and base/middle layers. I like the idea of ditty bags for the non-compressible items like food/cooking gear and miscellanous stuff.
Ziplock bags always seem to have a habit of expanding when used to compress things like clothes. Also, I plan to fit my outerlayers (fleece and wool) in the remaining open space since compressing them would compromize their insulation capabilities.
Thoughts and feedback much appreciated.
Regards,
Greg
For my "ditty bag" I use this Equinox organizer: http://www.equinoxltd.com/the-gear/ultralite-gear/monarch_ultralite_travel_bag.cfm
For my down bag I use the larger version of the Thermarest reversible stuff sack pillow: http://www.thermarest.com/product_detail.aspx?pID=95&cID=4 (lined with a turkey bag). The larger version lets me squeeze a couple items in with it (like a silk liner and sleeping socks) and still not over-compress my down bag.
For clothes I either stick them in with the sleeping bag, or use the REI reversible stuff sack/pack (old version). The new version is: http://www.rei.com/product/778466 This also holds my water bladder (4L Dromlite) and any misc equipment that doesn't fit in the ditty bag (which holds a surprising amount of little items: first aid, repair, and misc. stuff).
My pot/kitchen stuff goes in a 4L dry bag from Walmart, which is large enough for an overnight food supply as well. For longer trips I use a 10L dry bag for food that can be hung without concern for the weather.
My TT Rainbow fits in its stuffsack.
My camera and some misc stuff (knife, whistle, lighter) goes in a camera pouch with my digital camera. The small stuff goes in a mesh outer pocket, camera inside ...
A mesh bag (paint strainer bag) ties on the back of my pack for water filter, rain gear and any wet stuff.
I also carry a few items in my pockets that I need to reach while moving: map, snacks, bug hat, bug dope.
Pack has a trash compactor bag for a liner, and my rain poncho acts like a pack cover ... I really don't like stuff to get wet! :-)
flemdawg1
03-12-2009, 12:10
Sleeping bag and clothing in stuff sacks, placed in a garbage sack on the bottom. BA mattress and cookset (with coffee cone, stove and fuel inside) next in a mesh bag. Then food bag. Then rainjacket and a wp Outdoor Products sack w/ headlamp, TP, hand san, Steripen, compass and first aid kit. Outside is water bottle, bladder, tarp/tent and a rolled peice of Tyvek groundcloth.
I agree with most of the posts:
* Keep it simple; reduce gear. If you need compressor bags, you may have too much gear.
* Use silnylon bags that fit the gear snugly (get a variety) instead of compressor bags which can damage insulation and are very heavy. A large single compressor bag - sleeping bag size will weigh from 2.5 to 3.5 ounces. An appropriate silnylon stuff sack will weigh less than 1 ounce.
* White or light colored stuff sacks are semi-transparent, making it easier to find items.
* Keep related items together - stuff sacks are a good way to do this.
* Mark contents of each stuff sack if it isn't obvious. Use different colors to help keep items straight.
* Ziplok bags do, in fact, tend to inflate and take up more room. However, I use a 2-quart freezer bag Zloc with the seams reinforced with packing tape for a ditty bag because it is transparent. This seems to last as well as the more expensive Alosacs. Without reinforcement the seams of all plastic zip bags will blow out.
*** But don't be tied to using stuff sacks for everything. If your kitchen gear will fit into one pot with lid and if you can strap the lid on securely, there is no reason to use a stuff sack unless you cook on wood and you want to keep soot off your other gear. A small garbage bag will serve that purpose as well as a stuff sack - and with less weight.
Sometimes over-reliance on stuff sacks can make packing inefficient; stuff sacks don't conform to the spaces to be filled. A big clothing bag may not fill the nooks and crannies as well as one or more smaller bags -- or as packing large items (vest, parka, long johns) into the unfilled spaces. On the other hand, I definitely keep small items in sacks so I don't have to go diving for them.
Cannibal
03-12-2009, 12:51
Sil stuff sacks. 1 for food, 1 for clothes, 1 for misc. stuff (first aid, toothbrush, etc.). Semi compression bag for quilt. Large Bishop Bag (stuff sack with small hole on bottom) for hammock & underquilt. All inside of a XL Ziploc Storage Bag. Neat, organized, and, for the most part, water proof.
