Hiked 3 years in the marines before an lt who hiked outside of forced marches showed me how he set up his pack. DI showed us how not to be a gear bomb, he showed me how to actually pack smartly. Keeping your gear tight and balanced helped so much. Still hated the forced marches, but it wasnt as bad.

Hey Eric, great video. I love your channel. One thing I’d like to add is that some backpack brand design the centre of the pack to have an arc to optimise ventilation. Osprey packs like the Atmos and Aether for example. In those packs I find it better to pack heavier loads just up to shoulder hight, and even allow the lid pocket to be a bit heavier. The load is actually closer to the centre point the further to the top on these packs. For straight packs like your Gregory you are absolutely right.

Really clear, helpful tips. Thank you!

Excellent video, really well put together and informative. I grew up backpacking but haven't strapped one on except to pack out elk in the past 15 years or so. I'm getting ready to take my wife on her first overnight and this is really helpful.

Wow. I would have had to learn weigh distribution the hard way if it wasn't for you! Truly apreciate this video you made :)

Good info! I will implement this strategy when I get to go out again. I go significantly lighter than you since I don't haul a big camera or a tripod. For a 3 day trip with food (I live in WV. Water is NOT scarce so I usually just take 1 bottle and my filtration.) I average about 16 to 18 pounds depending on if I need to bring the winter quilts. This is standard regardless if it's a tent trip or a hammock trip as, all components in each sytem considered, it really does weigh the same. I think I save a lot of weight over your haul in my cook system. I have a 500 ml Ti pot, an Infinity mug, an alcohol stove, fuel and a folding Ti spork. I dehy my own meals because I don't want to cook on the trail. I cook at home. In the back country, I just want to boil some water and lollygag :)

Cool video, some good tips.

Great video! Thank you!

I actually read online that heavy stuff should be either at the top or in the middle of the backpack (depending on the frame). Definitely not at the bottom

Great tips. You're absolutely right in saying that the contents of your pack will make a difference. Thanks for sharing!

Really great video

Great video

Great job.

Thank you, I learned a LOT!

Great Video!

Thanks for the video

Great video, I'd love to see a "What I pack"-playlist listing seasons or climates and camping styles. Love your channel but really would like a "Winter day-trip or 3-day trip" packing list, also for hammock winter camping. Greetings from a total n00bie in Norway (the shame)

I'm just a beginner and I always pack wrong, one side is always wrong lol! I use mine for grocery shopping too as I take the bus, and this will help in the long run haha!

Hiking looks really fun. I'm 17 and really like to try one day.

Awesome thx!!!

Another thing I heard you say you want your heavier equipment at the lumbar of your back, but I hear from other people that ideally your heavier gear items should be in the centre close to your back for even weight distribution

Hey! This was shot I'm Flagstaff!!

Would love to see how you packed your camera gear and was the bag you used

saludos desde Colombia . éxitos

I thought he was about to give double fingers at the end of the video hahaha would have been so badass!!

Loved this video, would have loved to read it as a post actually, visual lists helps a lot, especially without any description written. Thanks again. Great video.

Thank you

How many liters is this backpack? If he said it I missed it.

I made the "mistake" of buying the backpack first. It is a 45 Liter backpack from tasmanian tiger. The tent and z-style mat (for the dog) are on the outside, but everything else fits! Sleeping bag, inflatable mat, clothes, cooking kit etc. The only thing I don't have is a down jacket. I may have to attach another pocket and reorganize, but that's the beauty of molle. I can configure the bag how I need it.

do you recommend using a sleeping bag liner, to help extend the life of your sleeping bag? if not how do you maintain you down sleeping bags, and how long do they typically last?

Good point about weight distribution. Makes sense.

what is the brand of your bag and how much capacity is that? 65L plus 10?

I'm from Melbourne and we are going to the Brisbane tangers overnight but ts going into be 33 and 34 degrees celsius

Did you just leave your tripod behind, if not how and where did it go in bbn your backpack?

Keep the butt pad at the bottom (next to zipper) so you can sit comfortably when taking a break every hour (mandatory)

a voice of experience thanks

The tent, or at the very least the inner tent, should go inside your backpack closer to your back. Strapping the whole thing to the outside and farther away goes completely against your initial advice of weight distribution. Now you also have to be careful not to let anything sharp puncture it and be mindful where you drop your backpack. The two straps are also less than secure and symmetrical. Tents usually have a habit of wanting to migrate to the other side of the stuff sack when horizontal and then your balance shifts considerably. There's nothing wrong with a slightly larger backpack.

I just got a 45 liter that I'm taking out this year. Have a 75 liter that I'll always overpack. Hopefully the 45 forces me to be sensible.

The tent is 2 pounds but you can’t fit it inside the pack? I use a copper spur hv ul2 that weights 3.2 pounds and it fits in the main compartment of my pack no problem of course I compress it down a bit in its stuff sack but it works fine interesting to me when I see people store their UL tents in the outside of their pack

can you recommend a good lightweight, waterproof - windproof one person tent?

So do you pack your pack with everything laying down and layers or standing up long ways no one ever makes that clear. Thanks Wayne

Hi

I just noticed your tent is a 3p so maybe that’s why it’s a bit bulkier even though it’s so lite

Very useful. Im curious where did you pack your Tripod. It might be difficult to carry by hand if you have hiking poles as well.

Bear Cannister. Inside or Outside of pack? Advantages/disadvantages? Thank you.

WHOA WHOA WHOA, WHAT, 10 MILES WHERE? 😉😇

I know you feel out on the navigation. Do you have any vids on that?

What back pack is this?

for camp he only packed underwear. hmmm i tend to a pack a few items for camp in case clothes get wet.

I like to throw all the heavy stuff on the top and light stuff on the bottom so the weight is on my shoulders and not my back

No First aid Kit?

I'm 14 and go on 1 to two day backpacking trips and my gears only 10-15 pounds

What type of Gregory pack is that?

Basically..Basically..BASICALLY!

Why no weapons?

that's a lot of "BASICALLY"

Missing a gun

👍🏻🇺🇸

What is your go to backpack?

30 lbs!!! i go like fifteen

Say “Basically” one more time .

"You need the heaviest items as close in the bottom back as possible" - puts the light sleeping bag in bottom pocket... and yes definitely you want to have your water in the bottom of the backpack so you would had to take everything out when you need to zip a drink :D thumbs up to the max!

Nonsense. The heavier stuff needs to go much higher!!!

Too much

Jesus that whole setup has to be around 55lbs

This guy packed the tent like an amateur.

Basically, unfocussed and basically unwatchable ... bisically