How To Pack Your Backpack | Indiahikes, by Indiahikes on YouTube. 8 min 39 s.
- Video length
- 8 min 39 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Lay out everything on your checklist before you start. Check each item off so nothing gets left behind and you can see the full load you need to fit.
Remember the ABCD rule: Accessibility, Balance, Compactness, Done. It sets the order for the whole pack, so decide what you need during the day before anything goes in.
Set aside the items you want within reach: water, snacks, sunscreen, rain shell, map and phone. These go in the top lid or easy pockets, not buried in the main compartment.
Put the lightest, least needed gear at the base of the pack, such as your sleeping bag or spare clothes in a stuff sack. This keeps the bottom soft against your lower back.
Load the main compartment with heavier items close to your spine and centred, with lighter gear around them. Keep the load balanced left to right so the pack does not pull to one side.
Place items you may need on the trail in the top part of the backpack, under the lid. Keep the lid light so it does not push your head back.
Use the side and front pockets for small, quick-reach items like snacks, gloves or a headlamp. Put water bottles in the side pockets so you can drink without taking the pack off.
Thread trekking poles, a mat or other long gear through the side loops and straps. Tighten the straps so nothing swings or snags on branches.
Compress the load with the side and lid straps until the pack feels firm and compact. Shake it gently: nothing should shift or rattle inside.
Lift the pack onto one knee, slip your arms through the straps and adjust the hip belt first, then the shoulder straps. The weight should sit on your hips, not your shoulders.
Tips and common mistakes
Put heavy items in the middle of the pack, close to your back, not at the bottom or the very top.
Keep the rain cover at the top or in an outer pocket so you can reach it fast when the weather turns.
Weigh the loaded pack before you leave and cut anything you did not use on the last trip.
Check that the hip belt sits on your hip bones, not your waist, or the load will pull on your shoulders.
Questions
What is the ABCD rule for packing a backpack?
A is Accessibility, B is Balance, C is Compactness and D is Done the above. It means keep daily items within reach, balance the weight, compress the load, then check it.
Where should the heaviest items go in a hiking backpack?
In the main compartment, close to your spine and centred. That keeps the weight over your hips and stops the pack pulling you backwards.
How do I keep my backpack compact?
Use stuff sacks to group small items and tighten the side and lid compression straps after loading. A firm pack moves less and is easier to carry.
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.
