View Full Version : stuff sacks
strollingalong
10-31-2011, 14:47
different sizes, different colours, sure.
How many?
One for a sleeping bag - liters?
One for food - liters?
Clothes? - liters?
mountain squid
10-31-2011, 16:26
I don't know the actual sizes, but I have:
food - large one
clothing - med one (clothing in ziplocks, as well)
tent - long rectangular one
snacks - small one (could probably do without)
sleeping pad - small one (if I strap to outside of pack I don't use one)
kitchen stuff - small one
first aid - smaller one
toiletries - extra small one (tooth brush/paste, etc)
tent stakes - extra, extra small rectangular one
sleeping bag - stuff into stuff sack, then into kitchen size trash bag, roll up, and then into another kitchen size trash bag
All of mine are sil-nylon and most are green. I suppose color coding would be helpful, but it is rather easy to tell what is in which sack.
See you on the trail,
mt squid
how to hike
(http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?73587-how-to-hike)observations (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?14493-observations-from-fs42-(advice-for-first-week-on-trail))
ChinMusic
10-31-2011, 16:31
One for bag/clothes, size depends on season
One or two for food (usually two, one for meals and one for snacks). medium size
One for misc (meds, batteries, radio, etc) small
If you plan on staying in shelters, putting your name on the stuff sack is not a bad idea.
garlic08
10-31-2011, 16:40
I'm on the simple end of the spectrum. I have two stuffsacks. One large one is for food, and one small one is for clothing (doubles as pillow). Sleeping bag and tent get stuffed into my pack (sleeping bag in a trash compactor bag if it's raining). Toiletries go in a small ziplock. My kitchen consists of a plastic cup and spoon which fit in the food bag.
I once met a guy who had over 30 stuffsacks in his weekend pack. We counted them. Together they must've added four or five pounds to his load. Some were nested three deep--his film was in a stuffsack which was with his camera in a larger stuffsack which was with his journal in a larger stuffsack, all of which were in ziplock bags, too. Same thing with tent stakes, tent poles, and tent, all nested in progressively larger stuffsacks. It was amazing. He was a self-professed organization freak, and realized he went a little overboard with the sacks.
ChinMusic
10-31-2011, 17:22
I find that two stuff sacks for food is easier to manage and easier to pack than one large sack.
Nutbrown
10-31-2011, 17:40
One stuff sack for the food, but I put breakfast dinner and lunch items in separate ziplock bags. Another for clothes. Everything else is stuffed into the trash bag liner. Might do it differently if I were a thru hiker, but only section a week at a time.
strollingalong
10-31-2011, 18:46
every spectrum of the rainbow here. Cheers guys.
You're saying small, medium, large.... how many litres are they? 8 litres seems to be a common size on websites, I assume this is "medium" ?
Thanks
Hosaphone
10-31-2011, 19:22
I find that two stuff sacks for food is easier to manage and easier to pack than one large sack.
This allows you to keep a small amount of food at the top of the bag for easy access during the day, and put the stuff you won't need down below so it doesn't make your bag super top-heavy if you have a lot of food.
garlic08
11-01-2011, 10:51
...You're saying small, medium, large.... how many litres are they? 8 litres seems to be a common size on websites, I assume this is "medium" ?
Thanks
Sorry, I don't know the sizes (and I'm not about to dump water in them to find out!). I bought them years ago, before Al Gore invented the internet. I just went to the store and said, "This one looks about right."
ekeverette
11-01-2011, 10:54
i started out with stuff sacks and all the ole boys said no, don't do that... to just stuff your stuff down in there. i tried stuff sacks, and it was like boulders in there, with spaces in between... i'm glad i took their advice... no stuff, except your sleeping bag. just my humble opion
ChinMusic
11-01-2011, 11:01
i started out with stuff sacks and all the ole boys said no, don't do that... to just stuff your stuff down in there. i tried stuff sacks, and it was like boulders in there, with spaces in between... i'm glad i took their advice... no stuff, except your sleeping bag. just my humble opion
WOW, never heard of someone not having a food bag. So spaces for your, by golly.
I've recently taken to using plastic containers for my food, and small stuff. They nest, so as I eat my food I can start nesting to make packing up a bit simpler. Sleeping bag I often go without a stuff sack, if think I can still keep it dry. Same with spare clothes, as I carry very little spare clothes. My shelter system is usually a bivy and tarp, so the bivy can be used as a stuff sack if I need an inner rain layer. My bag is a golite jam2, so its pretty waterproof. As long as I don't put anything wet into the bag, The bag can stay out of the bivy. When things are really wet, all the time, I think a waterproof stuff sack for the bag would be a good thing. I did pick one up recently, very cheap, so I will be trying it out. I would call it a small-medium.
