Packing - what am I doing wrong?

[David M]

I have spent hours trying to pack my new AARN Featherlite Freedom pack. It is a total of 67 litres so is a good size for multiday walks but my next walk is an overnighter and I have filled it to overflowing. This is not a fault of the pack but my packing technique so I am asking what I am doing wrong. I am also mainly a day walker and have not in recent years with modern equioment done many overnight walks.

The main problems seem to be:

The volume of sleeping bag. It is an Exped 700 Lite bag. I am using the supplied bag but it is a significant volume.
The volume of the two man tent (REI Quartedome T2).
The volume of the sleeping mat (Exped Downmat 7).
I use a Trangia Mini stove and medium size Trangia fuel bottle.
In addition, some of the food is in plastic boxes but I have other food that is in zip lock bags to save space.

I am sure the pack is plenty big enough but I just need some packing hints.

Thanks.

[bailz66]

Are your clothes in a compression sack to reduce the amount of space that they take up?
Are you stuffing any of your small items into dead spaces (Pockets of air)

[Giddy_up]

That sleeping bag should be about 35cm x 20cm when compressed, just check those measurements for a start


"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards"

[Strider]

Your tent, mat and stove aren't going to get any smaller so focus on packing more efficiently. Stuff your clothes into any spare spaces in your pack rather than together in a sack.

Definitely lose the plastic containers. My food all goes in snaplock bags which go into a stuffsack to keep everything together. Pack at top of pack under my fleece and nothing gets crushed.

I have to ask too - are all the compression straps undone on the pack?

[wayno]

the sleeping bag somes with a dry bag doesnt it? before you close the stuff sack, kneel on it to get extra air out of it and then roll down the opening as far as you can and put it in the bottom of your pack
i use a lot of lightweight dry bags to put my gear in. and squeeze all the air out that i can especially with clothes in them. does the food really need to be in boxes? what about dry bags?

[Giddy_up]

I also put my sleeping bag and mat and camp clothes all in one bag. I use an Exped shrink bag and it all just sits in the bottom of my pack.This means I don't have lots of little tight packages that are difficult to fit in and waste pack volume.

You will get what I'm talking about in the link.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QpiSPfvGAUI

Could be worth a try.


"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards"

[wayno]

yeah i should ahve said "a few dry bags"

[Strider]

Are you guys using a pack liner in addition to dry bags? If not, how do you ensure you fill up the empty spaces between the dry bags?

[wayno]

not everything goes in dry bags.. storm clothing for instance or any clothes i might need to put on during the day get stuffed around the dry bags. you can get a reasonable shape out of the bags when they are pushed in, theres not that much gap...

[Giddy_up]

Are you guys using a pack liner in addition to dry bags? If not, how do you ensure you fill up the empty spaces between the dry bags?

I use two of those exped shrink bags on a hike of 4-5 days. One has sleeping bag, mat, and camp clothes, the other has all my food in it, these bags mould in together in the bottom of the pack. Cook set goes in the pack, first aid and lamp etc...go in lid pocket topside, toiletries go bottomside of the lid. All my wet weather gear is under the lid. Tent inside the pack. This is all in a macpac 65l and I would have lots of room to spare. No pack liner!!!!


"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards"

[wayno]

have a look at this

http://www.backpacker.com/skills-how-to ... eshows/183

[GPSGuided]

I use an Exped shrink bag...
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QpiSPfvGAUI

Didn't know about these Exped toys before. Nice! Once again Exped has proved to be a master in design. So logical and well implemented. Looks like the item is only available from O/S.

[wayno]

sea to summit do something similar. they have ones with an event membrane on the end of the bag to squeeze the air out..
glorified dry bags...

[wayno]

sea to summit compression dry bags

http://www.seatosummit.com/products/display/1

[GPSGuided]

Thanks Wayno! Had a look at those STS models but I have reservation on their implementation. Don't like the idea of putting membranes on pack bags, it's just asking for failure. Exped's design makes more sense.

[ULWalkingPhil]

My pack a Gossamer Gear Kumo, 28L main volume with a two side pockets for water bottles and a rear pocket 8L volume. Total 36L volume.
I can fit up-to 6 days of food and gear in this pack and two litres of water. I have recently added two Zpacks front pockets to my backpack which will increase my water carrying ability.
I know what your going through. Two years ago, I owned a 90L OnePlanet Pack and struggled to fit my gear inside this pack for a overnight hike. I to had items that where high volume. Sold all that gear and repurchased lighter, quality gear.

