How To Pack Your Backpack

The most important thing to know when packing for your trip is how to put everything in your backpack comfortably! That means putting essentials where you can reach them, and displacing your pack’s weight where you can get the best support.

To do this, we've broken the backpack up into three sections, and we'll tell you how to fill each one!

• The Bottom: Pack your lightest items in here, starting with your sleeping bag. Then you can put other light items like your clothes on top of the sleeping bag.
• The Middle: The heaviest items should go here, as close to your back as possible. Ideally, these items should be up between your shoulder blades. Once you have the heaviest items up against your back, you can pack more of your mid-weight items in. This includes things like your stove (preferably a Hot Ash), your water filter, etc.
• The Top: Continue filling in your backpack with your mid-weight items, but try to make sure you get some of your trail essentials up at the top. This makes it easier if you have to stop and grab those "just-in-case" items, like your first aid kit.

Your accessory pockets are the perfect place to put your small essentials that you know you’ll be using on the trail. This includes things like: snacks, water bottles, bug spray, or even a headlamp. You won't want to have to dig around for your protein bar in the middle of the trail!

Your backpack’s loops come in when you have any over-sized items that won’t stack well in your pack, such as a sleeping pad or your tent poles.

It’s also a good idea to get yourself some nice bags to keep your smaller items together. You can put things like your silverware and toiletries in their own small bags to make them easier to find once you’ve set up camp.

We hope you’ve found our Hot Ash hiking tips helpful! If you’ve got any great ideas to add, let us know in the comments below!