30 Days to Packing a Better Bag – Day 24: How to Pack a Backpack

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Welcome to Day 24 of 30 Days to Packing a Better Bag.

Choosing a backpack can be an overwhelming task, but once you’ve decided on the brand and size, your next job will be packing it well. 

The most important tip when packing your backpack is proper weight distribution.

This is what makes the difference between comfort and serious back pain. Just because your backpack can hold a certain amount of liters doesn’t mean you should pack it full to the brim.

When getting ready for your trip, set out everything you’re bringing. Make sure you’ve taken out everything you don’t need first. Yes, we’re assuming you’ve read through all the 30 Days to Packing a Better Bag posts so far!

Don’t forget that compartmentalizing your gear will be a huge help when packing, and re-packing your backpack.

Step by Step: How to Pack a Backpack

Backpacks are the go-to bag for hikers and campers. But they’re also common for city travelers (no tent required!). We’re going to show you how to pack a backpack for both scenarios, starting with camping and hiking excursions.

Step 1: Set Out Items By Weight

Hold each of your already-packed packing cubes or compression sacks to see what weighs the most. Also, take into account how soon you will need them. Color code them to help you remember. If your backpack is front and top-loading, place the first item through the top. The rest of the items can be placed in the front loading section as it will be easier.

Step 2: Light Items in the Bottom

If you’re bringing a sleeping bag, a down jacket, or other items like lightweight clothing, these should go into your bag first. They should also be the items you won’t need immediately. Lightweight and bulky shoes are also good for the bottom of your bag.

Step 3: Heaviest Items in the Middle

If you’re camping, this is where you would put your camp stove or tent. Electronics, if you aren’t carrying an extra messenger bag for them, should also be placed here. Surround these items with as much cushioning as possible to prevent breakage in transit. See our post on packing and protecting electronics for further assistance.

Step 4: Medium Weight Items in the Top

Place what you’ll need to access first on the top like a jacket, umbrella, or a quick change of clothes for arrival.

Step 5: Outer Pockets

Smaller items like sunglasses, tissues, sunscreen, and other essentials should be placed in the outer pockets for easy access. Make sure all items are secured as it’s easy for these smaller things to fall out or get broken. This is yet another reason to compartmentalize smaller gear into combined pouches.

Step 6: Adjust Straps and Belts

Make sure that the shoulder and waist straps are pulled tightly as the closer your pack is to your body, the more comfortable it will be. Clasp your hip belt and get ready for your trip!

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Let’s See That Packing in Action

A lot of Her Packing List readers are probably packing a backpack for city travel (instead of full-out camping and hiking excursions that require a stove, tent, and sleeping bag), so let’s see these backpack packing tips in action for those types of packing lists.

In the following example, the heaviest item on the packing list is actually a tightly packed packing cube of clothes! Here’s the order we would pack this backpack:

• Bottom: Lightweight shoes
• Back-Middle: Heavy packing cube of clothes
• Front-Middle: Undergarments, pack towel, and sleep sheet.
• Top: Toiletries and jacket

Electronics, such as a laptop and camera will be placed in an external daypack, purse, or messenger bag (the item that will be tied to you at all times).

NOTE: We have all this gear packed up into a 26L Smart Alec backpack from Tom Bihn which is unfortunately no longer in production. This is the same amount of gear contained in our How to Pack a Suitcase post, plus a pack towel and silk sleep sheet.

Let us know what backpack you are taking and how you’re packing it up!

*Big thanks to Tom Bihn for the Smart Alec bag for our packing photos.