Your Rucksack

Loading Your Rucksack

A loaded backpack must be well balanced, with heavy items uppermost and the weight bearing directly downwards and closest to your body (your centre of gravity), not pulling your shoulders back or making you hunch forwards. A big pack is easily filled with unnecessary equipment, so always re-evaluate whether each item is essential and, ideally, have more than one use. A poncho for example, can be used as rain wear, as the roof of a temporary shelter or as a waterproof groundsheet.

 

Organising Your Rucksack

During the course of the day you need access to waterproofs, clothing, stove, food and water without having to pull everything else out to get to it. It is imperative that you think through your day and pack accordingly. The contents of your backpack should be made completely waterproof to safeguard them from both wet weather and accidental immersion in water or snow.

A large plastic sack inside your backpack acts as an effective membrane, but your equipment should also be sorted into groups and packed in individual plastic bags.

 

Assessing your load

Laying out in a single place everything you want to take can help you assess whether your load is realistic. Experience will tell you how much you can carry but aim for less than 25 kg (55lb). when crossing rough ground, a lighter load is desirable, and 10 kg (lb) is a safer limit for high peaks. Make full allowance for the weight of your food and water.