How to Pack a Backpack || Hiking Tips, by Set To Hike on YouTube. 6 min 5 s.
- Video length
- 6 min 5 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Lay all your gear out on the floor and check it against your plan. Leave out anything you did not use on your last trip.
Put your sleeping bag in a waterproof stuff sack and drop it into the bottom of the pack. It is light and bulky, so it belongs at the base.
Pack the heaviest items, like food, water and your stove, in the middle of the pack close to your back. That keeps the load over your hips.
Fold clothes into the gaps around the heavy items so nothing shifts. Keep them in a dry bag so a leak does not soak them.
Put your tent on top of the load, or strap it under the base if the pack has straps for it. Keep it low on steep trails.
Slide water bottles into the side pockets and snacks into the hip belt pockets. Anything you want on the move should be reachable without stopping.
Stash your rain cover, map and first aid kit in the top lid or an outer pocket. Pack them last so you can grab them fast.
Pull the compression straps tight and shake the pack. Nothing should rattle, sag or hang loose.
Lift the pack onto a bench or rock, put your arms through and fasten the hip belt first, then the shoulder straps. The belt should carry most of the weight.
Tips and common mistakes
A common rule of thumb is to keep the total pack weight to about a fifth of your body weight, and to weigh it before you leave.
Seal a spare set of dry clothes in a bag at the bottom so you have something warm and dry to change into at camp.
Check the weather and tell someone your route and return time before you set off.
Try not to tie gear to the outside of the pack. Dangling items snag on branches and pull you off balance.
Questions
Where should the heaviest items go in a hiking backpack?
In the middle of the pack, against your back and just below shoulder height. That keeps the load over your hips so you stay balanced on rough ground.
Should the tent go inside or outside the pack?
Inside if it fits, with the poles and stakes kept separate. On a short trip or with a big load, strapping it under the base keeps the weight low, which helps on steep climbs.
How do I stop my gear getting wet?
Line the pack with a trash bag or use dry bags for clothes and your sleeping bag, then fit a rain cover over the outside.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
