How I Pack My Rucksack For 40hrs In The Field (Milsim West Sustainment Loadout), by Uncompliant on YouTube. 16 min 2 s.
- Video length
- 16 min 2 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Lay all your gear on the floor and group it into sleep system, clothes, food and water, and small kit. Load the rucksack and weigh it, then put back anything you will not use.
Fill the top lid pouch with the items you reach for most: gloves, headlamp, snacks, map and a small first aid kit.
Line the main sack with a large dry bag, then push the sleeping bag down into the bottom. Keep it in its own waterproof bag.
Place water bottles and food close to your back at mid height, so the heaviest part of the load sits between your shoulder blades.
Pack spare clothes and your cold weather layer in a separate dry bag, press the air out, and set it above the sleeping bag.
Roll the tarp tight and strap it on top of the pack or under the lid, where it is easy to pull off when the rain starts.
Clip small pouches to the outside of the sack for your hygiene kit and auxiliary gear, so you do not have to open the main bag.
Keep your rain jacket and trousers in the top lid or an outer pocket, not buried in the main sack.
Tighten every compression strap, set the hip belt on your hip bones, adjust the shoulder straps, then walk a lap and repack anything that rubs.
Tips and common mistakes
Use dry bags inside the rucksack as well as a rain cover, because covers leak at the seams in steady rain.
Heavy gear close to your spine at mid height keeps you balanced on rough ground.
A wet sleeping bag loses most of its warmth, so keep it in a waterproof bag even on a short trip.
Do a test walk with the full load before you leave and adjust the straps at home, not on the trail.
Questions
How heavy should a rucksack be for 40 hours out?
There is no fixed number. Take only what you will actually use, weigh the pack at home, and lighten it if lifting it to your shoulders feels hard.
Does the sleeping bag have to go at the bottom?
With most top-loading rucksacks, yes. The bag is light and bulky, so it sits well at the bottom while heavier food and water go higher and closer to your back.
How do I keep everything dry in heavy rain?
Pack in dry bags, fit a rain cover over the sack, and keep your rain jacket in the lid. Open the pack as little as possible once the rain sets in.
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.
