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so i was sitting in snow today digging around my pack trying to find a choc bar that i knew was in there and was thinking how i could better organize my shit.
ive recently got some of those bags from sloutdoors, what does everyone else do/use and what do you lump in together?
pillow cases work... cooking and cutlery together. clothing in another. snacks go in pocket...wind/rain coat up on top easy to reach. binos ammo etc in zip off daybag.food in another bag.
weight goes as close to my back as possible and low down in pack.
For me over the years has been.....what did I have that I did not use......then slowly leave them at home, and bugger me I don't miss them....obviously keep the knife in there lol
In the summer I can do a day trip with a back pack, meat bag, knife, plb and water
Hamish
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I have a bunch of lightweight dry bags ranging between 7L and 20L that my gear goes into before going into main pack.
I.e. sleeping bag & camp kit in one, spare clothes in another, food in another, hunting gear in another, etc.
Works mint and it's way easier to find and stack gear in my pack.
Even do this with small dry bags on my day hunting bag.
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As above, me too. [emoji106]
Has the extra advantage of not having to worry about things getting wet in the rain or a sudden trip in a creek etc.
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And a coat. Any fool can take a coat on a wet day.Quote:
Originally Posted by HNTMAD
Sound just like @craigc .....oh wait....Quote:
Originally Posted by Tahr
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Pack items in the same place each time, so you know where they are, torch, rain coat, knife, T.P. and First Aid etc in top pocket. Snacks in other outside pockets.
I use a large dry bag as a pack liner and one other dry bag for food. If weather forecast is wet then clothes go into a second dry bag, otherwise I stuff clothes in the gaps around other items. I used to use several small dry bags but found I always had lots of gaps around all the bags and lost a lot of space to this when packing. This also let the pack move around as it wasn't tightly filled. Heavy items in middle of gear and as close to your back as possible. Sleeping bag in the bottom. Tent on the outside if needed.
Yup dry bags is the answer, different colours help too if you have a few the same size. big dry bag for dry clothes and sleepwear, smaller ones for smaller needs. As has been said put the same shit in the same place everytime. Painfull having to rummage for torches in the dark. Just good common sense things really.
I have a friend who does the dry bag thing and each has the contents as well as weight written on the outside in vivid, one day I'll get that organised.
I do exactly the same, everything in same place so even in the dark I can still find it. Color coded dry bags for different gear. Snacks, shooting related gear and navigation equipment all in there own out side pockets for ease of access.Quote:
Originally Posted by ROKTOY
I like clear bags of one kind or another so that you can see what you're after, often I just use disposable food bags.
I tend to categorise my food into what it is such as snacks/brews, main meals, extras etc and then when packing my pack it gets layered in a manner that the things I most expect to readily need that day are most readily available like snacks, camera, rain coat, warm gears etc. Generally my pack layout follows the same routine each time so I know where to find things. I would say you’re doing all that already though mate so i’m no help sorry haha.
i iike the different coloured bags idea, i normally have all my food in a big bad then camera shit in a smaller one (cos im one of those idiots). ive got a wet sleeping bag before so got a drybag for that and any spare layers
Depends on what type of pack you have,a panel loader (zip goes all the way around and opens like a sardine can) or traditional top loader.
I would recommend the latter anyway, the former sounds good for organisation but never works all that well and usually carries worse in comparison.
If you need to carry 40 liters of gear, get a 50 liter pack, always add 10 or even 20 liters but be super strict as voids tend to fill themselves.
What packs in easy at home will only just fit after a few days in the field, so if it only just fits at home you are f**ked after a long wet day out.
Top loaders with compression straps, floating lid and side pockets (not too big) and bottom zip opening are a must. Sleeping bag divider not necessary.
The way I always did it when working in the jungles of Malaysia (1-2 week trips in the jungle) was to have two large drybags, one for sleeping kit (hammock, night clothes and insulation) and one for fresh clothes (usually socks and underwear) and food in strong zip loc bags (with spare bags).
Tarp is kept in bottom of bag (being wet does not matter, but good to have bottom zip for quick access to it) along with any rubbish or soiled clothes. Side pockets for cooking gear (small stove and two US canteen cups) and water (easy access), low profile water bladders are OK but can be a real bitch to fill up (look at Source bladders, they can be filled with a 'UTA' attachment that means you don't have to pull it out of the pack.) Remember to suck all the air out of the bag after filling (invert and suck through tube). Always take one 'hard' 2L water container just in case.
Used to be able to get USMC Seal Line drybags before they started going for stupid money on fleabay. Any bag with a valve in the bottom is handy to keep volume down (put the bags in the pack, then use compression straps with valve open, then shut valve (again, bottom zip is handy here) but beware of cheap chinese crap.
If you are doing a full blown river crossing and using your pack as a flotation aid then you will need an oversized contractor bag to use as a pack liner. Dry bags are designed for immersion not submersion, there will always be some water getting in no matter how many times you roll the top flap. Use the contractor bag as an 'air trap' so you have a pack that floats now (don't put the pack into the bag, as then you have no straps to hold onto, and might lose it down the river.... don't ask!)
Hope that helps.
The army teaches that you should be able to live out of your pack for a week and fight and survive out of your webbing for a day if you have to ditch your pack in a hurry. So translated into hunting terms I keep binoculars in a bino pouch on the front then knife, snacks, small amount of water, pillow bag, plb etc in a belt bag. Then if you want to drop your pack in a hurry to glass an area or move in to hunt an animal you've got everything you need then can come back to your pack when you're ready.
A friend of mine has a canvas pack with four good sized pockets on the back. Each one has the contents clearly written on the outside.
Copying another friend, I have started using rubber-bands cut from various sized tire tubes to hold packages tight - things like my tent fly folded up tight with a tire-tube rubberband around it.
For multi day trips I bought two of these gear pods, https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.co.../products/pods
Spare clothes goes in one, food in the other, keeps everything tidy and dry. Also a small dry bag has my day hunting shit in it, another has my puffy jacket. As others have said get in the habit of putting in the same place.
Labels are useful if someone else is rummaging in your pack getting something for you
As others have said, once you’ve figured out a configuration you like, stick with it. Much easier to find things when you at least know where they are to begin with.
I also use different coloured/sized dry bags for different things- a small 1L one for electronics- power pack, charging cords for phone & gps, headtorch & spare batteries. A couple of 2L ones- one for most of my food & one for rubbish. Bigger dry bags for clothes etc. Side pockets of the pack for cooking supplies & extra water (also use a 2L water bladder). Top pocket on lid is for stuff I want easy access to- knife, first aid kit, gloves, paracord etc. Hip pockets on waist strap of pack I use for another knife & muesli bars. Keep PLB on my belt & gps clipped to pack strap on my chest. There’s another pocket on the inside of the pack lid which I use for smaller items which I don’t need as often.
I’m also about to trial out an idea I pinched from a recent thread on here about vacuum packing. Gonna try vac packing down my emergency dry underwear/merino thermals. Ensures they’ll stay dry & hopefully will compress them down smaller than I can usually get them.