{"id":137333,"date":"2022-08-07T11:39:55","date_gmt":"2022-08-07T16:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=137333"},"modified":"2025-10-23T11:09:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T16:09:17","slug":"how-to-pack-backpacking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/skills\/survival\/how-to-pack-backpacking\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pack a Backpack for Backpacking"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

With our archives now 3,500+ articles deep, we\u2019ve decided to republish a classic piece each Sunday to help our newer readers discover some of the best, evergreen gems from the past. This article was originally published in June 2021.<\/i><\/p>\n

Next week, Kate and I will be joining a friend in Colorado for a backpacking trip. We\u2019ve gone on a few trips in the past few years and each time we go, we figure out something new to make the next excursion more enjoyable. <\/span><\/p>\n

One part of the backpacking pursuit<\/a> that I\u2019m constantly refining is how to pack my backpack so it feels as comfortable as possible while I\u2019m hiking.<\/span><\/p>\n

Below I share what I\u2019ve learned on that score, as well as other packing tips that make a backpacking trip go smoother. <\/span><\/p>\n

How to Pack a Backpack<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Light Stuff on Bottom, Heavy Stuff on Top (And Close to Your Back)<\/h2>\n

This is probably the most life-changing and counterintuitive tip that I\u2019ve come across. When I first started backpacking, I figured it would be best to put your heavy stuff on the bottom and your lighter stuff on top. For some reason, that weight distribution just seemed to make sense; it\u2019s how I pack stuff in my shopping bags (don\u2019t want to break those eggs!) and how I learned to pack a truck when helping someone move. <\/span><\/p>\n

But when you\u2019re backpacking<\/a>, you actually want the lighter stuff on the bottom and the heavier stuff towards the middle\/top of the core of your pack (the actual top of your pack is invariably a separate compartment that we\u2019ll discuss in the next section). What\u2019s more, you want the heavy stuff to be as close to your back as possible. Distributing the pack\u2019s weight this way directs the load downward rather than backward, providing more comfort and stability while you\u2019re hiking. <\/span><\/p>\n

Following this guideline, a general packing order for your backpack would, from bottom to top, look like this:<\/span><\/p>\n