Many people start packing their backpacks without any strategy. "Need a strategy for packing a bag?" You may be thinking. Having a packing plan will help improve your overall backpacking experience. Learning to organize your belongings properly before loading your backpack will eliminate forgotten items and help you eliminate unnecessary hassle. Additionally, packing your backpack efficiently will give you greater comfort, convenience, and stability. 

 

Choose The Right Backpack 

Before putting anything in your bag, the first step is to make sure you're using the right size bag for the amount of equipment you want to buy. With today's technology, backpacks are lighter and stronger than ever, so it may be worth replacing an old backpack. Taking the length of the trip into account will help you decide what size backpack to buy. Note that for longer trips, you will need to pack more clothes and more food. 

 

Packaging 

 Lightweight items should fit under the bag, ideally your sleeping bag and other nighttime gear. After most of the lighter items are packed, you need to pack the heavier items. Then try to fill the rest of the backpack with medium/delicate items. Try to pack it strategically to avoid pulling everything out for an item lying underneath. For example, if it's expected to rain, it's a good idea to place the rain cover on the top end of your bag, so you don't have to bother trying to find it if it starts to rain. Good things to have on hand would be a raincoat, snacks, insect repellent, and light. 

 

There are many tips for making the most of the space when packing your belongings. Ensure to fill the empty spaces with small compressible items and use the entire bag, namely the pockets. For example, you can stuff a shirt into a pot, wrap a roll of duct tape on your walking poles, or take your sleeping bag out of its sack and wrap it around other items. Once your backpack is loaded, you need to tighten all the straps to keep the backpack tight and keep things from moving. 

 

External Attachments 

If you've packed your backpack correctly and have the right size bag for your trip, you'll need to add something external to your bag. However, you may encounter oddly shaped items and limited space, in which case you can always add items to the outside of your backpack. We recommend you try to avoid this as it can be unstable to your bag and potentially snag something. Tents, rolling mats, and water bottles are types of items to be stored externally.