I organize it everytime I repack; I still have not figured it out
lol same!
every time i get home from a hike i think about how things carried and make a change to my packing arrangement
Color-coded sil stuff sacs help weak-minded people like me, but it does take some of the adventure out of the chase.
if you want the lightness of ziplocks and want them to compress, make sure you buy the double zipper ones. put your stuff in, zip it most of the way (leave like an inch unzipped), put your mouth on it and suck out the air, then zip it shut. sounds silly but it works.
http://imgur.com/LF8A.jpg
This is roughly how I organize my Gregory z55.
The Top Zippered part has Maps, Earplugs, Cell Phone, Wallet, Water Filter (or Chemicals,) GPS/HAM Radio (usually if i'm in an unfamilliar place... not the AT,) a spare garbage bag and pack cover.
Tent Poles and Platypus go in the same Inner-Pocket designed for bladders.
Orange Dry Bag for Clothes + Raincoat
On the left side of my bag, I keep my Food Stuffs. My bag has a zipper that will open up on that side, allowing me easy access to my cooking kit and food stuff sack.
The right side usually has my 'pants' to my convertable hiking shorts rolled up and spare socks beneath them. My tent bag on the right as well to even out weight.
very bottom of the bag goes the sleeping bag. It's always the Last thing unpacked and the first thing packed, so it lives at the bottom. I don't keep it in a sack, all my other junk will compress it down just fine and prevent uniformed compression.
For colder weather, I've got plenty more space for clothes. Especially if i end up putting my sleeping bag in a sack.
On the Outside of the pack (but the inside of the mesh) I have a 72" thermarest folded (3-4 times i think.) Sometimes I'll roll this up and put it on the very top.
Below that on the outside of the mesh are my Aquaducks Mr. Daytona Camp Shoes.
On the belt I have two holsters, one for my leatherman micra and one for my camera
holy ****! how'd you do that?
Also forgot to mention if anybody's curious as to how I set up my cooking kit:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=45558
holy ****! how'd you do that?
the better question is "how do you get paid $14.50/hr to waste your time on crap like that"
yeah, that's a good one too. so?
sew buttons.
just some photoshopping.
bottom layer was a cell-shaded version of this image (http://www.moontrail.com/details/gregory/z55/z55-blue-main.jpg)
middle layers were just hapless filled-in drawings of bags arranged how i configure them
top layer was the same cell shaded image, but i erased it with a soft and large eraser at a low flow.
that explanation makes me want to go drink.
i did magic with images and made them look purty.
i have a Go-Lite Gust, which was essentially a sack with straps, a roll top, and one outside zippered compartment. I added 2 water bottle holders, one on each side, and some webbing loops (3 per side, one bottom middle) though which i could thread a couple feet of elastic. so it looks like a golite jam, but bigger. my load is about 13-14lbs without food or water.
-first in is a large black garbage bag. That's my waterproofing.
-inside that, side by side, i pack my hammock underquilt and sleeping bag. both are down, both go in another smaller white trash bag if i know there's going to be rain over the weekend, of if i'm canoeing. the hammock underquilt goes in the silnylon bag it came with, and i made another stuff sack for the sleeping bag. it's a little larger than what came with it (i didn't like how much it was compressing the bag, and now it's more the same size as the underquilt bag), and i sewed a nice soft piece of fleece to one side of it, for use as a pillowcase.
-my 2 extra pairs of socks go down in the triangle of space between the two sleep-system bags. my rain pants, seldom worn, but always carried (hmm... maybe room for change there) roll up and go in the other triangle.
-if i'm carrying a fleece jacket/pants layer, depending on season, that gets folded up sorta flat and square and goes in next, standing up, if you will, against my back. behind it, on the same level, sitting side by side, but away from my back, are my pot/stove/cozy/kitchen (all fits in an MSR Titan Kettle) and my Hennessey Hammock. I made snake skins for the hammock, and i leave the underquilt suspension system ON the hammock (different from a previous post). the hammock tarp (stock or 8 x 10) was either rolled up with the hammock that morning, or (if i thought i was going to rain, or if the tarp was already wet) put in it's own small silnylon stuff sack and packed later, as i'll explain. That small stuff sack is about 9" long and 3" across.
