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How to pack a backpack?

YasminVdC

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Leon to Compostela (September 2015)
Camino SJP to Burgos (July 2017)
Hello fellow pelgrims!

I've read some wonderfull tips on packing lists, recommendations on all sorts of gear, what to bring and what to leave home, ....
But being a complete rookie for all things walking and camping, I could use a broader tip: how do I pack my backpack?
With that I quit literally mean: which objects do I pack first? Which things should I pack together? Which things should I pack seperately?
So if anyone out here knows a thing or two about packing like a pro, do let me know!

As always, thank you so much in advance!
 
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
I'm in the "just stuff it all in" camp, with the things I'm likely to need most on top. If I only take what I need each day then everything has to come out at some stage anyway. Less is more. We all develop a bit of a system along the way.
 
I'm in the same camp with kanga on this. For me,it depends on the type of journey,but for the Camino just stuff it in , rain poncho on top and socks under poncho. I put my socks in a tyvek pants leg that is taped on one end . It is a tube that is water resistant not totally water proof, but will keep the socks from getting damp in those Galacia drizzles. The stuff method works for me,I keep my gear to a minimum,less to keep up with. Hope this is helpful.
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I think this is one of those things where you would be just as well off doing a general web search. There are plenty of good resources out there that discuss the different approaches to weight distribution, balance and ease of access. I like having my wet weather gear handy near the top of my pack, as well as having snacks readily accessible. After that I pack heavier items close to my back and higher in the pack if I can.
 
It took me a while to get my pack right...for me...not having to drag everything out to find one item.....in the top pocket I had my first aid kit and toothpaste and brush..mini pen torch and guide book...in my main pack I had a couple of zip lock bags each containing socks, underwear, t shirt so all I had to do was pull out one bag and I was sorted. Had another zip bag for dirty clothes.and wash soap...if I had changed my socks during the day or not done my washing for a day.....Didn't have enough clothes to go more than that....my towel and toiletries were all in another zip lock bag. Waterproofs were at bottom of this section as did not rain on my Camino.....In the lower section I kept my liner and sleeping bag again in zip lock bag and my crocs. side pockets had water bladder in one and camera (not used much used phone camera mostly) chargers and spare battery in another zip lock bag.....did not buy expensive zip lock bags got a pack with variety of sizes from local army/navy stores.
 
Altus BALI Sleeping bag liner
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-

You will get many different ideas on this, because people have different favorite or more often used things to keep handy, but however you prioritize your gear, the best thing to do for your back and for your comfort is to pack the heaviest things in the middle of the pack. Hopefully that helps a bit, and is general enough advice to apply to everyone.

Buen Camino!
 
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/loading-backpack.html Although I hope you're not taking quite that much kit!

My current pack does not have a separate compartment for a sleeping bag (thereby saving the zipper weight). So I put the Crocs in the bottom - making for a lightweight spacer. Everything else is modularly bagged -- in France one is usually asked to leave the back together with the boots and poles at the front door, so you have to carry everything in your hands, and modular bags make that easier. On top of the Crocs goes the clothing; the food reserve, first aid, and toiletries; and the rain gear.
 
YasminVdC said:
: how do I pack my backpack?
With that I quit literally mean: which objects do I pack first? Which things should I pack together? Which things should I pack seperately?
Click to expand...
How big is your pack?


Most every pack under 40 liters in size is bascially a big hole with possibly a few outside pockets and a pocket in the lid. For the most part these are "daypacks" used by members here.

For me, I like a first aid kit in the pocket on the lid. Other little things, (picnic supplies, toilet paper, etc) that I might need easy access to would go there too.

The expandable back pocket, if you have one, is where my rain gear goes, I want to be able to grab it out without having to dig through all my stuff, it can be accessed without the need to unclasp anything.

The main compartment holds my clothes, just tossed in. My personal care items go there too, but inside a separate kit bag. Sandals can be strapped on, or fit inside, if your pack is big enough and sandals are small enough.

Pockets on the front of shoulder/belt straps is where the iPhone, candy bars, etc fit.
 
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Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Heavy on the bottom, lighter on top, with items you will need to reach foe quickly in case of emergency at the very top or special ciompart,é ts if your bag has them. Ideally things picked in sépara rate nylon (non plastic because of the noise) by use: bed time, shower time, electronics, etc.
 
If you are carrying so much stuff on the CF that you need to arrange it in your pack a certain way, then in all probability you are carrying too much stuff and need to re-evaluate your gear list.
Other than that, on days it looks like it might rain, put your rain jacket and pack cover either on the top, or in an outside compartment where it's easily accessible.
 
First I put the following into 3 separate labeled stuffsacks:

Pants and Shirts
Socks and underwear
Bath, laundry, First aid
Sleeping bag

I stuff my sleeping bag into the very bottom.
This cushions the place where the pack sometimes sits against my hips.

Next I put heavier bath, laundry sack in
Next comes the other two sacks.
I put my fleece, hat, windbreaker and ALTUS on top where I can reach them.
Flip flops just slide in wherever they will fit.

That's it.
Packed.
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Kitsambler said:
....in France one is usually asked to leave the back together with the boots and poles at the front door, so you have to carry everything in your hands, and modular bags make that easier. ...
Click to expand...
@Kitsambler, that's a very useful tip to know when walking in France, and the first time I hear about it. Many thanks.
Regards Suzanne
 
Kanga said:
I'm in the "just stuff it all in" camp, with the things I'm likely to need most on top. If I only take what I need each day then everything has to come out at some stage anyway. Less is more. We all develop a bit of a system along the way.
Click to expand...
And this would also appear to be in line with an earlier comment by you, @Kanga, that with an Aarn backpack, using small bags to arrange ones stuff doesn't work in quite the same way as other back packs.

