Question of Survival

[CharlesHarris]

Putting the heaviest items high in the pack puts compressive strain on the spine and is dangerously unsteady in mountainous terrain. Heavy items should be close to the center of the pack. Take a look at pack frames from the 1950′s, the meat shelf that sits up high well above the hips, they did this for a very good reason. The weight is then transferred straight down into the hips and rides substantially better. When weight falls below your hips, the pack will naturally pull back causing excessive pressure on the lower lumbar and shoulders.

To keep your pack’s weight in line with your center of gravity, ALWAYS pack rigid, dense items in the center of your pack near your back, especially with high-volume packs. Position lighter items near the top and outer layers of the pack. Empty space defeats the objective a tightly loaded, well-balanced pack. Take a soft, light item, like your woobie, and load that in the bottom of your pack. Place a hard, heavy item on top of that, and then stuff another soft item, like your bivvy, around that. Some people feel they must organize everything in stuff sacks, and then load the sacks, which turns soft objects into rigid ones and creates many unnecessary dead spaces. The items you have that are malleable the better. Use these to fill the spaces between the things that won’t play nice. Don’t be afraid to truly cram—your rack and Anasazis will be just fine, and your pack will ride better for it. If you items that just won’t fit, you need a bigger pack—or just make your buddy carry the beer.