I'm not saying go sell all your gear. There's nothing wrong with the aarn packs, I used to own one. With a small volume pack and lighter gear I don't need such a huge pack anymore. Aarn packs are great for balancing the weight over your body. The following is how I pack my 36L volume pack for multi day bushwalks.

I always use a Plastic garbage bag inside my pack apx the same volume as my pack, inside that bag I place my Top Quilt and Bottom Quilt in a separate heavy Duty plastic bag and stuff that down the bottom of my Pack. I don't want to take any risks in my Down Bags getting wet, particularly when it's cold. Next I squeeze in my spare clothes such as down jacket, spare socks, beanie, base-layer, gloves etc into any spaces I can find at the base of my pack.
Next is my Hammock, food is also packed inside a garbage bag and cooking kit. The outside pocket I pack my Rain Jacket, rain pants if required, Tarp, pegs, water filter and first aid kit, . When I arrive at camp, I can setup my tarp with out opening my pack. That way if it's raining there's no chance any of my gear inside of my pack will get wet. I remove all packaging from my food and repack into zippy bags. First aid kit is in a zippy bag, toiletry all in zippy bags.

I don't use any containers, there to bulky, everything is repackaged into Zippy bags or stuff sacks.

[bernieq]

Although not without value, I suspect most of the advice so far is not specific to the Aarn FF - which does take a bit of getting used to.

Don't despair, Dave, the FF is a great pack !

I've removed the bottom pack liner – I need somewhere to put any wet stuff (and stuff that doesn’t need to be kept dry.

My FF is a 2009 model so it has webbing at the side which allows me to pack my tent (2-person MSR HH) on the outside of the pack (fly and pegs on one side, tent and groundsheet on the other (in home-made ripstop nylon bags). Poles go in the sleeve at the back of the pack (in the ‘diamond’). I’m pretty sure the current model doesn’t have the side webbing so you would need the quick-loc straps (or equivalent).

Into the front pockets go : 2 billies (one inside the other), head-torch, gas cannister & burner, mug, camera, GPS, compass, map, knife, water (2-4L), 1st aid, gloves, scroggin, PLB.

Into the bottom pack section (without liner) : crocks, food bowl, repair kit, gortex jacket, overpants, water filter, (spare) water bladder.

Into the top (leg) liner : Sleeping bag (one leg), mat/trekker chair (opposite leg), clothing, book, MP3 and spare batteries, food (with lunch at the very top!) – plus any other stuff needed.

I can fit a 10-day walk without too much problem (8.5kg of dehydrated food). All food is in ziploc bags in 3 ripstop nylon bags.

If you can’t (don’t want to) fit your tent on the outside of the pack (side, not back as the additional weight at the back doesn’t carry well) then you can slide it down the inside of the pack, between the pack and the leg-liner). Alternatively, it may fit in the bottom section. I did once carry a tent slung under the bottom of the pack (just for the first few days of a long trip).

Do remember that a wet tent inside the liner will just get everything wet !

[Franco]

Like the other Aarn packs, the FF comes with a built in liner (take that into account when looking at its weight).
That liner can be removed, I keep it there.
The liner also divides the pack into 2 vertical compartments for the firs third or so but it is open right at the bottom.
I stuff my sleeping bag in a larger than needed very thin stuff sack and shove that in to one side at the bottom.
The mat (usually a Neo Air but can be the DM7) goes also at the bottom next to the SB.
Over those I put my camp/night kit, that is spare socks/leggings/underpants/T shirt and a spare set of gloves .
On the other side my other spare/warm clothing.
Over those food and stove kit.
At the top I have my flexible water container (goes further down when full) and a rain jacket if not in the front pocket.
The front pockets have a 600ml water bottle each, emergency gear,munchies, gloves,hat,spare glasses, GPS (not always) camera,knife/spoon/torch and my toilet kit and map in the mesh compartment close to the chest.
Often my rain gear (jacket/pants/gaiters) is also in the front pockets.
So the trick is to fill those front pockets with heavish stuff and as much as you can without bursting them.
I don't use compression bags, I let the weight of the food/extra water and kitchen kit compress the soft stuff.
The tent is across the top or occasionally at the front of the pack .
The longest I have done with that has been 6 days.

