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TIL I was packing my bag wrong for years and it made my hikes way harder

Did a 3-day loop in the White Mountains last week and my shoulders were killing me after day one. My buddy pointed out I had all my heavy stuff at the bottom of my pack, like my tent and cook kit. He showed me his setup with the heavy gear high and close to his back. I tried it the next morning and felt like I was carrying 10 pounds less, even though it was the same weight. Anyone else have a simple gear tip that made a huge difference on the trail?

3 comments

3 Comments

verafoster20d ago

Wait, you had the tent at the BOTTOM?

troyh5520d ago

That setup saved us last year at Mount Rainier. We pitched the tent in a small dip below the tree line, totally out of the wind. Everyone else up on the ridge got hammered all night while we slept fine. It goes against the usual high-ground advice, but sometimes the bottom is the sheltered spot. You just have to be absolutely sure it's not a drainage path for water.

webb.keith7d ago

Honestly, that's more of a hollow than a true bottom.