Loading a Backpack

AMC Outdoors, May 2000

By Michael Lanza

Believe it or not, how you load a pack will affect whether it feels like a Sumo trying to wrestle you to the ground — and whether you dig around for a jacket as the rain soaks your back.

When backpacking on trails, place lightweight, bulky items like your sleeping bag and clothing you don't need at the bottom of the pack. Men should place heavy items (stove, cook kit, food) up high and close to the shoulders. Women usually prefer centering the weight slightly lower. (When skiing, scrambling, or climbing, everyone should center the weight around the middle or bottom third of the pack.) Keep items like a jacket, snack, water filter, and map readily accessible.

Balance the weight inside the pack — ideally, your full pack should stand on its own. Try to get everything inside, including an inflatable sleeping pad.

Anything attached to the outside becomes susceptible to nature's sharp objects. Get a nylon stuff sack for an inflatable mattress if you're carrying it on the pack. You can strap your foam pad horizontally across the outside of the sleeping bag compartment to balance the pack upright when you set it down. Once the pack is loaded, tighten all compression straps to prevent any shifting of contents — which can send you reeling on a steep trail.

—Michael Lanza is author of The Ultimate Guide to Backcountry Travel, from AMC Books.