I think loading a pack is a refined art and double that for frameless packs.I'm curious how others load their packs.
Here's my last go-round using a tent with poles,3-season clothing and sleep system:
Pack: GoLite Jam (latest version, large, 3233 cubic inches/51 liters)
From the bottom up:
Tyvek footprint, folded with stakes inside.
GoLite Utopia 1 floor and tent body, each rolled and packed horizontally, end to end across the bottom of the pack.
Caldera Cone in container, vertical on one side of tent section, 600ml pot in ziplock bag, vertical on other side.
Garbage compactor bag pack liner.
20F synthetic bag in silnylon stuff sack, stowed horizontally in the liner.
About this time I add my folded (thirds) Prolite small pad outside the pack liner, vertically against the hydration sleeve.
Next, clothing in a silnylon stuff sack, horizontally on top of the sleeping bag, inside the liner.
Survival/ditty bag (1 liter silnylon) with first aid kit, headlamp, water purification tabs, spare batteries, Heat Sheet bivy) vertically on the side of the clothing bag.
Insulation layer loose on top of clothing and survival stuff sacks.
(Close pack liner– twist the bag top and tuck it in)
Rain gear top and bottom
Bear bag with line and food inside. There is room for a bear can instead. Either way, food is up in the extension collar.
(Close pack top— drawstring and compression strap)
Side pockets:
One liter water bottle in each side.
Tent poles in stuff sack, stashed vertically on one side, seated in the pocket with the water bottle, under the lower compression strap and tethered to the upper ice axe/tool loop (not long enough to go under the upper compression strap).
Front pocket:
Z Seat sit pad
Toilet/hygiene kit
Maps
Waterproof camera and accessories.
Hip belt pockets:
RH: Compass, small Write in the Rain notebook and mini pen.
LH: Swiss Army knife and survival lanyard (varies with available pants pockets).
Notes:
The general idea is to make soft horizontal modules that seat against my back, using the pack compression features to stabilize them.
Waterproofing, organizing, and accessibility on the trail are other concerns. I can get to food, rain gear, sit pad, toilet/hygiene, camera and navigation items without taking the whole pack apart. An insulation layer is available within the first waterproof barrier if needed for breaks. I could move that up in the pile if it was cold but not raining. When taking a break, I can pull out the sit pad and open the top of the pack with immediate access to food— one zipper and one compression strap/drawstring.
Options:
Loading clothes without the stuff sack. It saves 1.5oz, which doesn't concern me, but may help take advantage of unused space in the pack. The 20F synthetic bag and tent take up more room than my summer kit with a tarp/rain cape shelter and lighter bag, so tweaking a little extra space would be good. I am a neat freak and I do like having my stuff organized and compartmentalized.
The Jam is a fairly large bag in my world, and was pretty full with 2 days food and the items listed– I was little surprised at the volume, but it worked well for access and was comfortable. Total weight with 2 liters water, food and fuel was 23 pounds. A summer kit with 40F down bag, cape shelter and less clothing would drop 4 pounds.
If I used a CCF pad, I would try a more vertical arrangement for the sleeping bag and try stuffing loose clothing around it. That might lower the stack height by half a horizontal stuff sack, leaving more room for food and better weight transfer using the packed column of the CCF pad.
How do you do it?
