Rucksacks – Use

Packing your rucksack

A little bit of thought can make organisation a lot easier, and reduce the need to unpack it all to get to something you left down the bottom…
Stuff sacks are a good idea as they ‘compartmentalise’ by keeping like items together (clothes, food – whatever), allow individual packing and easy access to items. (Plastic bags can do the job, but are noisier and less durable!) Anything that needs to stay dry should be put in dry sacks, just in case, while fuel should be kept in a fuel-safe container.

A good place to start is with your sleeping bag as it’s relatively big and bulky and you won’t need it for a while. Stuff it into the bottom of your pack to create a solid foundation for your load.

Stuff in the remainder of your gear, with heavy items (stove, Turkish carpet…) near your back and as high as possible. Lighter items should be located lower and away from your back. Your rucksack should be tightly packed to prevent the contents from shifting, with the compression straps used to cinch in any excess, make the load narrower and bring it in closer to your back.

Long items – sleeping mat, tent poles, Balinese kite – can be packed under the compression straps on the side of the pack. Maps, compass, matches, rainwear and other equipment that may be required en route should be kept easily accessible.

Waterproof and weatherproof

Our rucksacks are not waterproof: however, they are weatherproof. So, what’s the difference?
If you stick a pack into a barrel of water and leave it there it will eventually fill with water. However, if you use your bushwalking, alpine or hybrid pack under normal conditions, including heavy rain, it will keep the weather out. Travel packs are not as weatherproof as they have polyester-bound seams, but they are fine for normal travelling conditions. None of our packs will cope with extended tropical monsoonal conditions.

Items that need to stay dry should be carried in dry sacks for extra security. Carrying clothing in stuff sacks will not only keep them tidy, it may also help keep them dry.

RUCKSACK- FITTING AN EXACT FIT HARNESS

Please see our Youtube Channel for video instructions.