How to pack a backpack
Weight and Gear
Imagine your first steps on a weekend hike. The tree branches rustle overhead as you breathe in the fresh mountain air. A wave of tranquility passes from your head to your toes. It’s a beautiful day to be outside.
10 minutes later, you’re snapped back to reality by a backpack strap digging into your right shoulder. And the hip belt doesn’t fit quite right. It hits you: This is going to be a long weekend. At times, you’ll be too distracted by the uncomfortable pack to enjoy the beauty surrounding you.
We don’t love backpacking because it’s luxurious. However, your gear choices play a key role in your comfort and success.
Whether you’re hiking one of the national scenic trails, spending a weekend in nature, or day hiking, make sure your final gear list prepares you to be safe and confident. Is smiling in your camp chair while everyone else sits in the dirt worth the space and weight in your pack? Only you can decide.
How to pack a backpack
You need to have your backpacking gear squared away before you take your first steps on a trail.
A good rule of thumb is that your loaded pack shouldn’t weigh more than 20% of your body weight and 10-15% is the ideal target. However, like any rule, there are exceptions and following that guideline isn’t always possible.
Planning and gathering a gear list that balances weight and your preferences is overwhelming. There are endless decisions to make. Instead of getting lost in complicated calculations, follow this simple and intentional process when planning your backpacking gear:
- Make sure you have the 10 essentials for safety
- Consider the pros and cons of each piece of gear
- Then leave it or pack it!
- After every hike, follow a simple process for all non-essential gear:
- Layout your gear and ask how much you used and enjoyed it.
- If not much, leave it at home for your next trip and see if you miss it
Each piece of extra gear can make your backcountry experience more convenient and comfortable. Only you can decide the worth of extra (luxury) items. Would you carry an extra pound to start your mornings with a warm cup of coffee or to save a pair of comfy socks for sleeping? How about that camp chair we mentioned earlier? These decisions are different for each hike and hiker.
We suggest taking a few luxury items and seeing how much you enjoy them. Next hike, leave one at home and try another. Soon you will dial in exactly which luxury gear is worth the weight to you!
Backpacking base weight
When hikers discuss base weight, they’re referring to the combined weight of everything you bring on a hike, except for what you wear and the ever-fluctuating weight of your food and water.
The less weight you carry makes hiking long hours and moving fast easier. The difference might not be obvious for 1-2 pounds. But hiking up an incline with an extra 10-15 pounds will be tough. Your knees, feet, and back will know the difference. The extra weight could drastically increase the chance of getting an injury and turn your peaceful getaway into a miserable experience.
You’ll meet a wide variety of hikers. Some will blaze by you with what looks like a day pack. Others you’ll mistake for car campers at a backcountry tent site!
Thankfully mud (clothing) doesn’t count as base weight!
Backpacking food
When you’re planning total backpack weight for a trip, it’s important to include food and water. They add up quickly! But as you eat and drink the consumables, your weight will fluctuate. Every meal (or every 15 minutes, in my case), your pack gets a little lighter.
Food and water are heavy. Food averages 2 pounds per day and water weighs 2.2 pounds per liter. If you do a three-day trip with two liters of water, that’s 10.4 pounds added to your base weight.
5.5 liters of water for a 25 mile water carry through the desert. The water was heavier than the base weight of this setup!
10 essentials of backpacking
Wherever you fall on the ultralight vs. luxury gear spectrum, don’t compromise your safety. Safety is an important consideration not only for you, but for the volunteers who rescue hikers in danger. In the backcountry, it’s your responsibility to be prepared and limit the chances you need a rescue. The most basic step you can take is to check off the National Park Service’s list of 10 essential items of backpacking gear for each trip.
Every hiker, no matter if hiking for a day or a week should have a plan for each of the 10 essentials when heading into the backcountry. These, along with preparation, will keep you safe.
Navigation - Make sure you have maps, a compass, or some other source of navigation for where you’ll be camping. It’s also important to make sure you have your permits if that’s required!
Sun protection - Sunscreen, a sun shirt, a hat (like my favorite Kavu strapcap), etc. Make sure the sun can’t get to you!
Insulation - Something for when it cools down at night. This will depend a lot on what season you’re in. For colder weather, I love my Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Jacket, or during the summer, a pullover fleece.
Light - Have a flashlight or headlamp available for those night hours. Make sure it has a red-lamp to protect your night vision and to use in camp around others. I use the Black Diamond Cosmo.
