Packing your pack

[Twisted300WinMAG]

I’m prepping for my first backpack hunt. I’m trying to dial in my gear. Now that I have a pack on the way I’m wondering how your packing your pack. Are you putting everything in stuff sacks or pullouts then arranging according to size/weight? Or is it better to leave things like clothing layers and sleeping bags loose and let them fill in “dead space”? I’ve been watching too many YouTube videos and have seen it both ways. Any insight would help.
Thanks
Donald

 

[Raghornklr]

I leave most thing loose, well until I cinch down the compression straps, all the little bags add weight. My shelter, sleeping bag, clothing is all just stuffed in, kill kit and first aid are about all that has its own little bag for storage.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

I organize it in little stuff sacks and pullouts. While I haven't done nearly as much backpack hunting as some here, I've done enough to know for me, its the best way. When I get to where I'm going, I break stuff out of my bag and keep them organized and DRY. I lose or forget things when I don't use this method too. As far as weight, that really doesn't make as much sense as it sounds. You have got to have a pack liner that is water proof if you don't use water proof organizing sacks. When I weighed my gear, I weigh it with the sacks on and my pack list appears to be as light as any I've seen and, way lighter then most. Plus, I'm betting my extra clothes sack, my quilt sack, my sleeping pad sack, and my pullouts together weigh what one big stuff sack weighs.


Its whatever you prefer really. But, its nice to dump your bag at camp, get what you need, then have everything else sorted so you make sure you can find it, make sure you can account for everything when packing up by simply loading up the sacks they are in. If you push hard enough, the stuff sacks will conform to the shapes and holes in the contents of the bag, to pack just as tight too.

 

[Skull10]

I like having everything separated in small Kifaru, Kiiu stuff sacks well. Makes it easy to pack and when I get to camp, packing what I need for the day pack.

 

[sneaky]

I pack most everything loose. Stuff sacks are just dead weight and a pack full of cubes or cylinders will never pack as tight as loose gear. If there's a chance of rain a sack for my quilt or a light pack cover. All those stuff sacks add weight and are volume eaters.

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[ChrisAU]

I’ll use 3, 1 10L for my EE quilt, and another 10L for my puffy jacket and pants. If I don’t compress them in sacks they easily take up 2-3x the volume. Then I have a 5L for extra clothing. Everything else is loose.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Pack for a balance of convenience and weight distribution. Heaviest stuff high and close to your shoulder blades. Backpacker.com and rei have some good stuff on this that applies for the most part.

https://www.backpacker.com/skills/how-to-pack-a-backpack

I am a stuff sack guy but not to an extreme. Sacks for main categories of gear - sleep, clothes, food - and a possibles sack for all else. A few oz of stuff sacks are worth it to me. I like the sil jimmy tarps sacks. Very simple and light.

Stuff I need most goes in belt pouches and top or outside pockets - snacks, nav stuff, flashlight, water filter, rain gear. Stuff I will need only in camp or rarely in the main bag - extra clothes, sleep system. Quick access stuff gets priority placement - bear spray, trauma items.

 

[KH_bowfly]

I like to go with a bit of a combo. I like a stuff sack for my sleep system that’s bigger than needed - that way it will mold into the pack and keeps things dry when I pull it out if it’s raining. Also a bigger stuff sack than is needed helps pack up faster in the morning.

My clothes and rain coat I stuff around to fill the space. I do keep my puffy in a stuff sack - have to keep that dry.

I keep my stove in a stuff sack too in order to keep things clean and keep in together.


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[KH_bowfly]

I like to go with a bit of a combo. I like a stuff sack for my sleep system that’s bigger than needed - that way it will mold into the pack and keeps things dry when I pull it out if it’s raining. Also a bigger stuff sack than is needed helps pack up faster in the morning.

My clothes and rain coat I stuff around to fill the space. I do keep my puffy in a stuff sack - have to keep that dry.

I keep my stove in a stuff sack too in order to keep things clean and keep in together.


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[Backcountryrealtor17]

I pack all the heavier things towards the side of the bag closest to me. Harder to get to but better distribution imo


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[Jimbob]

I use stuff sacks but not compression sacks. The sacks are soft and can conform to any shape so no volume in the pack is wasted. There is a small weight penalty but every sack is ultralight.

I could go without the organization but it is the cleanliness and the waterproofing that I like about it.

