How to Pack and Hoist a Backpack!

Packed efficiently, a backpack can swallow an amazing array of gear. But what goes where? There’s no one right way to pack. Lay out all your gear at home and try out different loading routines until you’ve found what works best for you. Use a backpacking checklist to ensure you have everything and make notes on your list about what worked well (or poorly) after each trip.

This is very important part of planing and preparing any adventure, without good backed and balanced backpack you can't go far and expecting that your back doesn't hurt.

Packing can be broken down into three zones, plus peripheral storage:

-Bottom zone: Good for bulky gear and items not needed until camp.
-Core zone: Good for your denser, heavier items.
-Top zone: Good for bulkier essentials you might need on the trail.
-Accessory pockets: Good for essentials you’ll need urgently or often.
-Tool loops and lash-on points: Good for oversized or overly long items

Video: How to Pack a Backpack:

BOTTOM-OF-BACKPACK

Bulky items you won’t need before making camp include:

-Sleeping bag (many packs have a bottom compartment sized for one)
-Sleeping pad (especially if it rolls into a tiny shape
-Any layers, like long underwear, that you plan to sleep in
-Camp shoes or down booties

Packing this kind of soft, squishy gear at the bottom also creates a kind of internal shock-absorption system for your back and your pack.

CORE-OF-BACKPACK

Heavy, dense gear you won't need to access during your hike includes:

-Food stash (entrees, not snacks)
-Cook kit
-Stove
-Water reservoir (unless you prefer bottles for hydration)
-Bear canister (containing food and all other scented items, plus whatever bulky items help fill it to the brim)

Packing heavy items here helps create a stable center of gravity and directs the load downward rather than backward. Placed too low, heavy gear causes a pack to sag; placed too high, it makes a pack feel tippy.