What do you carry on the OUTSIDE of your pack? and Why?

[Son of a Beach]

I don't like having stuff attached to the outside of my pack for fear of loss or damage (particularly when not on clear tracks), but I usually end up having a very small number of small items attached on the outside (but only things that can't be damaged, and strapped on very securely, and not dangling).

I've noticed that some people strap a wide variety of gear to the outside of their pack including some large items. I've always tried to minimise this sort of thing as it gets VERY annoying on scrubby sections, and you can also damage and even lose items this way when scraping through thick scrub (or even when putting your pack down on the ground and picking it up again?)

So what do you attach to the outside of your pack, and why do you not put it inside your pack? (not including things that you carry that are not strapped to or otherwise attached to your pack).

I carry:

• a cup on the front of one shoulder strap on my pack so that I can grab it and get fresh water easily any time it's available
• a watch on the front of the other shoulder strap as I don't usually wear a watch and am interested in how much time I have before dark sometimes
• a large sharp knife - no idea why really
• small spade - for digging a toilet hole when it's urgent
• water bottle - in case there's no fresh water around (often empty if I'm certain there'll be plenty of water around - hence the cup)

Of these items, the knife is the only thing that really gets caught on the shrubbery. I'll need to re-assess how I stow it. Everything else is either on the front (effectively on my chest) or sufficiently tucked into the narrow sleeves on the sides of the pack so as not to get caught on anything (and they are all securely attached).

Nothing else. I also carry a camera sometimes, but that's either around my neck/shoulders or in my pack, so doesn't count for this exercise.

[Kainas]

I hate things on the outside of the pack. I think purely because it make me feel like a hobo clinking and clanging along. On a recent trip my husband had planned to put a couple of things on the outside. I (kiddingly) told him I wouldn't walk with him if he did.

I do however use the nice big top and front pockets of my bag, to store all the 'need it quick' gear. This is mostly the toilet kit and wet weather gear.

[sthughes]

I carry my GPS in my left chest pocket, my deet and sunscreen in the right. My camera is either in it's case in a 1l dry bag hanging from my left shoulder (where your cup/watch goes Nik) so as it's easy to get to (and my phone is often with it for no real reason). If it's not likley to be wet or be crossing creeks or rivers or whatever the camera goes in my right pocket and the deet & sunscreen go in my shorts pockets or somewhere.
Everything else is in my pack. Wet weather gear in a side pocket, toilet gear and a dry big containing beanie etc. in the other side. The days lunch anis in the top pocket, rubbish in another top pocket, scroggin in left mesh pocket, M&M's and glucose tablets in right mesh pocket. Mesh pockets aren't brilliant in the scrub.

[MJD]

GPS and sometimes my reading glasses on the left shoulder strap. One or two water bottles in the pack side pockets - managed to lose one of these on the last trip

[Franco]

Inside the front pocket I always have my tent. Why ? Because setting that up is the first thing I do at camp and that allows me to open the pack inside the tent if it's raining.
It's stored vertically and because of the low volume does not really interfere with scrubs.
My Aarn packs have front pockets, ( this time I mean my front...) or hip belt pockets (ULA) so I have the bits that I may want to use quickly there (camera ,munchies,bandanna,binos, Leatherman Juice).
With the ULA my rain gear is in the side mesh pocket and so are my water bottles. Can be 2x 1.5 L, or 2x 600ml.
Franco
Picture from 4days/3 nights at Wilson's Prom in my younger days (April 2006)

[woka]

[*]a large sharp knife - no idea why really

That could be quite intimidating for other walkers out in the middle of the bush. LOL - has anyone ever suddenly run in the other direction!

I carry a water bottle on the left (in a sort of pocket), tripod on the right, trowel and thongs on the back, sometimes one of those cheap sleeping mats at the bottom (more for sitting on) and my camera at the front.

[corvus]

I use a pack that has the capacity to have everything inside it which IMHO is how it should be .
Been there etc with my Military pack which was hung all over with bits and bobs (and bombs) so I favour the non adorned pack with a true single pack weight

[norts]

Wet washing, ie socks and jocks on long walks, A chux drying. Small camera in a pouch on my shoulder strap. Trowel in side pocket. Water bottle in a homemade pouch that hangs off compression straps, drinking tube.