The sleeping bag will always be in a dry bag, the down is safe and sound. I have packed up my tent when it was soaked numerous times. Put it in a dry bag and nothing else in the pack gets wet. Clothes bag, kill kit, food bag, misc/first aid sack all get organized their respective stuff sacks. I do stuff my rain gear in at the top.

I would find it pretty crazy to just stuff all my clothes, sleeping bag, shelter, etc into the pack.

I use a basic pack without organizing pockets so I save weight there.

 

[Rokwiia]

I used to use bags to organize and found it was just a pain. Now, I put everything in and fill in the "dead space". Having said that, I carry several stuff sacks I use to organize things once they are out of the backpack.

 

[Blackhawk45hunter]

I have my clothing loose to fill in gaps, but everything else is grouped into pullouts. Food in a mega pullout, sawyer mini and bag in a XS, my possibles in a large, kill kit in a medium, and then I just Tetris them between my sleeping bag and pad (I use a CCF).
I pack my food and pad toward the bottom and my sleeping bag on top to keep the weight towards the top which feels more comfortable to me.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I use DCF dry bags for just about everything except food, which goes in a game bag/load cell. I like to be organized and know exactly where every piece of equipment is at any given time. When I’m going solo, I find it nice to be able to dump my pack, pitch my shelter, and only keep the things inside that I need. It doesn’t matter what the weather is doing, be it raining or whatever, I can quickly dump the pack and get everything out, pitch my shelter, and not have to worry about anything getting wet inside of the dry bags. Also knowing what each dry bag holds, allows me to quickly decide on whether or not I want it taking up space inside of my small shelter.
As far as how my pack is packed, I pack all the bulky, light wt. bags (down quilt, puffy pants/jacket, etc.), on the bottom and progressively move up the pack with the heavier items. Heaviest items are generally on top, either in my lid or just underneath it. The only exception to this are the things that I use often or I might expect to use, and I want to have quick access to. Those types of items (GPS, gloves, warm hat, rain gear, pack cover, etc.), are either in the lid of the pack, hip belt pockets, or bino pack.


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[Wrench]

Success kit, stove/coffee/etc, possibles, food....they all get their own bags. I like to have a sil bag big enough for my wet clot he's in case I have to shed a wet layer, I don't want everything soaked in my pack.

Everything else is used to distribute weight. If I'm going overnight, I add another bag for my dirty clothes which can be handy to store food up a tree in bear country.

 

[Ctitus25]

I’ve been using the Kifaru stuff sacks. Yes you lose a little overall pack space, put packing and unpacking camp is easier for me when it’s all in bags. I like the organization.

 

[sneaky]

Success kit, stove/coffee/etc, possibles, food....they all get their own bags. I like to have a sil bag big enough for my wet clot he's in case I have to shed a wet layer, I don't want everything soaked in my pack.

Everything else is used to distribute weight. If I'm going overnight, I add another bag for my dirty clothes which can be handy to store food up a tree in bear country.

You change clothes daily during a hunt? Wet layers I've peeled off go on the outside of my pack to dry, packing them in a sil bag keeps them wet. Even if I'm gone for a week I don't need a dirty clothes bag. Only thing that would be in it would be a pair of socks and boxers. Everything else I wear on a daily basis. I used to pack extra clothes until I realized that was overkill and dead weight.

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[Wrench]

You change clothes daily during a hunt? Wet layers I've peeled off go on the outside of my pack to dry, packing them in a sil bag keeps them wet. Even if I'm gone for a week I don't need a dirty clothes bag. Only thing that would be in it would be a pair of socks and boxers. Everything else I wear on a daily basis. I used to pack extra clothes until I realized that was overkill and dead weight.

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I don't want wet clothes or muddy clothes mixed in with everything loose in my pack. When I can have a sil bag that takes up no space or weight.

As for extra, I just about always have a down pullover, mittens and down pants.

 

[sneaky]

I don't want wet clothes or muddy clothes mixed in with everything loose in my pack. When I can have a sil bag that takes up no space or weight.

As for extra, I just about always have a down pullover, mittens and down pants.

What are you replacing muddy or wet gear with out of your pack? I strap wet gear to the outside to dry, or wear it dry. Zero use for a wet gear bag in my pack because wet gear never sees the inside of my pack. Do you primarily hunt late seasons? Early season there's no need for a head to toe, down garment system. Only in late season, and even then I don't carry the pants because my legs never get that cold.

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[Wrench]

I dress in what I tend to hunt in and pack a rain layer and a down layer. My area could be 20 to 80f in the same day.