The one rule: heavy near your spine
A loaded pack should carry its weight on your hips, not your shoulders. To make that work, put the densest items in the middle of the pack, close to your back and between your shoulder blades. Food, water and cook gear usually belong there.
Weight placed far from your body acts like a lever and pulls you backward. That is why a poorly packed 12-kilogram pack feels worse than a well-packed 15-kilogram one.
Bottom, middle, top
Think in three zones. The bottom holds light, bulky items you will not need until camp. The middle holds the heavy core. The top and lid hold things you want quickly: layers, snacks, map, first aid.
- Bottom: sleeping bag, spare clothes, camp shoes
- Middle: food bag, stove and fuel, water, tent body
- Top: rain shell, snacks, headlamp, first aid kit
- Outside pockets: water bottle, map, trekking poles
- Lid: sunscreen, lip balm, phone, permit
Keep certain things outside the main bag
Anything wet stays outside. A soaked rainfly in your main compartment will dampen everything around it. Use a mesh pocket or lash it on top.
Anything smelly also stays outside or in a sealed bag. Food, sunscreen and toothpaste all attract animals. In bear country, keep scented items in a hang or a canister, never in your tent.
Three easy packing mistakes
First, packing water on one side and never balancing it. Two bottles, one on each side, make a noticeable difference over a long day. Second, burying the rain shell and having to unpack the whole bag in a downpour. Third, over-tightening the compression straps and crushing the sleeping bag, which cuts its loft and makes it colder.
Compression matters, but only to stop the load shifting. Once the pack is stable, stop tightening.
Check the fit before you fill it
Load the pack and walk around the block before your trip. The hip belt should sit on your hip bones, not your waist. The shoulder straps should curve over your shoulders without pulling. If the pack sags backward, the load is too far from your spine or the hip belt is too loose.
Small adjustments at home save a lot of discomfort on the trail, where you cannot easily repack everything.