Any other bits that I want to access without taking off my pack are in a bum bag.

Roger

[walkinTas]

I strap my camera bag on top of my pack so that it sits up behind my head. I carry the tripod strapped to one side of the pack. Its not an ideal arrangement but it allows me to just take the camera bag and tripod for side trips or little wanders away from the pack. My GPS and phone are usually in my camera bag unless I am actively using them. If I'm leaving my pack for a longer side trip I'll hang my water bottle on my belt, but its usually in my pack.

[scockburn]

I try to keep it all inside. I use to keep my sleeping mat on the outside but it got torn up and tatty from the wear and tear so it all goes inside. Recently I have purchased a small very light towel in a light pouch with a clip that I attach to my shoulder strap, that is use to wipe my glasses so when I fog up or get wet so I can see and on the other strap I have a small whistle that is always there. Never had to use it but it is there just in case. If I'm doing a decent climb up , I'll put my walking poles on one of the straps for a brief while. I have a few side pockets that I might put a water bottle into but the rest is inside.

[NickD]

About four years ago I lost 1 fleece, my drink bottle and my metho bottle all on the one trip in the Du Cane Ranges. Since then I don't carry anything on the outside at all.

[flyfisher]

Yeah, I'm with Nick D , things on the outside are likely to go missing so it all goes inside.
FF

[james cav]

I usually carry my tent and rope on the outside however I do use a pack cover as well as carabiners to clip it on just in case. Another advantage of the pack cover is getting on planes. Most airlines will not allow anything on the outside of your luggage so i use a pack cover to make it all look like one. Works a treat mainlanders! I one time had to empty the entire contents of my pack at the airport and send my wife home with some of it just to get on the plane, I later restocked in davenport. The pack cover also helps in scruby terrain as nothing gets caught and my pack stays protected.

[the_camera_poser]

I sometimes carry my daughter's porta-loo

[Penguin]

We were recently walking trough head high scaparia. Only one of the party hat stuff on the outside of her pack. She lost a crock, damaged her tripod and ripped several bags.

On an open Track I have a mesh bag that is great to have outside the pack to dry cloths on a sunny days. A cup can be handy to grab a drink. if there is regular water available. Otherwise the guiding principle is the less outside the better.

P

[tas-man]

My preference is for everything to go inside my pack except for my camera, which is always at the ready. A "then" photo from 1972 is here, with camera bag in front download/file.php?id=1026&mode=view
A "now "photo" taken by a mate while crossing Faraway Creek on the South Coast Track last year shows my wet tent and crocs strapped to the outside of my pack, with camera bag still in front.

[johnw]

As far as possible, nothing. I've found that whatever is put there tends to get caught on branches, fall off etc.
The only regular exception is my camera pouch which I'll attach to the waist belt or shoulder strap for quick access. Occasionally I do stow a hiking pole outside if not in use, and sometimes attach wet socks or other wet gear to dry out.

Which reminds me. The first overnight walk I tried we took a heavier 2 person tent with fibreglass poles etc previously used for car camping. It rained solidly the morning we were leaving so had to pack up the tent wet. I couldn't work out a way to stow it on the outside of my pack or keep it separate from dry gear inside. So I carried it out under my arms. That was a painful experience. It was still raining and the walk out involved climbing about 500m vertical up a steep track .

[Speculator]

I generally have my water, and my camera on the outside. The camera bag has a belt strap which I put over the chest or waist strap of my pack. I have carried other things like fishing rods, tripods and a small axe (which I lost en-route) on some trips, but it's all a pain the the butt when it catches on the scrub. I carry the water bottle in mesh pockets on the outside, so I probably wont be able to do that forever either, as the pockets have already sustained quite a bit of damage.

L8r.

[corvus]

I generally have my water, and my camera on the outside. The camera bag has a belt strap which I put over the chest or waist strap of my pack. I have carried other things like fishing rods, tripods and a small axe (which I lost en-route) on some trips, but it's all a pain the the butt when it catches on the scrub. I carry the water bottle in mesh pockets on the outside, so I probably wont be able to do that forever either, as the pockets have already sustained quite a bit of damage.