-my food bag goes next. All my food is either ready to go (freezerbag cooking), or, like the commercially prepped dehydrated meals i sometimes take, already in something waterproof. about all i do is put most of those separate packages in a walmart bag or two and put them in a nylon stuff sack. (or a large plastic pretzel jar when canoeing. it screws shut and floats. but it's not bear/squirrel/mouse proof.) The point of all that is that i don't worry much about keeping it dry. It's already in packaging of some sort, and it's all going to be inside that original black plastic trash bag.
-here's where the weather impacts the system. i still have the day's lunch (in a ziplock), a book (in a ziplock), rain jacket, maybe a camera (ziplock bag again) and that tarp i mentioned earlier... If it's nice out, i'll pack all the PREVIOUSLY mentioned stuff in the black trash bag, twist it shut, tuck the thing off to the side, and just lay the lunch, book, rain jacket, canera, and tarp on top. if it's nasty, i'll put them inside (except the tarp, and i'll probalby be wearing the rain jacket). hope that makes sense.
the top then rolls down and a strap buckles across to hold it there.
-water bottle(s) and alcohol bottle go in the two side pockets. sometimes, if it's nice, the camera goes there.
-Everything else i carry goes in the one outside pocket... my first aid kit and repair kit (in a ziplock) go in a small silnylon ditty bag. headlamp, sunscreen, bug juice, headnet, tent stakes (4-6), 50' of mason line or TripTease, spoon, and a small mesh bag (containing a small pocketknife, compass if not in breast pocket, aquamira, and lighter) can all get wet without harm. they get a little jumbled, but the first aid kit/repair kit is in it's own bag, the mesh bag allows me to see the other small stuff, and the big stuff is obvious.
oh, and a map. that goes in a larger ziplock and goes either in the pocket, or under the strap that holds the rolltop shut.
if i carry an umbrella, that can go in the water bottle pocket opposite the one with the alcohol (they're deeper and wider than normal.)
i think that covers everything.
oh. duh. the reason i added the elastic cord to the outside... if the tarp, a pair of wet socks, or my rainjacket needs it, i can stuff them under the elastic. i also carry my sit pad there. it's a 9 x 18 or so piece cut from a blue foam sleeping pad. keeps it handy so i don't have to dig it out (and then stuff it back in) to sit on for lunch.
that explanation makes me want to go drink.
this whole thread makes me want to go drink...
... throw everything inside in the am
... (keep lunch and libations on top, duh)
... take everything out at night
... works every time
BlackRock
03-12-2009, 23:49
I go with tent, sleeping bag, pad and Jetboil in first. The tent and bag compress right at the bottom with the other two side by side each other on top. I then toss in any other heavy items to keep my center of gravity lower. In my case ropes and climbing gear usually go in next. They are heavy and take up alot of extra space from just camping gear, so I end up leaving other things back at home like camp shoes and more clothing.
I then toss in my warm layers and extra clothes, folded right on top of that, no stuff sacks. I finish with a single stuffsack for all my food at the top of the bag. In my pouch on top I keep easy access stuff along with one small stuffsack that keeps all my other goodies like sunscreen bug juice, nail clippers, lighter, chapstick and toothbrush together. I fill in a few other things just loose like headlamp, knife, hat, gloves and some food for the day just out in that pouch.
It seems to work out pretty well. I have access to most little things I need right on top like sunglasses, a hat or maybe a snack that I'd use during the day. Then if it gets cold or rainy I just pull out the food and grab a layer without having to unpack much. At night the food comes out, more clothing goes directly on me and my gear, sleeping stuff and cooking setup comes out when I make camp.
