How to Pack

1
How to Pack

• Keeping your pack contents secure, convenient,
  and as small as possible

2
How to pack

• General Tips
• Sleeping bag on the bottom
• Most big packs have a special spot for it
• Try to place heavy stuff nearer your back for
  better balance
• General rule women can center the weighty stuff
  towards the lower back, men a little higher (but
  its a matter of personal taste)
• Compression straps and how to make use of them
• Tent poles, sleeping pads, jacket (extra layers,
  whatever can fit!

3
How to pack

• General Tips cont
• Pack the stuff you will need on the trail most,
  last
• Eg.s rain gear, compass, snacks, knife, water
• Keep small stuff separate
• Easier to find, harder to lose
• Staging make a list, lay everything out before
  packing

4
Dividing Equipment

• Different strokes
• Split the load to spread heavy items throughout
  the group
• Food bag, gear bag, etc.

5
How to pack

• Keeping out the elements
• Pack cover
• Some come with one
• Garbage bag can work just fine
• Inside the pack
• Drysacks/wetsacks
• Garbage bags
• Grocery bags
• Ziploc bags

6
How to pack

• Making space
• just because you got that shiny new 80L pack
  doesnt mean you have to fill it! (75 rule)
• Best way to cut down on spaceDont pack it!
• Rolling, rolling, rolling
• things take up less space (more wrinkles though
  ?)
• Compression sacks
• Really handy for sleeping bags
• Clothes as well

7
Food

• Weight Matters
• Unless youre car camping or going on a weekend
  trip consider leaving the fresh foods at home.
• Canned space (boil in a bag) foods pack well
  but add weight and garbage you must carry out.
• Alternatives
• freeze dried prepared backpacking foods
  (available at outfitters like MEC)
• Dehydrated foods like oatmeal other cereals,
  dried fruit, instant milk beverages, instant
  rice, pasta, instant soups, dried beans etc.
• Dense breads like bagels or rice cakes
• Energy bars gels

8
Food
9
Food

• Meal Prep Planning
• Organize store your meals by type (breakfast,
  lunch dinner)
• Keep your snacks (especially for day one)
  accessible
• Ration label your foods by day ration
  generously, but be sure to make calculations so
  that youre not carrying excess weight
• Dividing foods into individual meal containers is
  a good idea (i.e. you may be eating oatmeal
  twice, but two ziplocks full of oatmeal labelled
  day one and day two will help you not to run
  out)
• Do your prep at home
• Ex. chop, dehydrate combine dehydrated
  ingredients for an instant chilli at home