How do you pack your pack?
Original post
I was reading the latest Wilderness Mag today and a quote stood out that has intrigued me for a while because it is counter to my own experience.
In the section on “Wild Women” under packing the advice is Keep the heavy stuff such as food water and stove towards the back (good?) and at the bottom of the pack?
I have often noticed while in the likes of Kathmandu and Bivouac stores the staff advising on pack purchase putting a pack on a prospective purchasers back then dumping a weight into the bottom of the pack which immediately pulls the shoulders back the person leans way forward and assumes a very uncomfortable pose and I can’t help thinking there goes another short experience in the bush destroyed by poor advice.
So at the risk of introducing a very anal topic how do you pack your pack?
For me my pack of choice is a MacPac alpine Pursuit 40ltr I don’t like hip belts and I like the narrow upright carry on my back.
Bottom up- first layer sleeping bag and bivvy bag, next- Hut shoes next spare clothing and hut clothes, next- Food water and first Aid kit alongside each other, next- Cooker and Gas plus days food. The top of the pack gets raincoat and the top pockets maps compass and any other aids I need for easy access. In short my heaviest items are at the top of the pack against my back across my shoulders where they don’t pull back but the weight is transferred down my back to my hips.
I realise that all this is subjective but I look forward to isogi’s statistical analysis and pmcke’s practical slant despite the fact that he carries a pack out of all proportion to good reason :)
24 comments
The old mountain mules etc that had no hip belt worked best with the load as high as possible. The modern packs spread the load so much more effectively that I doubt it matters any more except that the closer the weight is to your back the better Even then the load is much closer with the internal frame than it could ever be in a mountain mule
To address the original question of this thread, in a standard pack carried on one’s back, the heavier stuff should be packed as close to your back as possible and between waist and chest-high – so as to affect the body’s centre of gravity (cog) as little as possible.
In most people, the cog is normally a little above waist-high and inside the body (front of spine). One’s musculature has developed to handle the body's cog.
So as to disturb the cog as little as possible, dense, heavy stuff should be as close as possible to one’s back and between waist and chest-high. The more mass that is further away from the vertical line through the cog, the bigger the rotational forces created and the harder muscles have to work to hold the system in balance. With a loaded pack on one’s back, we lean forward so that more mass is brought over the cog – easing the work done by leg and abdomen but at the same time stressing vertebrae and associated muscles.
Young and fit, none of this is much of an issue – sure, poor packing uses more energy but when you’ve energy to burn …
However, as muscles age and joints ache, these issues become more important – that’s why we look for lighter gear and smarter tramping.
As another Aarnpack aficionado, the way I now pack is quite different to earlier years.
With an Aarnpack, the main object is to balance the weight between front and back. Then, all weight is carried on the hips (and the shoulder straps are barely touching the top of the shoulders!). The body’s centre of gravity is almost undisturbed. The hip belt is sewn and moulded to accommodate all the weight – it sits ON the hip bone, not around the hip like a conventional hip belt.
The heavy stuff goes in the front pockets – billy, gas, burner, mug, water, camera, scroggin, hat, gloves, re-hydrating dinner. In addition to the pockets, the pack has top and bottom sections and side pockets (on a 3+ day trip, the side pockets carry the tent split into two, otherwise in the bottom section). The bottom section (without waterproof liner) takes hardwear – bowl, plate, 1st aid, rainwear, camp shoes, repair stuff. The top section (waterproof) takes everything that doesn’t like getting wet – sleeping bag, clothing, food. The closed-cell foam mat goes on the outside of the pack – in a bag ! so I don’t leave little blue bits along the track.
pmcke : what type of Aarn pack do you have? (mine is a Natural Balance – 2kg, large enough for a 10-day full gear tramp)
bigpaul, : I reckon you’d find that, with a properly fitted Aarn pack, your hip and knees will survive a tramp in better condition.
iangeorge : yep – it’s time to make the move :)
It won't be any suprise to Bigpaul that I have the Load Limo, the largest in the range. It has one big pocket and I have to say the dry bag features are something I really like, though I haven't tested it in real anger yet. The dry bag liner also makes the pack easier to pack too as there is less friction and things cram in much better.
With regard to the hip belt, I think I suffer from a little of the same problem as Bigpaul. I haven't met Bigpaul, but his name would suggest that he HAS NO HIPS! I might need to work on the fiting of the hip belt a bit more but I do need to have it tight.
Another slight concern I have about the concept of having all the weight on the hips is that it may actually put more strain on hips and knees as there is no cushioning effect from the portion of the weight that was otherwise on your shoulders transmitting down your spine.