In the end I only have two loose stuff sacks both of which simply keep lots of loose things from floating around. My tent has it's own stuff sack and I use a compression sack on my sleeping bag. My pad also gets slid into it's own bag but together those add little weight.
i have a Go-Lite Gust, which was essentially a sack with straps, a roll top, and one outside zippered compartment. I added 2 water bottle holders, one on each side, and some webbing loops (3 per side, one bottom middle) though which i could thread a couple feet of elastic. so it looks like a golite jam, but bigger. my load is about 13-14lbs without food or water.
-first in is a large black garbage bag. That's my waterproofing.
-inside that, side by side, i pack my hammock underquilt and sleeping bag. both are down, both go in another smaller white trash bag if i know there's going to be rain over the weekend, of if i'm canoeing. the hammock underquilt goes in the silnylon bag it came with, and i made another stuff sack for the sleeping bag. it's a little larger than what came with it (i didn't like how much it was compressing the bag, and now it's more the same size as the underquilt bag), and i sewed a nice soft piece of fleece to one side of it, for use as a pillowcase.
-my 2 extra pairs of socks go down in the triangle of space between the two sleep-system bags. my rain pants, seldom worn, but always carried (hmm... maybe room for change there) roll up and go in the other triangle.
-if i'm carrying a fleece jacket/pants layer, depending on season, that gets folded up sorta flat and square and goes in next, standing up, if you will, against my back. behind it, on the same level, sitting side by side, but away from my back, are my pot/stove/cozy/kitchen (all fits in an MSR Titan Kettle) and my Hennessey Hammock. I made snake skins for the hammock, and i leave the underquilt suspension system ON the hammock (different from a previous post). the hammock tarp (stock or 8 x 10) was either rolled up with the hammock that morning, or (if i thought i was going to rain, or if the tarp was already wet) put in it's own small silnylon stuff sack and packed later, as i'll explain. That small stuff sack is about 9" long and 3" across.
-my food bag goes next. All my food is either ready to go (freezerbag cooking), or, like the commercially prepped dehydrated meals i sometimes take, already in something waterproof. about all i do is put most of those separate packages in a walmart bag or two and put them in a nylon stuff sack. (or a large plastic pretzel jar when canoeing. it screws shut and floats. but it's not bear/squirrel/mouse proof.) The point of all that is that i don't worry much about keeping it dry. It's already in packaging of some sort, and it's all going to be inside that original black plastic trash bag.
-here's where the weather impacts the system. i still have the day's lunch (in a ziplock), a book (in a ziplock), rain jacket, maybe a camera (ziplock bag again) and that tarp i mentioned earlier... If it's nice out, i'll pack all the PREVIOUSLY mentioned stuff in the black trash bag, twist it shut, tuck the thing off to the side, and just lay the lunch, book, rain jacket, canera, and tarp on top. if it's nasty, i'll put them inside (except the tarp, and i'll probalby be wearing the rain jacket). hope that makes sense.
the top then rolls down and a strap buckles across to hold it there.
-water bottle(s) and alcohol bottle go in the two side pockets. sometimes, if it's nice, the camera goes there.
-Everything else i carry goes in the one outside pocket... my first aid kit and repair kit (in a ziplock) go in a small silnylon ditty bag. headlamp, sunscreen, bug juice, headnet, tent stakes (4-6), 50' of mason line or TripTease, spoon, and a small mesh bag (containing a small pocketknife, compass if not in breast pocket, aquamira, and lighter) can all get wet without harm. they get a little jumbled, but the first aid kit/repair kit is in it's own bag, the mesh bag allows me to see the other small stuff, and the big stuff is obvious.
oh, and a map. that goes in a larger ziplock and goes either in the pocket, or under the strap that holds the rolltop shut.
if i carry an umbrella, that can go in the water bottle pocket opposite the one with the alcohol (they're deeper and wider than normal.)
i think that covers everything.
hey seeker. do you mean you pretty much line the whole pack with the garbage bag before you put anything in?
SGT Rock
03-13-2009, 08:59
One bag for clothing
One bag for sleeping gear
One bag for food and cook stuff
One bag for everything else
All that goes into my pack.
