Cloud Packing Weakness

[Colin Parkinson]

Cloud Packing as defined by Mike Clelland is to stuff everything in to your pack in a pack liner with minimal stuff sacks. Works very well in warm dry weather.

However beware, in cold wet weather like this weekend this leads to potential disaster.

The wet cook kit and food bag (from bear hanging) got some of my dry clothes wet, serous in cold wet weather. Putting the wet tarp in the bottom of the bag only leads to getting the inside of the pack wet transferring water to the dry gear as you stuff it in.

In cold wet weather please, please bring lots of plastic bags to separate wet gear from the dry clothes and sleeping bag.

So in an nut shell in cold wet weather bring plastic bags (kitchen catchers work well)to separate every wet thing from the dry things with at least two layers of plastic. i.e tarp in one bag, dry clothes in separate bag, etc.

[a b]

Good advice Colin.
I use a similar technique as Cluod Packing but only my quilt, sleeping socks, and warm layer goes into the pack liner.
I roll the pack liner closed and everything else goes in the pack on top.
My tarp resides in the outside pocket in wet weather.

In fact the last act when breaking camp is to stuff the wet tarp into the outside pocket just before i walk away.

I discovered very much the same thing you did that packing anything wet inside the packliner insures a wet quilt and sleep gear.

A variation of cloud packing I have used is to have one garbage bag for my quilt and warm layer; that is the sanctum sanctorum. Roll the top down on that bag and put it inside a second bag. Now all the semi-wet stuff goes in the second bag and the top is rolled down.
The truly wet stuff is always kept in the outer mesh pocket.

I know two bags are heavier but since they are nylo-fume bags they are already lighter than compactor bags.

[Michael Duke]

My method is stuff that I have to keep dry (quilt, down jacket, synthetic pants, warm socks, any extra clothing) goes in the compactor bag. I twist the top and jam it down. Then I pack stuff that can get wet on top (bivy- this can go in either but I tend to leave it out, tarp, cook kit, rain jacket). This keeps everything that needs to never be wet, not wet. I have a pretty rain proof pack as well.

Edit: Oops, See above. He beat me to it.

[Matthew Perry]

I think you're all wrong….this is "KELTY Cloud packing". LOL

M

[M B]

The only things that go into pack liner are sleeping insulation, and clothing.

Everything else can get wet. Cook kit, etc.

Food is packed in its own liner in food bag, and goes on top.

Almost everything else goes in outside pockets anyway.

Never any issues

Seriously, use some thought. Dont put wet stuff inside your liner with clothing and insulation. It will all come out damp as the water distributes throughout. Its called entropy.

[Dena Kelley]

I, too, am unwilling to go so light that I don't have the means to pack my spare clothing and sleeping bag in a waterproof sack. The one and only time I've had hypothermia was on a trip where my bag got wet and I don't plan a repeat of that. That said, I don't need to pack these items in a heavy polyurethane drybag- I can use a Hefty garbage bag or something along those lines.

[Colin Parkinson]

I did not put wet things in with my clothes but because of the wet cook kit the inside of my pack got wet. So when i pulled out my thermal shirt it got wet. This would not happen if the damp things were in a separate plastic bag

[M B]

The inside of your pack will always get wet if it rains, seams leak, fabric wets thru. Even if using a cover.

Your pack liner should be tall enough, that when you untwist it and straighten it up, its taller than the pack, so pulling anything out of it, wont allow it to touch the wet pack material. You may have to fold the extension collar over for the liner to be taller than the pack, but your dry gear shouldnt need to come into contact with the wet pack, or anything else wet.

[David Ure]

"The inside of your pack will always get wet if it rains, seams leak, fabric wets thru. Even if using a cover."

That hasn't been my experience. My pack covers have always kept the contents of the pack dry, not to mention prevent the pack fabric and components from taking on any appreciable water weight, which is what happens when not using a pack cover and instead a pack liner.

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