How to Pack a Backpack

Below you will find a general backpack packing instructions, but you can also cater your packing most efficiently to your specific type of backpack.

• Internal Frame
  
  
• External Frame
  
  
• Frameless

Before you start worrying about the packing, learn how to fit a backpack here.

Stuff Sacks Needed - Look at the right hand column of this page for some stuff sack selections. A couple of stuff sacks can help you keep your equipment organized as well as reduce the bulk and size, making items easier to pack.

Things to Pack in Stuff Sacks - Sleeping bag, clothing, and even food.

• Lay all of your items out in front of you so you can see everything in one eye’s sweep and start organizing.
• Separate heavy items from light items. The type of backpack you have (internal frame, external frame, frameless) will determine where the items will go

• Separate out the things you’ll need readily available, such as first aid kit, iodine tablets or water filter, knife, whistle, matches, etc… These should go in side or front pockets for easy access.

Check out the hiking backpack guide for more info.

Internal Frame

An internal frame backpack is designed to snug closely to your body, molding to its natural contours.

For this reason your heaviest items should be packed near the center and close to your back along your spine. It can be slightly challenging learning how to pack a backpack with an internal frame. Read on for further tips and instructions!

The rule of thumb is to pack first what you will be taking out last.

• Pack your sleeping bag in the bottom of your main compartment. Some internal frame backpacks are now equipped with a completely separate sleeping bag compartment located at the very bottom of the pack.
• Next, take your heavy items such as your tent, tarp, food, and pack them low and close to your back.
• Fill in the extra space furthest away from your back with light items such as clothing and camp stove. This helps to snug your heavy items to your spine and keep them from shifting.

   Hydration

• Most internal frame backpacks are designed with pockets specifically made for hydration bladders. They are usually located vertically along the spine.
• If this is not the case for you, the best thing to do is place your bladder horizontally closest to your back, but just above your heaviest items. Allow the bladder to follow the curvature shape of the backpack.
• Now pack in more light items around the bladder, such as your rain gear, a fleece, or other food, to hold it in place securely.

The external frame backpack will carry weight differently than an internal frame.

For this reason, your heavy items should go as low as possible.

• Put your bear canister, fuel cans, or anything else heavy at the bottom. This will provide maximum stability.
• Next, arrange your clothing, raingear, headlamp, or any other lightweight items at the top of the pile.
• One of the marvelous things about figuring out how to pack a backpack with an external frame is that most of your things will be lashed on the outside. This makes things a little easier.
• Just make sure you compress your items as much as possible before lashing, otherwise they’re prone to snagging on branches, which could lead to damaged equipment.
• It’s not a bad idea to first place your bladder in a waterproof stuff sack or plastic bag to prevent the rest of your backpack items from becoming wet if your bladder should fail.
• Lastly you’ll pack your remaining lightweight items or items that need easy access right on the top.
• Tighten your drawstring and you’re ready to go!

   Outside Lashings

• With the lashings on the outside of your pack, you can strap in your sleeping pad, snowshoes, trekking poles, skis, snowboard, fishing pole, tent poles, etc....
• Just remember not to back anything heavy far away from your body, this will help you to optimize stability and comfort.

Frameless

Oh the frameless backpack! This is my favorite and a lightweight backpacker’s best friend.

With a frameless backpack you are trading the ease of how to pack a backpack with a lighter pack. These packs can be under a pound empty!

Learning how to pack a backpack that's frameless can be a little more difficult to pack and because of this, the load can be bulky, unstable, and uncomfortable.

But if packed properly, you’ll have a very comfortable and lightweight backpacking trip!

   Here are some tips:

• Use your sleeping pad to create the shape of your backpack. You can either fold it a couple of times and slide it in close to your spine or you can shape it like a doughnut and slide it in.
• The doughnut strategy helps to create the shape for all sides of the backpack and also leaves a hole in the middle to pack stuff. If you decide to use the doughnut strategy, make sure you push your sleeping pad as snug to the sides of your backpack as possible to create more room.
• Next, put your sleeping bag, either in a compress sack or not, into the center hole that’s created by your sleeping pad and shove it as far down as possible.
• The rest is easy and now you begin following the exact same rules you do with an internal frame.
• On top of your sleeping bag, pack your heaviest items, like tent your tent, food, and fuel cans. Make sure these are placed closest to your spine.
• Pack in lighter items around the heavy items and to the outside of the pack, to snug them in and prevent them from shifting.
• If you don’t have a hydration pouch, now would be the time to put in your water bladder, again, along your back and horizontal. Let it take the rounded shape of the backpack and then pack lighter items around it like rain gear, clothing, and spices to hold it in snugly.
• On top of this, pile in the rest of your lighter items, cinch your backpack closed and you are ready to go!

You might also be interested in learning tips for how to choose a backpack Now that you properly know how to pack a backpack, you are ready for a stable, safe, and comfortable adventure!

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