Good day!
We decided to make this video
Where we go through some tips and tricks about rucksack packing.
Let´s start here.
Just look at this shit, this is one stupidly packed rucksack!
This is how they usually look, but there´s a number of things wrong here.
Ok, a sleeping pad under to top lid.
And here in this side pouch...
... we have a tarp.
And in the other side pouch...
...easily accessible..
... a neatly rolled...
... rain suit!
But what do we find inside the main pack?
A hydration...
...tube!
And three litres of water.
A change of clothes in a waterproof bag.
A sleeping bag in a compression bag.
This is how many people do it, but this is really pretty dumb and soon you´ll see why.
And down here we have a knife under these straps.
It looks cool alright but this really makes no sense.
Cooking gear.
The good old Trangia, model 25.
A litre of water.
These basic things are what you need for most trips, be they just a few days long or longer.
And next we´ll try and pack this same gear a bit smarter.
There´s many little things that can be improved here.
Alright! Let´s see what we´ve got here...
First the sleeping bag and it´s compression bag.
It´s a lot smarter to ditch this compression bag.
And just stuff the sleeping bag inside as such.
This takes up just as much space with or without the compression bag.
Let´s start with this...
The single best accessory for any rucksack is a pack sack!
A big and waterproof one, even a plastic bag works but those don´t last so long.
So the idea is to get this same lot of gear packed more efficiently,.
Making the load more comfortable to carry.
Let´s start with the sleeping pad.
Then the hydration bladder.
The bag of clothes.
And look at this miracle...
We grab the sleeping bag by it´s foot end, this is actually somewhat important.
And we start stuffing it in!
All those little corners that otherwise would stay empty...
will now get filled by the sleeping bag.
The tarp!
It looks big like this but is easily stuffed in.
Then we just close and tighten down the lid.
The lower compartment is a good place to store your cooking gear.
A bag of food.
And a litre of water for cooking.
There!
This comparment is often marketed for sleeping bags, but that´s really just silly.
You don´t need to dig out your sleeping bag every other minute, so it can just as well be in here.
And then the raiwear.
Or in winter time a warm jacket for when you stop for a break.
These fit perfectly in this small lid pouch where they are quickly accessed.
Like this...
This kind of pouches can be found on most rucksacks.
It´s a good place for gear like this.
This pouch would also be a good for tarps.
Look at that, the side pouches are now totally useless!
And useless stuff and excess weight is something you should get rid off!
So by ripping these off we get a lighter, more streamlined pack.
And less floppy shit to get caught on branches etc. Everything is better!
And lastly we can attach this knife right here under the side compression straps.
When you tighten these down it won´t go anywhere.
So we end up with a pack that looks like this.
Doesn´t this look a lot better than that gypsy caravan contraption with stuff hanging all over the place?
This Berghaus Atlas is really quite a basic pack with common features.
It has a large main comparment, a smaller bottom compartment...
A small pocket on the top.
So these tricks work with most packs out there.
The most important thing is to do what works best for you.
But if you have no idea how you should pack a rucksack these tips can be very useful!
Behold, a squirell!