Since my Camino has been delayed by several months, I no longer have to source my equipment remotely from Islamabad. Instead I can organise myself once I'm home in France, so I've not yet bought my Aarn pack (plus it's been out of stock on the French website for several months!), so have yet to find these things out for myself.
Regards
Suzanne
 
@smj6 Suzanne yes, the pack has a divider down the middle so packing cubes don't really work, and stuff sacks are unnecessary because the liner is already a large stuff sack. Hope it works for you!
 
Train on the 4-day Catalina Camino
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19
Small stuff sacks (the size of a honeydew melon) make life easier. For example, one for underwear and base layer clothing, one for clothes, one for toiletries, one (dry bag) for electronics, one for food.
 
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Wet gear always to hand.
Bear in mind you have limited space in your pack so rather than stuffing everything in (and hauling it all out and disturbing everybody at 5am) consider a "skivvy roll" which will hold a day's clothing (for a guy) of shirt, underwear and socks in one lump:


or "Ranger rolling" your shirts, socks etc



Google either - there are LOTS of websites that tell you how - saves a lot of space:
jacket, trousers, poncho, 2 x tees, 3 x socks, 2 x underwear
 

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I have the Osprey Farpoint 55, which is their lightest pack and opens like a suitcase. There is also a detachable day pack that you can zip off and wear on your front to help balance your weight if you packed too much. I kept everything in my day pack that I would need for emergencies or that I needed quick access to, like rain gear, sunscreen, spare socks, torch, earplugs, etc. The rest was in my main pack. My clothes were packed together in a packing cube and the toiletries, drugs, etc were in another cube. Spare sandals/shoes, handbag/bumbag with papers/passports. That's it. Everything nice and tidy. Here is what I packed and how I packed it: https://dreambigpacklite.wordpress.com/2015/04/18/going-walkabout-our-packing-list/
We hit a heatwave and sent 3k home between us. Pack the lightest sleeping bag you can, under 1K if possible. We had ours in a waterproof bag attached to the bottom of our pack. We also packed poles, get carbon fiber ones, really light. Once you have your bag packed, you will eventually find out where you need to have things. My clothes and spare shoes were at the bottom, papers in the middle and drugs at the top. That way you can easily reach in your bag and find things. We had too much and even though we still sent stuff home, I was still carrying 10K, which was still too much. Also, two bottles of water weighs 1K. You don't need a lot of stuff and I gave stuff away. You can always buy things in the cities and big towns if you need something. Don't take extra stuff just in case as you most likely won't need it. You do need paracetamol, ibruprofen, and whatever prescription drug you may need to take. Strip bandages that you can cut to size. You can buy loads of foot care on the camino. I also went to Portugal after the camino and so took a swimsuit. I packed the lightest clothes I had, but merino wool can be heavy. You only need one whole spare set of clothes plus an extra pair of undies and socks (3 in total). My husband was in the Airforce, so he packs everything for contingencies, but he had to carry that! If it all gets too heavy, you can always use one of the companies that will send your bag forward to the next destination. Good luck. Remember, less is more.
 
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A selection of Camino Jewellery
Tangodiver said:
I have the Osprey Farpoint 55, which is their lightest pack and opens like a suitcase. There is also a detachable day pack that you can zip off and wear on your front to help balance your weight if you packed too much......
Click to expand...
Wow, I like the idea of being able to open a back pack up like a suitcase - and have the day pack in front of you is a bit along the lines of Aarn - distributing the weight front and back.
Suzanne

P.S. Ahhhh. I just looked up the weights: the Osprey (which is 55 litres) weighs 1.78 kg; whilst the Aarn Mountain Magic (33 litres) is only 1.14 kgs
 
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Hola, everyone! While trying to keep the weight I have to carry as low as possible, without sacrificing organization, I stumbled across washable produce bags made from nylon netting. I added little plastic toggle locks (purchased from REI) to the drawstring, and voila! I had several extremely inexpensive stuff sacs that weigh almost nothing. You can get the produce bags at washableproducebags.com.
 
The experience with my pack(s) was very satisfactory. Here's the skinny.....
I purchased a Z-Pack with one chamber. Incredibly light.....and as it turns out quite waterproof and durable. I was able to pack everything, including my ukulele, without difficulty.
When ordering the pack I decided to order the optional Z-Pack; a "clip on/off" multi-pack. (about 1 litre) This was fabulous as a bathroom bag. Tooth brush, soap, razor.... Great to take to the showers
On the advise of a kind Pilgrim who walked a before me I also went out and purchased a very small daypack. According to the manufacturer this is a 20L pack, (no frame, just a nylon sac with straps) but is able to be put into a 2" x 4" package. The pack is really light and but came in incredibly handy when I wanted to leave my pack at the Albergue, but bring all of my valuables with me. (This was just about every day)
Between the Z-Pack, the multi-pack, and the small day pack I was totally satisfied I had the winning combination.
I hope this helps.
Buen Camino.
As Always.....Cam'.
 
Camino wristwatch
Perfect memento/gift in a presentation box. Engraving available, 25 character max.
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