Proper packing of a backpack could, if one were so inclined, be called a science. To the casual weekend warrior properly arranging your gear inside your backpack might well be an exercise more properly defined as stuffing everything you need into a sack. However, for the gear-geek crowd, the question of how to fit everything you need within the confines of a tubular container is a tantalizing puzzle.
There are as many packing theories out there as there are types of backpacks. Hang around outdoorsmen long enough and you're bound to hear them all. Everyone has their own take on the "correct" method. They include everything from proper weight distribution, using every lash the backpack provides, heaviest items on the bottom, only up the middle, always on top, etc. Everyone that's been using a backpack long enough comes up with their own system that best suits their gear and their sensibilities and they're bound to tell you about it!
Not to be left out, I also have finally arrived at what I feel is a solid and practical arrangement of my gear. After 20 years of backpacking this system is certainly tried and true. Whether it's the best or not, I'll let the critics decide.
Likely before a conversation can begin about how to pack your gear, what type of backpack you'll use should be decided upon. That topic is actually quite involved and is a stand-alone subject needing its own article. For the purpose of this article I'll define the type of backpack you'll be using. A lightweight pack without too many bells and whistles in the 4000-5000 cubic inch range. A top loader with a hood, and if you're so inclined, side zipper access. I've found that a backpack meeting this criteria will suffice for 90% of trips if you're carrying only your own gear. If you're taking kids you'll likely need to bring more gear then a 4500 cubic inch pack will comfortably carry or if you're on a climbing trip and have a very large rack and group gear, you might not have enough suspension on a lightweight pack to support the added weight. Those situations aside, if you're looking to spend a week or two out and you're only going to be carrying personal gear - and that gear is fairly lightweight in nature, then this method will work.
I like to think of the inside of my backpack as having 3 layers which run vertically up the pack. The bottom layer I use for all my sleeping related items. The middle layer has my heavier/larger items and the top layer is mostly food. I start by putting my camp chair shell and sleeping pad in to the pack in a semi-circle. Looking from the top down, these two items follow the curvature of the outside wall of the pack. I then place my tent and sleeping bag vertically into the remaining cavity. I always use a sleeping bag compression sack as I've found without one my bag is simply too large to stuff into this configuration. With those items in place I then stuff clothing items into any of the small remaining spaces. If properly stuffed, there's zero space remaining on this bottom layer. Every available cubic inch is used.
The next layer is composed of my stove, collapsible water container (for camp water), my water reservoir, first aid kit and extra clothing items. Again, every inch of space is used. If we're doing cross-country routes I'll also use this space for my climbing harness and a small rack and extra webbing.
The uppermost layer is primarily shopping bags of food. On long trips we generally only take freeze-dried food along with bars, and other dried items. No cans, no boxes - nothing that isn't easily packed out after we've used it.
In the hood I put my "possibles" bag, rain cover, rain/snow jacket or shell and any other small items that need a home. On one side of the belt I have a belt-pouch which holds my hat, gloves, maps and extra bars for the trail. On the shoulder strap I also have a small pouch which carries the point and shoot camera. On the opposite side of the belt is a water bottle pouch.
To round it all out I have a small pouch lashed vertically to my compression straps on the side/rear of the bag. This holds my water filter for easy extraction. If we're climbing and a rope is needed I put that between the hood and the main body of the pack, all tucked away so it won't snag on branches and the like.
With this configuration, nothing (other than the small water pouch) is strapped to the outside of my pack. This not only gives the pack a great center in terms of weight distribution but not having gear lashed to the outside means I can easily toss my pack, pull the pack with rope, etc. As we do a lot of off-trail hiking, having all the gear on the inside affords a better overall ride. The total weight of my pack hovers in the mid-thirty pound range. Slightly less for short trips and up to ten pounds more for longer trips or with extra gear for climbing.
In a nutshell, that's my packing configuration for the majority of our trips. There's always slight modifications depending on the trip's purpose. If fishing, the pole will be lashed to the outside. If winter camping, I'll have snowshoes/skis and a shovel lashed to the outside. However the basic configuration for all my other gear remains the same. Give it a try the next time you're out. I hope it works as well for you as it has for me.
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