One bag for clothing
One bag for sleeping gear
One bag for food and cook stuff
One bag for everything else
All that goes into my pack.
yep, keep it simple
SGT Rock
03-13-2009, 09:05
Oh, one simple add- raingear and rain fly go in the outside mesh pocket. Reason is obvious.
One bag for clothing
One bag for sleeping gear
One bag for food and cook stuff
One bag for everything else
All that goes into my pack.
sounds like mine except for the everything else bag. bag on the bottom, then clothes, then cooking. raingear and filter in the outside pockets. but i'm a squirrel-er. i love little hidden pockets and seperate compartments for the little things. compass and maps in the front zipper pocket. headlamp, and extras like cards, snacks, bandanas, and toilet paper in the top where it's easily accessable.
yep, keep it simple
you forgot the last 's'
Turtlehiker
03-13-2009, 09:18
The KISS principle applies here very well.
Line pack with light kitchen garbage bag, Sleeping bag in the bottom in a sea-summit sil dry sack, I like to double protect my stuff from wet, Clothes in a sea-summit sill dry sack, food in my 30yo food bag, firstaid/emergency gear and toiletries in a RED dry sack, day food in a ziplock in outside pocket, tarp/rain gear in mesh outside pocket, headlamp, knife, compass, map, etc in top pocket, cooking gear is inside food bag, power bars in pants pocket. And off I go!
okay, so why the garbage bag liner? i have never gone hiking that i didn't get something wet and have to put it back inside my pack. it seems like the garbage bag takes away the little breathability you would have, creating mold. plus the stink of having wet stuff pinned up is like a boy's locker room. ??
SGT Rock
03-13-2009, 09:24
Nothing that gets wet goes inside that liner. Outside the pack.
i guess it's just something i'll not understand. i mean, they make pack covers.
Nothing that gets wet goes inside that liner. Outside the pack.
plus, there will ALWAYS be moisture on a hiker's gear. dew/condensation/sweat on a sleeping bag or tent.. you can't put all that outside the pack. it really doesn't seem very sanitary to me. in a funky public restroom at the bus station kind of way. ick.
SGT Rock
03-13-2009, 09:34
OK, I consider the original question how to organize - this is more on how I keep my stuff dry. I am paranoid about getting things wet. Been there and never want it again. I use a multi defense strategy. So if one barrier fails there are others to protect my gear. This has yet to fail me.
So...
Food bag goes outside the pack liner. The food is all in packaging anyway, so who cares? If I am bear bagging anyway (like on the cables in the smokies) it is going to get rained on at night.
The other stuff bag, sleeping gear bag, and clothing bag are all full of dry stuff. They go inside the liner. They are also sil-nylon for a layer or protection within the liner. So there is two barriers right there.
Wet stuff like rain gear and tarp go in a mesh pocket outside the pack. They stay away from the dry stuff and are handy to get when the rain starts. It's easy to put a tarp up in seconds when you need it.
I hike in the same clothing every day. I'm going to stink anyway. It never goes in the pack. The only clothing I ever have that may be wet but not worn are socks - used socks hang outside the pack. None of this ever goes in my clothing bag. I rarely ever hike in my insulation layers I carry. If I do, it is very cold so I sweat very little. And then I wear dry them in camp. I'll add my hiking socks are ankle height running socks, they dry VERY fast. No thick cushion socks that take forever to dry out.
And on top of all this I have a Packa. It is may rain jacket and a pack cover. It is open enough that you get circulation. I've had socks mostly dry by the end of the day even hanging off the pack inide the packa. This Packa cover is the third layer of protection.
i do pretty much what rock does, didn't premeditate it much, just seems common sense
In the main pouch of the pack from bottom to top
inside a trash compactor bag:extra clothes, sleep clothes, quilt, food in bear-bag hammock
above and outside trash compactor bag: bag of trash, tarp, bag of tent pegs, rain/wind jacket
In front pocket from bottom to top: kitchen, fuel bottle, bag of misc, gloves, snacks & lunch, survival kit, sit pad
side pockets: water filter, water bottles, trowel
Except for the bearbag and compression sack for my quilt, I use the Tyvek mailing envelopes from USPS, FedEx, etc.