How to Best Pack Your UL/Frameless Backpack with UL Gear

[Addie Bedford]

Companion forum thread to:

How to Best Pack Your UL/Frameless Backpack with UL Gear

[Frank H.]

It would have been nice to see a sequence of photos of the pack being packed.

-Frank

[Tony Wong]

In regardings to hydration, isn't it generally accepted that having water bottles like Platypus in the mesh side pockets that are outside the pack for easy one handed access?

For myself, I take this a little step further and put my snack bars in them too so that I can reach back and grab something to eat while on the go to reduce the need to stop, remove my pack, and rummage inside my main pack for food.

Questions regarding the front pocket of the backpacking: Is that reserved for wet gear like tarps and bivies?

I tend to keep daily use items in there like hat, gloves, windshirt, water treatment/filter, med/repair kit, headlamps, firestarting kit, TP & hand sanitizer, and snow stake for potty trowel in my front pocket so that I am only needing to access my main pack to get food at lunch time, insulating layer, and rain gear.

In the event that I had wet gear from the night before, I would relocate those items into the main pack and place all the wet stuff in the front pocket to drain and dry off throughout the day?

Also, I am assuming the assumption that having the sleeping bag at the bottom of the pack is loose and not in a compression bag so that it fills out all the tiny voids in the bottom of the pack?

I use a compression bag for my quilt so that I can make it as small as possible….I know that I have voids of wasted space, but I find that squishing the quilt down as small as possible might give me more room inside the pack than if it were uncompressed. Any thoughts on this? Is another benefit of having the sleeping bag uncompressed is that it gives better shape and form to the frameless pack?

Lastly, any thoughts of the idea of leaving the sleeping bag/quilt inside the DWR bivy sack (if you use a tarp and bivy) and stuffing all of that at the bottom of the backpack?

I don't do this myself, but I have heard that the bivy would provide additional protection from moisture (rain) and may speed up setup time in camp and packing up in the morning.

Does anyone use this method?

Good article….agree with the poster above that photos showing the process might be helpful.

I see packing your gear as also about trying to gain efficiency on the trail by having things located for quick and easy access that would reduce the number of times you need to remove your pack to get something. Of course, this assumes that you want to hike all day and get in as many miles as you can and therefore want to limit stopping on the trail and dropping your pack to open it up to get something.

-Tony

[Ryan Smith]

"Lastly, any thoughts of the idea of leaving the sleeping bag/quilt inside the DWR bivy sack (if you use a tarp and bivy) and stuffing all of that at the bottom of the backpack?

I hadn't thought of this before, but seems like a good way to leave a dry bag at home depending on the bivy. Plus, speed of setup would be increased. Cool.

Ryan

[Ken Thompson]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDF26eJ2sqU&feature=plcp&context=C44a0e23VDvjVQa1PpcFOKyqpEsjUaZgVji5__xKAXSC5W4wQMX9s%3D

Here is Hendrik's spin on it.

[Inaki Diaz de Etura]

> leaving the sleeping bag/quilt inside the DWR bivy sack (if you use a tarp and bivy) and stuffing all of that at the bottom of the backpack?

I see diminishing returns potential here. One of the reasons to use a bivy is keeping humidity (from internal or external sources) off the bag and on the bivy so when packing you don't pack all that humidity with the bag.

[Elliott Wolin]

I used to use a Prolite 3 short, and it worked perfectly as a back pad, as described in the article.

I just purchased a NeoAir short…now what do I do!? No more backpad…

I guess I'll just have to be more creative…any suggestions?

Also, I put my clothes and sleeping bag in a large polyethylene bag, same cross-section as my pack, at the bottom (as noted in the article), then fold it up well and put everything else on top. All the other items except food (in ziplocs, plus some other misc items) can get wet, but it doesn't matter for things like a stove, tarp, water containers, etc.

[David Ure]

You could always cut a Z-lite into 4 sections and use that against your back. It would add about 5-6oz, however. On the other hand, you could use it under your feet when using the short NeoAir…..

[James holden]

one thing ill try soon is using a sam splint to stiffen the pack … ill try that soon as having a split when climbing might prove useful

[Michael Ray]

Elliott,
See Figure 6 and related text in this article.

[Alfred Dole]

When I was hiking the PCT I carried a RayWay pack I built from his kit. I carried a standard, old fashioned, 6' blue foam sleeping pad. This became my frame. The pack was lined with a garbage bag, and then the rolled up pad went in. It expanded, (un-rolled) to stretch the pack out, and then everything went in down the the center area. It worked very well and carried perfectly. I came to really dislike having to unpack absolutely everything before I could finally be comfortable each evening. I never needed to get inside the pack during the day however, except for a very few time early on when it was cold, windy, and threatening. I still long for a pack I can lay down, and unzip so it opens like a suitcase. The few ounces would be worth it on an extended trip.

fred :) (aka Mr. Smiles.)

[Travis Leanna]

>I use a compression bag for my quilt so that I can make it as small as possible….I know that I have voids of wasted space, but I find that squishing the quilt down as small as possible might give me more room inside the pack than if it were uncompressed. Any thoughts on this?

Tony, I kinda think along the same lines. If you have a small pack, then compressing your quilt into a stuff sack might reduce the volume to be more beneficial than letting it go loose. If you have a large pack, then you'll have the pack volume to spare. I think it's one of those issues that is unique to each pack and kit.

[david kosins]

Not able to open "Hendrik's spin" you tube.

[Andrew Bishop]

David

Try selecting both lines of the link and pasting into the web address area. Worked for me.

Andrew

[Hendrik Morkel]

Thanks Ken!

Here's a clickable link to that video http://youtu.be/MDF26eJ2sqU =)

[Ken Thompson]

Nice little article.

Who is Jen Matteis? Weird to see something written by an unknown(no post history on BPL) around here.

Anyone else chuckle at the photo of "ultralight packs"?

With the mention of a Gust being used and another one being spotted on the trail makes me wonder if this is a new article, or just previously unpublished. Edit: The author hiked a portion of the AT in 2003. No doubt as to when now.

Edit: Found her. http://sites.google.com/site/jenmatteis/

Its a good video, Glad to share it Hendrik.

Related reading.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=18973

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=19092

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/00194.html

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=50447

[Joseph Regallis]

Good article. I am more interested in packing light as I approach my 55th birthday. I unfortunately am feeling more pain when I hike than when I was younger and I am still interested in doing mountain and deep canyon (Grand Canyon) hiking. So I am continuously looking for ways to lighten the load. Thanks.

http://www.backpack-and-gear.com/backpacking-guide.html

[Jim Cowdery]

Alfred;

Check-out this link:

http://www.moonbowgear.com/1trailgear/1Custom%20packs/Powerpacks/1powerpac.html

[Bob Bankhead]

Alfred:

I too love panel loaders. Both my wife and I have carried this model for many years.

Six Moon Designs Traveler
http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/packs/Traveler.html

3800 cu. inches = 62 liters
25 oz without hoop stay
29 oz. with the stay.

[John S.]

In my Golite Peak, I do the following:

– GG Nightlight torso sleeping pad folded against back.
– Liner bag behind and outside sleeping pad.

In liner, from bottom to top:
– Sleeping bag and bag cover (bivy), food, extra clothing, miscellaneous items in one bag.
– Fold liner over.

Outside and on top of closed liner:
– Shelter, rain jacket, cup with small canister inside, wind jacket (if no rain in forecast, otherwise put inside liner), todays lunch/snacks, garbage.

In front pocket:
– Shelter stakes, water container, sit pad.

In side pockets:
– Water containers, maybe snacks.

[Author]

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