[norts]

I dont like compression bags, especially for a sleeping bag, my sleeping bag just goes straight into the bottom of my pack liner, then my camp clothes and sleeping bag liner, any small stuff only needed for camp, then tent on top of that in its own dry bag, then food and gear for the day. By having the sleeping bag loose, it then fills in the gaps around all the other gear.
Doesnt matter how much gear I have in my pack it always looks full. When on a multi day walk I just keep pushing down on the gear and compressing the sleeping bag with all the other gear. Short walks the sleeping bag isnt as compressed.

Might not work for you but worth a try.
I have also used the stuff sacks side ways and also vertical, depending on the pack and gear. I know one pack use to pack alot easier when all the stuff bags, ie tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, clothes were packed vertical.

Roger

[Giddy_up]

I use an Exped shrink bag...
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QpiSPfvGAUI

Didn't know about these Exped toys before. Nice! Once again Exped has proved to be a master in design. So logical and well implemented. Looks like the item is only available from O/S.

Hi GPS Guided, I got mine here.

http://www.bushcraftequipment.com.au/st ... red&page=3

No affiliation.


"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards"

[GPSGuided]

Hi GPS Guided, I got mine here.
http://www.bushcraftequipment.com.au/st ... red&page=3

Thanks! Good to know.

[bernieq]

Hey Franco, where does your tent go? in the bottom section? do you use the bottom liner or have you removed it?

If you have a rain jacket at the top (of the top section), don't you risk stuff below getting wet?

BTW, the Aarn liners are quite good but in sustained heavy rain, or river crossings, are prone to collecting a bit of moisture in the bottom of the liner. For that reason, I'm careful to have an item of clothing on the very bottom and the sleeping bag on top of that (wet down bag = misery)

[photohiker]

I dont like compression bags, especially for a sleeping bag, my sleeping bag just goes straight into the bottom of my pack liner, then my camp clothes and sleeping bag liner, any small stuff only needed for camp, then tent on top of that in its own dry bag, then food and gear for the day. By having the sleeping bag loose, it then fills in the gaps around all the other gear.
Doesnt matter how much gear I have in my pack it always looks full. When on a multi day walk I just keep pushing down on the gear and compressing the sleeping bag with all the other gear. Short walks the sleeping bag isnt as compressed.

Yes, that's what I do too. The benefit is in less compression of the down, and easier packing of the main compartment. I usually put light food items not needed today on the bottom below the drybag. If I'm using commercial dehy, I trim the corners so they don't puncture the pack material.

[Franco]

Bernie,
I have the tent on the outside across the top, sometimes vertical in the front of the pack.
no I don't put wet stuff inside the pack so if the rain jacket is inside is because it is not wet.
my rain jacket is also my wind jacket.

[Picaro]

USER-G---back-and-body-pack.gif (34.25 KiB) Viewed 4057 times

Some of the packing in this thread is not in line with the Aarn instructions.

The body packs work best with this method.

[photohiker]

Some of the packing in this thread is not in line with the Aarn instructions.

The body packs work best with this method.

Well, If you have a pack with two internal trouserlegs, packing with that method is almost unattainable. At least one of the packs has a sleeping bag compartment at the bottom (Natural Balance)

I've moved towards lighter weight packs. I really like the Peak Aspiration but it weighs about 2-3 times the weight of the Mariposa, even more with balance pockets. Great for carrying camera gear though.

[Franco]

Within the basic rules of packing and the Aarn's suggestions , I also include what is convenient to me.
In my case, using the FF, I put the light sleeping bag and mat at the bottom because it is the last thing I need to unpack, so I have the stuff I use during the day towards the top.
For the same reason I have the shelter outside the pack (keep in mind that my shelters pack small...) so that if it is raining at camp I can keep the pack sealed up as I set the shelter up. Then I get inside and unpack.

[slparker]

the FF is 67l divided into several small compartments (the way I see it). My old bag was a berghaus 65l and I always had a tent or sleeping mat hanging off the outside. When you're trying to shove in a sleeping back/trangia/ clothes etc it seems to take an inordinate amount of room. I have no idea how someone can use a 40l pack for a multiday walk and still be sleeping in a aleeping bag, on a mat in a tent and eating hot food.. let alone doing this for a week

I don't think space is the big issue, anyway, it is weight.

[Picaro]

Yeah, I can see how its a bit trickier with the split sections. I have a GuidingLight, so one big compartment, plus large front pockets.
I have hammock and tarp in the front, plus 2 x 1ltr water and snacks. So its food and cooking in, then quilts and clothing, with plenty of space for lifes little luxuries.