Packing the pack

There are endless ways on how to pack your backpack for a trek. You will pack it differently based on type of hike, climate, type of pack, what you use more often, and what you take. As I go through this, I will show how I pack for 3 season vs. winter and hammock vs. tent. My Teton sport backpack has the main compartment, a sleeping bag compartment in the underside, a long outside pocket on one side, two short outside pockets on the other side, a netted water bottle pouch on both sides, a netting gear pouch on the back, a water bladder pouch on the inside, and a pouch on the top flap on outside and inside. 

I also have a smaller pack I use in the summer sometimes that only has a main compartment, two long pockets on the outside on the back, pouch on inside and outside of top flap , and two netted gear pockets on the side. You can see a big difference between the two. All packs are different so how you pack it will vary. I will use my Teton for example throughout this post. I'm going to show you how I pack my pack, then will give some packing principles to always abide by. 

First, I will cover the main compartment. Depending on the trip, the way I pack will change. The following are what I have in my main compartment:

Hammock, pillow, cook set, food and fuel can in stuff sack, air matress, snow shovel, backpacking chair, water filter, clothes. Of course, I don't carry the snow shovel when there's no snow or the hammock when I bring the tent. I don't pack the water filter when I'm hiking in snow. Typically when I pack for a hammock camp, I put the hammock, cook set, air matress, and clothes bag in first. On top of that, I put my food bag, water filter, and chair. Lastly, I put the pillow on top with a Nalgene bottle. In winter, I wrap the water bottle in the pillow. In snow, I take the handle off the shovel and slide both in along the back. In 3 seasons, I put my camelback bladder in the pocket on the inside and squeeze the camelback carrier in somewhere to use as a day pack. 

In the sleeping bag, compartment, I have my sleeping bag and space blanket/tarp. The compartment is rather small so if you have one and a large sleeping bag, you can take some smaller things out of the main part, like food and clothes, and put them in the sleeping bag compartment and sleeping bag in the main or on the outside. You can experiment and work with it until you find a solution. 

The top, outside pocket on the flap is where I put the things I will need the most to keep them handy. All packs have a pocket on top of the pack. The following is what I always carry in it:

Ground cloth, duct tape wrapped around a card, map case and map, compass, cotton gloves, multi tool, first aid kit, hand sanitizer, flashlight, headlamp, and bandanna. You may not put the same things in this pocket, but just make sure to have there what you will need most. 

Just on the other side of the top flap, there's another pocket that I typically keep my hygiene stuff, extra first aid supplies, medical tape, and soap. 

The long outside, side pocket I normally use to put longer, small items and things I may need before opening the main compartment. I usually carry my spare tent stakes, bear bag cord, small shovel, and folding saw. 

The top smaller pocket on the other side I typically put my fire starting and cooking equipment in. I have my stove, lighter, tinder, and back up stove and fuel. The bottom small pocket I use for survival gear. I have a dry box with extra lighter, hand warmers, fishing kit, can opener, and flint fire striker. I also have a pill fob with basic OTC medications like ibuprofen and Benadryl and have my emergency space blanket in the pocket as well. 

On the outside of the pack, I strap my foam sleeping pad on the back and the tent on top (when I use my tent rather than hammock). When I hammock camp, I have my underquilt strapped to the top and spare blanket on the back. I have a carabiner with paracord on it that I put on a shoulder strap. I also put my snacks in the outside mesh pockets. Most packs have some way of securing your trekking poles to the outside and have gear loops for ice axes. When I take snow shoes, but not using them at the time, I use lashing straps to strap them to the sides. I always keep an insulated Nalgene bottle pouch on the hip belt that I keep a water bottle in. It's nice having an insulated one because it keeps water from freezing in winter and keeps it cool in summer. 

That is how I typically pack and it may change depending on what I decide to take and what kind of hike I'm on. You will have to mess around with it and decide how your gear fits best and suits you. But regardless of how you pack, remember these principles:

Pack light

When I first started backpacking, I liked to take EVERYTHING for worst case scenario. But I quickly learned that ounces lead to pounds and pounds add to pain. Only bring the essentials and as you buy gear, get the lightest stuff possible. Do your best to minimize your gear or you will suffer on the trail and may have to dump some stuff. 

Heaviest on top

When packing, bear in mind that when the heaviest items are on the bottom, it will feel heavier than if they were on top. Try to follow this as best you can. However, some heavy things I put on the bottom if they will be the last things I need to pull out such as my hammock. Also try to put the heaviest gear closest to your body and lighter gear away from your body. This will keep your center gravity... Well... In the center. 

Accessibility

Accessibility is important. You don't want your snacks for the day on the bottom of the pack or your sleeping bag on top everything. Pack logically and based on how soon you will use the item. You want the things you will use first, more often, and more likely to be in convenient spots. That is why I put the items I use most in the pouch right above my head. They are handy and I can access them while I'm still walking. For example, when winter hiking, first thing I will want to do when I reach camp is to set my pack down, but without it getting wet in the snow, so I keep my ground cloth in the top pouch so it's the first thing I grab. I can now set it out to put my gear on before setting up camp. 

Obviously, you will also want to put items in the pouches that are more logical. I categorize my stuff when I pack it. The larger gear I put in the main compartment, the essentials I keep in the pouch above my head, the fire starting and cooking gear in one pouch, survival gear is in one pouch, etc. As you pack and hike a few times, will learn where you want your stuff packed. You can pack the same way I do or you may find a method that works best for you. I hope this was a help to you. Comment and let me know what works best for you and what you think.