How to Pack a Backpack 🎒
Tips for your next hiking adventure!
The way a pack is loaded will have a big effect on how it feels on your back. If you just cram everything in without thinking about it, you might feel uncomfortable and unbalanced – plus you could end up unloading your entire pack in the rain to get to a jacket you somehow stuffed at the bottom.
Whether you need to pack your backpack for hiking, camping, travelling,
climbing or ski touring, the main principles are the same. Imagine that
your pack is made up of zones:
- Top: Place medium-weight or bulkier items toward the top or down the front of the pack. This will likely be things like extra clothing layers, your water treatment system or your first-aid kit.
- Core: Pack your heaviest items, such as your tent, food for meals, water or climbing gear closest to your back. If you're using a bear canister to store scented items, this is the zone to put it in.
- Bottom: Put light items, like your sleeping bag, at the bottom. It gives structure to the bottom of the backpack and is a solid base for other items above it. A compression sack can help reduce the size of your sleeping bag.