L8r.

I guess what you are saying is that you wont be keeping anything on the outside anylmore \c

[Speculator]

I generally have my water, and my camera on the outside. The camera bag has a belt strap which I put over the chest or waist strap of my pack. I have carried other things like fishing rods, tripods and a small axe (which I lost en-route) on some trips, but it's all a pain the the butt when it catches on the scrub. I carry the water bottle in mesh pockets on the outside, so I probably wont be able to do that forever either, as the pockets have already sustained quite a bit of damage.

L8r.

I guess what you are saying is that you wont be keeping anything on the outside anylmore \c

Well, it'll depend on the walk. If it's likely to be scrubby and even slightly overgrown then yes. That said, on the weekend I had my polar fleece on the back of the pack and that didn't seem to catch on anything. I think there's probably some potential to strap things on given the right conditions.

L8r.

[tasadam]

On one side of my pack, a carbon fibre tripod gets strapped in, so does any topographical maps I have - laminated and rolled up, with two rubber bands keeping it rolled.
Rolled inside the map/s are the two tent poles in a bag, I've done it that way since getting my new Hilleberg Nallo2 tent.
I keep the map out so I can get to it if needed, same for tripod and also because tripod is a bit big to go in.
If I get the map out, I always double-check I have packed the tent poles again. Sooner waste my time double-checking than leaving them behind.
Also so I can get the poles and get the tent set up without having to open the pack proper.

There is a pocket on the side of the pack to tuck the bottom of the map and tripod in, and there are two straps on the side to hold them in tight.
If I tighten this side of the pack first, it gives them more push - bedding them into the side of the pack, so they tend not to get caught too bad.
On shorter walks when the pack isn't as full, the hood will pull over the top of the tripod and map as well, whereas extended walks they stick out as in the photo below.
Usually the tripod is in the other way up too, I was experimenting.

The other side of my pack there is an open pocket of stretchy fabric - my 1 litre water bottle gets pushed into that and a strap goes over the top so it can't fall out.
A lot of the time I will walk with my camera out - quite often with my tripod attached to it. This means carrying up to 5KG's in my arms, no big deal as I'd be carrying it on my back anyhow.
If the arms get tired the tripod goes away. If it's not worth it, the camera goes away too.
South Cape Rivulet to Granite Beach, I have no photos to show - the camera stayed away. Good thing too, I would have trashed it in the mud.

The bottom of my pack can be opened by a separate zipper (Macpac), so I keep the tent, groundsheet (Tyvek), and pegs in there. Then I can get the tent straight out as needed when arriving at camp.

Normally if the weather is marginal the japara will be accessable just under the hood - there's a strap there to hold it down too.
I've tried hanging things off the pack, but dangly bits gave me the irrates pretty quick and they weren't really needed anyhow, so I gave up on it.
Sometimes I will have a compass & whistle around my neck. Sometimes I have a play with the GPS so that will go in the pocket.
The pack also has a couple of accessable pockets - in the top and the back, so things like first aid, trowel & paper, emergency medication, phone, head torch, pocket knife etc get stored in these.

My wife almost always carries her water bottle out of the pack. Often the camera too. We use Naglene water bottles so they don't break.

Tas-man you had it easy with the water crossing...

[FionandZinny]

We don't tend to carry much on the outside of the packs but the biggest thing ever was a wok, for the overland track, as the most experienced walker thought this would be a good idea, didn't he Nik? We did eat very very well though so all in all, it was probably worth it.

[Son of a Beach]

It's always worth it for good tucker (especially if you not the one carrying it)! Let me think back to that walk (memorable because it was the first time I felt I was going to kark it from not keeping my blood glucose levels up)... fresh cooked beef stir fry, home made thawed cheesy risotto, port in an enema bag hanging from a tree looking like an oral blood transfusion (nothing to do with the wok, but worth mentioning for its own sake).

Last time I carried the wok (two years ago), somebody kept calling me "hobbit" (he thought it looked like a shield on my pack) and repeatedly threw pebbles at it while we were walking... ding... ding... ding... Very irritating.