Pack lids

[Edward Jursek]

Interested in hearing from folks who are using a detachable pack lid that has storage. What do you store in the lid and why? Gear? Cloths? Food? I just picked up a pack lid for a relatively small volume pack for a bit more room and flexibility before really thinking through what I am going to put inside it. The lid has a pretty small volume, much like the smaller MLD lid. Thanks!

[James holden]

anything you need during the day constantly or would be quite a biatch to take out when really needed

stuff like snacks, headlamp, sunglasses, etc …

it means that yr wasting less time looking in the pack and opening stuff sacks for the stuff … and if climbing less likely to drop other stuff while getting to the things you want

;)

[Bob Gross]

When I am out on the trail, I hate like hell to have to stop and rummage through my whole backpack looking for some small item (like lip balm). So, when I've finished breakfast and am breaking camp in the morning, I load up the backpack and it stays loaded that way until I arrive in camp in the evening. Anything that I might use during the day goes into the top lid, the rear mesh pocket, or the side mesh pockets.

The stuff that is already weatherproof, like a plastic water bottle or a rain jacket, can go into mesh pockets since no further protection is needed.

–B.G.–

[michael levi]

Having a lid is more work to get into the main compartment. Between my rear pocket and shoulder strap pockets I am good to go.

[J R]

My lids is not detachable, but the question really is about the pocket. Similar to others, in there I keep small things that I either know I will need access to at some point (sunscreen, headlamp, hand sanitizer, etc) or things that I might need and if I do then I don't want to waste time digging for them (first aid, notepad and pen, etc). Other small things that I may or may not need (repair kit, eyeglass case, a few spare $1 bills, etc) get organized into a ziploc inside the pack on top of the load, stored away but handy if I need them.

[David Ure]

I use belt pockets for incidentals. Otherwise, anything I need is at the very top of my pack so having a 'lid' with a pocket is unnecessary weight for me.

It is more of a climbing requirement but has little real use in UL backpacking.

[scree ride]

Once basecamp is set up, a lid can be useful to carry for short excursions. A bit easier to get into than the pack. I sort of miss not having one, but not really. You still have to take off the pack to get to it.
If you need the volume, use it. Put your snacks in it, or if you have a snack pocket, put your ground cloth in it so it's on top of everything.

[David Ure]

"You still have to take off the pack to get to it."

Yes, +1

[Dale Wambaugh]

Whatever I want handy that day on the trail: insect repellent, sunscreen, sunglasses, snacks, windshirt, compass.

For those without a top pocket, a light stuff sack or gallon ziplock inside the top of you pack might help to organize.

The GG Mariposa has a fold-over top with a zippered pocket sewn in, with access from the side. It is very simple and light.

[Diane Pinkers]

I put my first aid kit, headlamp, personal kit, anything small that I don't want to dig for in my pack. Also my wallet, keys, things I may not want but need to be protected. Stuff I want during the day go in my hipbelt pockets or outside mesh pockets. The lid just keeps things organized, I rarely access it during the day.

[Valerie E]

If you don't have a lid on your pack, you can store the frequent-access items either at the top of the main pack, or on the outside pockets, and you can access the inside of the pack more easily…

On the other hand…

The lid provides additional "organized" storage with a quick-access zipper, plus it can also allow you to store items between the lid and the top of the pack. (Eg. On the JMT in August, I saw one guy with his bear barrel held between top pocket and top of pack).

[Edward Jursek]

Thanks for the collective wisdom! My higher volume pack has hip belt pockets and lots of external mesh pocket space so I never considered a lid for it. My new smaller volume pack has limited mesh pocket space and no hip belt. It makes sense to store my rain gear and hydration stuff in the external mesh pockets because they can get wet. I can then use my lid for food, sun tan lotion, bug lotion, etc. I prefer not to have to open my pack's main compartment while on the trail.

[James holden]

actually i suggest storing your rain jacket in the top pocket if its water resistant/proof … unless yr confident youll immediately put it on with any drizzle, i suspect that many people leave it a bit too long and get damp

if you get the inside of a rain jacket wet, youre introducing more moisture in the system …

remember that when its raining continuously, the inside may not "dry" out at all and all that dampness needs to be pushed out

now if its already wet and you want to dry it, thats a different story

;)

[Jake D]

I like the extra organization. i'll take a slight weight hit for that. snacks for the day, headlamp, gloves, long sleeve shirt sometimes. I also have waist belt pockets that i put a small scan of my map and snacks for on the move on the other side.

my exos 58 also has 2 "front/back"? pockets that i keep my Sawyer Squeeze stuff on one side and TP/first aid kit on the other. The less i have to go into the main compartment the better. it helps keep stop time down and everything has it's place so i know where it will be.

without a lid or other pockets you probably have stuff sacks for the same organization.