One thing that an Aarn Pack doesn't do is make carrying a heavy pack easier. A heavy pack is a heavy pack, hense I am trying to make mine lighter.
I've got a couple of methods depending on the pack used.
For most trips 4 days and less I use a Golite Gust, which is a frameless pack. So first in is a black garden rubbish bag as the pack fabric is highly effective as a sieve. Then the thermarest is coiled up and allowed to partially inflate inside the pack, and then the valve is closed. This forms a fairly rigid sort of frame that helps ensure the pack doesn't feel like a sack of spuds and gives some padding to the back. Next I stuff in order, the sleeping bag (loose, not in stuff sack) spare clothes, odds and sods, billy with small gas stove and canister, food, then the rubbish bag is tied up and a water bladder placed on top, just in case the bladder leaks. I make sure the heavy dense stuff is closest to my pack. In the outside pocket does wet weather gear and lunch, while the hipbelt pockets contain headlamp, pocketknife, camera, scrog, map and compass, and tp. The GPS (when taken gets tied to a pack strap and tucked away.
When I have to break out the Torre for big trips or taking the kids tramping I use basically the same techniques mentioned by other people.
Ok question aside Ill try the Aarn. But there is no way Im going for the load limo and yes the hips are slightly overshadowed the result of a good life which I pay for every day!
Paul, if you have trouble with the hip belt on the ordinary pack then I fear an Aarn won't be successful. The Aarn is all about the hip belt. But no fear in trying, drop Aarn an email and they will send you a trial pack for a couple of weeks, no charge. Another downside of the Aarn too is getting it on and off. Because I have the hip belt tight, It is hard to do up, and with front pockets flailing around while I do so. But once it is on it is great. That pissed me off at first but getting more used to it now. However I wonder if the addition of a sort of flip over buckle that tightens and releases the waist belt to a predetermined tension might be the answer.
I recall the old days of the Mountain Mule that used to dangle off your shoulders without a waist band. Hard to believe we did it but I guess we knew no better. There was the standard size and the large size. The large size was just wider, away from your back which ergonomicly is totally wrong. I remember the worst time was carrying it along a road or a good track. The load would just tear at your shoulders. However for rough country or off track it was OK. I suspect that in those conditions your bogdy moved around so much that the weight was moved around on different parts of your back so was not as painful. I still have that pack in the garage somewhere. I might try it again for old times sake.... Yeah right!
OK, I confess - I have hips :) so I can only speculate on how the hip belt would go on a more substantial frame.
However, it's certainly worth taking up the loan offer from Aarn. Yes, pmcke, I tried the load limo - huge capacity (I'm not sure I could walk very far with it fully loaded). IMO, if you do up to 5-day trips, the Featherlite Freedom or Guiding Light (with pockets) would be OK (assuming your gear is lightweight and compact). If >5-day, Natural Balance or Effortless Rhythm (with pockets) would be satisfactory. I've done a 10-day in the Western Arthurs (and I carry a lot of food) carrying a little extra gear for one of the group with a Natural Balance - no problem. The Load Limo would be suited to 10+ day trips, if your gear is bulky, if you regularly carry additional gear (ie the kids, partner, etc).
It's true that the packs take some getting used to - the hip belt does need to be firm (so it wraps over the top of the hip) and taking the pack on and off is a little different because of the pockets. However, it does become normalised after a few tramps and the benefits (for me) are significant.
re weight on hips vs shoulders - hips have evolved to carry weight (the torso), shoulders less so. Weight on the shoulders compresses the spine. However, if you want to transfer some weight to the shoulders, just tighten the straps.
Anyway, hooroo - I'm off to the Grampians for the weekend :)
Good luck with the Grampians bernieq. I was there a couple of weeks ago and I was disappointed that several tracks were closed because of the storm damage that happened in January.
I popped into Backpacking Light in Melbourne earlier today, which seems about 50% full of Aarn stuff, ironic for me given how tough it was to find anyone willing to stock it in Wellington. When I tried on a Natural Balance the guy there pulled the straps down very tight on my shoulders, which caught me by surprise because I didn't think you'd want tight shoulders with that kind of pack. I should've asked him about it.
While we're on the Aarn topic, I have a couple of questions:
* does anyone have any experience with Aarn's daypack range? I'm not sure I need a new big pack immediately, but my poor old Deuter Futura's been beaten and battered so much that I think it's nearing replacement time. It only occurred to me 10 minutes ago that maybe I could check out the Aarn offerings.
* has anyone tried taking an Aarn pack on an aeroplane? If so, any issues with getting the balance pockets checked in with the rest of the pack?
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| Forum | The campfire |
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| Started by | bigpaul |
| On | 29 July 2011 |
| Replies | 23 |
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