| Yes believe it or not there is a right way and a | | | | your body, making it much more comfortable. My |
| wrong way of how to pack a backpack. Get it | | | | inflatable kip-mat goes in after my sleeping bag |
| wrong and you will find that your backpack will | | | | helping to push everything into a nice fit. |
| soon get very very uncomfortable. This will then | | | | At the bottom of the main compartment I put |
| affect your whole trip, making it a miserable | | | | my spare clothes; the ones that I will not need |
| experience rather than one of enjoyment and | | | | during the day, such as spare socks, underwear, |
| pleasure. | | | | tee-shirts etc. on top of them go the smaller |
| There are slightly different ways on how to pack | | | | heavier things such as wash kit, repair kits, |
| a backpack depending on the kind of backpacking | | | | personal items and anything fragile. Then on top |
| or hiking you intend to do. For instance if you are | | | | of that goes a jumper or fleece so that |
| hill walking or hiking on steep rough ground most | | | | everything is cushioned between two soft layers. |
| of the time where balance is the most important | | | | The tent goes in next; the poles are carefully slid |
| aspect, then the heavy non-bulky items should be | | | | down into the pack so that they are at a corner |
| packed lower for better stability. | | | | near my back. The actual tent I like to have |
| For more normal day to day backpacking such as | | | | packed in such a way that it can be flat in the |
| trail walking where you are more likely to be | | | | pack and not rolled up into a cylinder, this takes |
| hiking on mostly level ground, the heavy non-bulky | | | | up less space and can be packed down tighter. On |
| things should be packed higher and near to your | | | | top of this I put any food and water that I will |
| back. This keeps the load close to your centre of | | | | not require during the day and also a warm |
| gravity, and helps you keep an upright posture. | | | | jacket. |
| I’m not a great fan of having lots of things | | | | Into the lid and side pockets go my first-aid kit |
| strapped to the outside of my pack. To me this | | | | and the food and water I will need for the day |
| not only looks untidy but these things are likely to | | | | and anything else that I will need to use often. |
| get lost or damaged. The only exceptions I would | | | | This way whenever I stop for lunch or just a |
| make would be my waterproof jacket and | | | | quick brew up every thing is easily at hand and I |
| trousers, so that they are easily accessible in the | | | | don’t need to go searching through the main |
| event of rain or showers during the day. I also | | | | pack just to find one thing. |
| used to strap my kip-mat to the top of my pack, | | | | All that you need to do now is make sure that |
| but as I now use a ¾ length inflatable mat this | | | | the whole backpack feels comfortable and well |
| goes inside. | | | | balanced, this is best done by putting it on and |
| My backpack has a separate lower compartment | | | | walking around with it for 15 or 20 minutes. This |
| and in this I put my sleeping bag, I don’t use | | | | should let you know if anything needs to be |
| a compression stuff-sac as this tends to make | | | | adjusted or moved. This is obviously just a rough |
| the whole thing into a solid lump.It`s much better | | | | guide and will depend on your personal |
| to use the rucksack compartment as the | | | | preferences and the type of gear that you decide |
| stuff-sac itself, then it will not leave empty | | | | to take. But the most important thing is that it |
| corners, and when the pack is put on, the | | | | feels comfortable as its you who will be carrying |
| waist-belt will help the whole thing to contour to | | | | it. |