The Right Way To Load A Backpack

At first, you might think it doesn’t matter.

“Sure, I’ll just throw my rain jacket in the very bottom of my backpack. What could possibly go wrong?”

Then it suddenly starts raining, and you have to unload the whole pack just to get to that rain jacket.

Packing your backpack the right way can go a long way toward making your backpacking trek a fun one. The video below will get you started in the right direction. Among our tips:

• Put rain gear, first-aid kit, a sweater, dry socks and other essential items near the top or in a side pocket where they are easily accessible.
• Keep your tent where you can quickly reach it if you need to get a shelter up fast.
• Stuff you won’t need until reaching camp should go deeper in your pack.

Watch the video to learn more.