My old, 1969 BSA Fieldbook on packing said A proper pack is a sack of sacks ... I guess I still believe this to some extent. Instead of a compactor bag, I splurged on a cuben dry bag that fits nearly perfectly to the inside dimensions of my pack into which I stuff my sleeping bag clothing and anything else I need to keep dry. I also have a large cuben bag for food which is also my bear bag. I have a small silnylon bag that holds all the little repair items and toiletries that would otherwise get lost in the pack.
I also have a few small Aloksaks, which are like hyper-tough, waterproof ziploks. I have one for my smartphone and a very small one that is my wallet.
I don't carry and ax
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xQioPGm3hD0/TrATwwKP1jI/AAAAAAAADF8/jOLKG5mJ_Ew/s800/IMAG0298.jpg
atmilkman
11-01-2011, 13:05
I find that two stuff sacks for food is easier to manage and easier to pack than one large sack.
I agree with ChinMusic on this one. I keep breakfast and supper in one that doesn't come out until camp that night, and snacks and lunch in another that is easily accessible on the run. (walk/hike)
I like the idea of a dry bag that completely fills your pack, but then perhaps the pack itself should be mesh, or at least breathable. Not sure. I like the waterproofness of my Jam2, except when I don't.
Creek Dancer
11-01-2011, 13:28
I'm on the simple end of the spectrum. I have two stuffsacks. One large one is for food, and one small one is for clothing (doubles as pillow). Sleeping bag and tent get stuffed into my pack (sleeping bag in a trash compactor bag if it's raining). Toiletries go in a small ziplock. My kitchen consists of a plastic cup and spoon which fit in the food bag.
I once met a guy who had over 30 stuffsacks in his weekend pack. We counted them. Together they must've added four or five pounds to his load. Some were nested three deep--his film was in a stuffsack which was with his camera in a larger stuffsack which was with his journal in a larger stuffsack, all of which were in ziplock bags, too. Same thing with tent stakes, tent poles, and tent, all nested in progressively larger stuffsacks. It was amazing. He was a self-professed organization freak, and realized he went a little overboard with the sacks.
Lemme guess...his trial name was "Stuffsack". :)
Creek Dancer
11-01-2011, 13:38
I like the set of three waterproof stuff sacks made by Sea-to-Summit (I think that's the brand). The only place I can find these is Wal-Mart. Set of three is about $10. Much cheaper than the outfitters. I can fit my summer bag into the large sack, but not my winter bag.
I usually put all my food into one stuff sack, but I like Chin's idea of using two. This would allow me to utilize the space better in my pack, especially when I have several days of food.
flemdawg1
11-01-2011, 13:41
Sleeping bag cuben dribag type 13L
Clothing dribag type sil-nylon 10L (adding a 2nd one for really cold trips)
Food 20L PU coated
Cook set 2L mesh sack
Misc. (1st aid, fire starter, purification tabs, etc.) 2l mesh sack
headlamp, steripen, other electronics 2L sil dribag
PapaGarrettP
11-02-2011, 10:00
The only thing I can add to this thread: I carry a small lightweight mesh bag in which I put my wallet, phone and car key. At night I put my pocket knife, spork and headlamp into it. During the day it rides in my food bag; at night in tent next to my head.
strollingalong
11-02-2011, 13:50
wow, 20 litres for food! Is this normal? I just have no idea about the size of these things. Will need to buy online as they're not available here really. Well they are but super overpriced. Maybe I'll just ziplock it up to neels gap...
ChinMusic
11-02-2011, 13:56
wow, 20 litres for food! Is this normal? I just have no idea about the size of these things. Maybe I'll just ziplock it up to neels gap...
There will be times where you have a LOT of food. That is one reason I use two smaller bags. No way I would use a 20L food bag. One huge bag is hard for me to manage in my pack. If I were you I would lay out 4 days of food and see what you got. Garbage bag til you get to Neels ain't a bad idea.
mountain squid
11-02-2011, 14:25
These are most of the ones I use: Equinox
(http://www.backcountrygear.com/equinox-ultralight-stuff-sacks.html)
Mine appear to be different sizes than those listed, but several different sizes should suffice.
See you on the trail,
mt squid
how to hike (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?73587-how-to-hike)
Toolumpy
11-02-2011, 21:20
I put my sleeping bag in a strong trash bag then when I hang a pack it I cover my pack with it and slip a small string up through the bag to hang. Also have a waterproof bag for trash, one for food . Everything else in zip lock bags.
flemdawg1
11-03-2011, 14:58
wow, 20 litres for food! Is this normal? I just have no idea about the size of these things. Will need to buy online as they're not available here really. Well they are but super overpriced. Maybe I'll just ziplock it up to neels gap...
Honestly its overkill 90% of the time. However 3 weeks ago I took my wife and 3 daughters out for 4 days on the Standing Indian Loop and used a 35L Dry bag for all the food and it was full. You can probably get by with 10-15 L for a thru except the rare occasion where you need a week's worth.