How To Pack A Backpack

[ed. I've been reading Cheryl Strayed's "Wild", an epic adventure that starts out almost completely contrary to the advice given below.]

Don't be this guy. Carrying a backpack so large that it extends over your head and outside the width of your back makes for a long, arduous day on the trail. Instead, choose what you need wisely, then pack the bag efficiently for a lighter, more comfortable load. Here's how.

A typical checklist for backpacking:

• Tent
• Sleeping Pad
• Sleeping Bag
• Layers
• Flashlight
• Stove and fuel (we recommend a cat food can and denatured alcohol)
• Metal mug w/lid
• Lighter
• Knife
• First Aid Kit
• Spare Socks
• Sunscreen
• Food
• Map
• Compass
• Hand sanitizer
• Trash Bag
• Trowel
• Baby Wipes
• Toothbrush and paste

Doesn't sound like an awful lot, does it? Each individual trip may necessitate some additions to that basic list, but we're talking one or two items, not the kitchen sink. Paring your needs to the absolute minimum is the most effective way to keep weight down. Because you're taking so few items, you'll want each to be reliable, multi-use and light. Don't carry a two D-cell MagLite, carry a 1xCR2 headlamp that doubles as your keychain light.

The standard recommendation is no more than 1/3 your bodyweight on your back. I'm 190lbs and 1/3 my bodyweight is an absurd 62lbs. Typically, I target 25 or 30lbs for an all-up weight. Doing so makes hiking not just easier, but actually fun.

You can spend an insane amount of money to get weight down. For instance, for next week's trip I'll be testing a new sleeping (tent, bag, pad) system that adds up to only 5lbs total while sleeping more luxuriously than I'm used to. Total price for that is $1,200 though, which is outside my budget just like it's likely outside yours. A more achievable goal should be to acquire quality, multi-use gear that can be easily carried. Build up a system over time and it won't be a huge financial burden. Trying to buy all this stuff at once is going to be expensive any way you cut it, even if you're buying cheap crap. And, an item of gear with which you have experience, which you know works and which you know how to use is going to be a lot better companion on the trail than a fancy new gadget that's an unknown. I shudder at the thought of heading out for a trip with all-new gear; that's just a lot that could go wrong.

by Wes Siler, Indefinitely Wild |  Read more:

Image: Carlos Torres