[Gary Dunckel]

I had to use my old Aether 60 (instead of my beloved Jam) in YNP this summer, in order to carry extra water on a 92*F day. I placed my 1.8 L. Platy hydration bag in the lid, and used a much shorter hose tube. Worked great, and it was quick/easy to refill the Platy when needed.

[Greg F]

Hip belt pockets replaced lids for me. All my days snacks, sun screen, bug spray, water yreatment and camera all fit nicely in the two pockets.

[Ken Thompson]

seem to be making somewhat of a comeback in popularity. I don't care for the front mesh pocket thing. Not really a fan of hip belt pockets either. The lid can be multi function too. Covers that big hole on the top of your pack. Secure things under it. Some detach and make packs. What's not to like?

I did a MYOG pouch that fits my lid. All the little stuff goes in there plus a few other things. Keep my snacks and other food insulated inside my pack. Easy to get to. I don't eat while actually hiking much. I'm not in a hurry.

[Ben Meek]

Agreed on lids being replaced by hip belt pockets. I might actually be interested in buying a SUL fanny pack now that I think about it.

[Andrew F]

Pack lids never seemed to help me organize my stuff, rather I just ended up using them as extra volume when I filled up the main compartment. I much prefer hipbelt pockets, big side pockets, and a mesh front pocket. It takes fewer steps to get into the main compartment and I find it easier to quickly grab something out of one of the exterior pockets. For climbing, I do still use a streamlined pack with only a pack lid, but that's more to avoid abrasion and to keep my stuff securely zipped away.

[Derek M.]

"I use belt pockets for incidentals. Otherwise, anything I need is at the very top of my pack so having a 'lid' with a pocket is unnecessary weight for me."

I'm with Dave U on this one. I prefer a larger volume pack (~60 liters) with nice, large hipbelt pockets, external mech pockets, and no top lid. After dropping my lid last year, I've actually found, somewhat paradoxically, that it is now easier to get at everything I need during the day than before.

I've found this for two reasons:

1. When you no longer have the crutch of a large lid, you tend to think more critically about what you actually most frequently need to access during the day (the list is usually quite small in reality).

2. Without the lid clogging up entry, the main pack body is so much more accessible. It's just one clip and a drawstring away for me. Laziness is the mother of efficiency, and I can tell you that having no lid is a lazy man's dream! I pack my large but frequently used items on the top of my main compartment for easy access during the day. These larger items are usually: lunch food, snacks, and extra clothing.

In general though, this is really a "to each his own" type of issue. I'm sure plenty of people have tried nixing their lid and didn't like the experience. I'd advise just trying it out and seeing what works for you.

With all that said, lids can be a nice place to store maps or guidebooks. I have devised a special pocket for these items on my own pack though, so I don't feel like I'm missing out too much.

[Max Dilthey]

My buddy calls his "The Brain" and keeps maps, compass, and phone up there.

I always crack up.

[Nick Gatel]

I have written many times about packs that are easy to live out of. If a lid helps keep you organized and enhances your trail life, use one. I no longer use packs with mesh, the mesh catches on things when hiking cross country and in desert canyons. My two main backs have removable lids, hip pockets, and shoulder straps. I rarely use all of them on a trip. I find the lid most useful. Probably 50% of the time I use none of them. Takes a day to get used to whatever configuration I start out with. All my packs have water bottle pockets and I usually put things in them with the water bottles if I leave all the other accessories at home, plus a Ziploc of two inside the pack at the top with items I need during the day.

[Ben Pearre]

In cool/cold weather I’m usually into and out of various hats and mittens/gloves many times depending on moment-to-moment trail steepness, sun and wind exposure, etc (balaclava, goggles, sunblock, sun hat, mitten shells, overmitts, etc). Nice to have a brain on my pack for those. Also perhaps a wind shell (although that can go elsewhere) or extra wool shirt, a Steripen (if it’s warm), etc. Also, with a well-positioned zipper and a little practice, you can get things in and out without taking off the pack, which can occasionally be nice. Since it isn’t designed for heavy loads, it’ll often have a zipper, which is a lot more convenient than a rolltop closure, especially if you’re following HMG’s advice and carrying a bear canister or pad under the top compression strap.

They’re less useful if your clothing strategy is basically to wear as little as possible. In the summer I often end up with little to nothing in mine, and of course that’s a waste.

Also worth noting that heavy things (if you have any of those. Water? Cheesecake? Pretty rocks?) carry far better high up and close to the spine than lower down or further from the body. If you want fast access to any of that stuff, the brain is the pack’s million-dollar penthouse.

I just picked up a HMG bag, and found that it took about 3 minutes to hack on the brain of my old tired GoLite pack, at the cost of around 100 grams. I’ll try some hikes with and without it and see what I come up with…

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