First-aid supplies - First-aid is important! This kit by Adventure Medical Kits is already pre-packaged for an overnight backpacking trip. Make sure you include any personalized medications or prescriptions you have. I also include iodine tablets in my first aid kit for a water purification backup.
Fire supplies - Make sure you have matches or lighter and some fire-starter.
Repair kit - Duct tape, air mat repair kit, and a sewing kit are my go-tos! You never know when you may need to tape a boot sole back on (true story), patch a hole from a mouse (also a true story), or patch a midnight hole in your mat(yes, also a true story).
Nutrition - Always make sure you have a little extra food in case you end up being delayed. Since food isn’t listed in the Build-a-Pack, I’ll go into more detail about that at the bottom of the article.
Hydration - My favorite water filter is the Katadyn BeFree, and I often use an Osprey water bladder to store my clean water. Another popular water filter is the Sawyer Squeeze.
Shelter - This would be your tent, sleeping bag, and mat. I’ll get into a bit more detail about that below.
The fun begins once you have these covered. What luxury items do you want to show off at camp? Or do you prefer to speed past other hikers with a tiny pack?
Backpacking gear mindsets
I’ve hiked more than 5,500 miles and learned one thing…
It depends on the trail and the experience you want. Would you rather carry more weight and have a harder time making miles? Or leave a few things at home but have a less comfortable camping experience?
It’s time to find out what type of hiker you are.
Ultralight backpacking
Ultralight: base weight under 10 lbs
Choosing an ultralight backpacking setup helps you move faster and cover longer distances. With less weight, your knees and feet will thank you. And if you’re attempting an FKT (fastest known time), it’s pretty much required.
An ultralight hiker will leave almost all comforts at home. Don’t forget to cut off sections of your foam sleeping pad and toothbrush handle. Many will even leave the stove and pot at home and cold-soak all their meals. This hiker optimizes walking time instead of camp time.
Lightweight backpacking
Lightweight: base weight between 10 - 15 lbs
A lightweight backpacker keeps the benefits of low strain on joints but also can splurge on a few luxury items. Normally this backpacker will have a lightweight shelter, sleeping bag, and backpack (the Big 3). This will lead to more expensive big-ticket gear, but makes hitting that 15-pound threshold a lot more feasible.
Once a lightweight hiker has their core gear dialed in, they have space for a few luxury items. A lightweight hiker has flexibility to push for high mileage days, and then enjoy a warm meal or maybe even bring a camp chair to relax in.
Normal backpacking
Normal: base weight between 15 - 25 lbs
This is where I (and many others) started my backpacking journey. You can bring a mix of older, heavy gear, toss in some luxury items, and still be under 25 pounds. It’s a great place to start. But as your gear gets heavier, your knees and feet will notice.
Every hike has changed my perspective on what gear is important. After every long hike, I swap out a few pieces of gear and leave a few things at home that I barely used. This weight is reasonable for most people to carry, especially for those weekend hikes when you want extra camp comforts.
Heavy backpacking
Heavy: base weight over 25 lbs
I’ve seen people carry this weight and have a blast while hiking, but it took a toll on them. Some gear, especially for tall people or for cold weather hiking, can be heavier and move a gear list to this category. But you’ll notice a tremendous difference between a lightweight pack and this weight range.
This weight was normal to carry years ago with large external frame packs. But today you can take advantage of technology and be a little lighter. If you’re in this category, consider some small changes to bring your base weight down, like using a SmartWater bottle instead of a Nalgene or leaving a few luxury items at home.
If you carry a pack this heavy, plan for plenty of breaks. Your body will take longer to adapt to the grind of trail while carrying 25+ pounds. At the end of your trip (or during a town stop), lay out all your gear and ask how much you enjoyed and used each thing. If the answer is not much, mail it home!
A heavy pack can be perfect if you only have a few miles to a beautiful camp spot. You can get creative and carry some awesome stuff, such as a detailed cooking set for gourmet backcountry meals.
Backpacking list
The mantra “hike your own hike” includes bringing whatever gear you want. The weather, terrain, length of hike, and your backpacking experience all play a role in what you need.
Hiking with a loaded pack is the only way to find what works for you. Don’t forget to add food and water on your prep hike for a more realistic experience. Get out there with whatever you have and see how it feels! I promise your perfect gear list will change.
