How to pack a rucksack

What to pack and how for a multi day expedition. A few key hints and tips for creating a comfortable, well fitting rucksack.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• rucksack
• rucsac
• bag
• packing
• pack
• iet
• equipment
• kit
• list
• kitlist

[DarcMac]

Carrying rucksacks for days on end in the Army taught me to carry my heavy gear high. If I tried carrying my heavier gear at the bottom, my back would be killing me in no time. My strength and center of gravity are high in my shoulders and chest area. I'm not certain what a stile is, but I've scaled 8' high walls this way and never fell over... usually, if possible, it's best to attach a rope and carabiner and move the ruck separately when crossing obstacles.

[adamfowleruk]

@DarcMac High vs. Low is an old argument. best idea is against the back, but defo no higher than shoulders. Otherwise if you packed it high when you lean forward to cross a stile the rucksack will act as a pendulum.

[jcope1401sqnUKG]

great vid flight i like the pics you have made what was it on paint? lol

[adamfowleruk]

@jcope1401sqnUKG LOL nah I used Keynote (equivalent of powerpoint on the mac). I thought they were quite artistic for me.

[tharm22]

Nicely made video. However. heavy items are better placed higher up in the pack for normal walking on easy going terrain. Heavy items near the top of the pack allow you to get the weight over your centre of gravity by leaning slightly. This option also allows for very easy tuning of weight transfer to hips or shoulders using the appropriate straps. This is also recommended in the ACP.

[adamfowleruk]

@tharm22 As I said before, high vs. low is an old argument. Important thing, as per the video, is that they are placed next to the spine. If they are high up, but away from the back they will act as a lever and give you a very bad back, and make you unstable when using stiles. That's why I was at pains in the video to draw a diagram for where heavy items should be. If you don't believe me, get two rucksacks with identical kit and pack one the way I say, and one with heavy items at the top only.

[jango2020]

I use my huge beer belly as a counter balance for my rucksack.

[humbleranger]

@tharm22 NEVER put heavy items high on your pack...this is THE CARDINAL SIN of backpacking....

[humbleranger]

@DarcMac I agree that for range road forced marches..that's a good way..HOWEVER...that doesn't work when working through highly uneven vertical with scree under your boots (i.e. Rainer)....pack it a bit lower, much tighter to the body OR be ready for your new moniker..Humpty Dumpty..

[MrIanspeed]

Damn, that's where I've been going wrong all this time, I haven't got the counter balance cuddly toys on me r'sack....must go find me a couple of Meerkats lol, good vid...like the graphics :-D

[tmoltsendk]

How drunk are you?

[JimmyGunXD556]

what was the music? it was awesome !

[spudmm1]

nice vid and informative, but 13 yrs in the paras taught me to place the heavier gear to the top of the rucksack to ease pressure on the small of your back, but not above the shoulders!! keep up the good work....

[mryellow123]

@adamfowleruk Gotta remember @darcmac would have a load-bearing harness or vest with magazines and things on the front, changing the CoG.

[bozz88able]

Thanks for the weight distribution graph. Very informative.

[ACEntertainment2011]

Ugh... another slide show that fails to show how to pack a rucksack, even though that's the title of the piece. This comment will probably get deleted by Adam Fowler, but if you want to really see how to pack a rucksack, check my videos. I have a series called "How to Really Pack a Backpack" in response to videos like these that "show" us nothing. Cudos for making a video, but the movies are about action. Plays and radio are about talking.