The Case Against Nylon Oven Bags for Pack Organization

"Clothes are sometimes wet and dirty and odorous, so a bag comes in handy."

When my clothes are wet after hiking in the rain, I like to bag them up and throw them in the sleeping bag with me to keep them warm for the next morning. I'm also a creature of habit. I like knowing that I can reach blindly in the dark into my ruck and will know exactly where any piece of gear is. It's also nice knowing that if I pull my rain shell out of my pack, I don't have to worry about my glove liners, etc accidentally coming out with it and leaving them on the trail. This is an area where the .25oz weight penalty is worth the convenience.

If anal explosive hiking is your style then HYOH I suppose.

To each his own.
So Craig how do you fill your pack?
I only use enough "bags" to keep things dry in case I fall in water while crossing or if I'm in a heavy rain.

Yeah, I'm a type A when it comes to all the small stuff like spare batteries, first aid, small vials of DEET, etc. When it's time to go to the latrine, I want to have the TP, trowel, and hand cleaner in one place. I want the kitchen stuff together to protect my other gear and not have to go looking in the bottom of my pack for a spoon or lighter.

I missed the Nite Ize twistie tie thing. Good use of the product, and for those who are concerned, they aren't like the wire ties. An alternative would be a short length of line and a toggle.

http://www.niteize.com/product/Gear-Tie-3.asp

"Nite Ize twistie tie thing"

A three-inch length of insulated 14AWG copper wire will get the same job done at about 2% of the cost.

–B.G.–

"A three-inch length of insulated 14AWG copper wire will get the same job done at about 2% of the cost."

If the cut ends don't do a number on my windshirt or rain jacket. Don't use either myself :)

I carry a nylon sack for my food and a small bag for small stuff (compass, water pur tabs, lighter, extra batteries, and such).
I use my sleeping bag as a bag of sorts, I put all of my dry camp clothing inside my bag before stuffing it to the bottom. Clothes that I might need while hiking goes near the top. Everything else is somewhere in between.

You contract or shrink the insulation away from each end before you cut it, not afterward. Then the insulation will expand back over the cut end slightly.

–B.G.–

A pack liner is different than an organization bag.

My sleeping bag and spare clothes go into a compactor bag to stay dry. If it's not going to be wet, I don't take a liner bag.

Clothes can be folded into each other for organization. Gloves and spare socks can be stored in a beanie or mosquito headnet or simply rolled up in a spare layer.

Kitchen gets stowed inside cook pot.

Shelter rolls up into itself- no bag needed. If it's wet, it lashes outside the pack.

Raingear rolls up into itself. If it's wet, It goes outside the pack.

The only separate bag I use is my food bag- for obvious reason….hanging, etc. I've used the same drybag for this for a few years.

I don't carry that many little items, so a pack pocket alone is sufficient for headlamp, knife, firestarting, first aid (in a ziplock), etc.

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I've never seen the need for separating everything into its own bag. Organization bags seem like one of those things that you can certainly create a use for, but don't necessitate use.

> I've never seen the need for separating everything into its own bag.

OK, I see what you're saying. For clarification, I never intended "everything into its own bag" style of organization. In my case I'm talking 3 or 4 bags, not 50. I should have been more clear.

Using the nylon bags, I don't use a pack liner or compactor bag. One compactor bag = 2.4 oz = Five nylon oven bags.

Never occurred to use mosquito headnet as a stuffsack, clever. Will steal that idea if you don't mind.

Thanks Craig…my packing is similar, I just try to keep things simple. I always have packed night clothes into my sleeping bag, and warm hat and gloves in the hat and rain gear in itself (makes it quicker to deploy in storms).
I think once one travels for long periods, one develops their own "system" of packing and doing things with more and more economy. Regardless of how "type A" we can get. I started out years ago using lots and lots of ditty and stuff bags, but then got tired of keeping track of them all in the dark tent and over night so simplified as I got older. They are kind of a hold over from my old Kelty Tioga, that pack kind of requires things to be portioned and separated into their individual compartments, and was not waterproof. And that was OK when I was 20 and didn't mind carrying a 60 pound pack….not anymore!;-)

"I've never seen the need for separating everything into its own bag."

That's cause you're a desert dirtbag. I have a separate bag for EACH SOCK! One sock might get dirtier than the other, and I don't like mixing dirt.

Doug even has a stuff sack for his stuff sacks.

Somehow this seems like it came from an old George Carlin routine.

–B.G.–

"Doug even has a stuff sack for his stuff sacks."

Uh, yeah, Bob. That is called his pack. ;0)