How to Pack Your Backpack

While each of us have different gear, the packing process for our packs will generally be the same.  In this post, I'll give you some pointers for making your pack fit the best while distributing the weight properly.  

THE BOTTOM

In the very bottom of your pack should be your tent and sleeping system, or the bulk of your gear.  While I'm on a long-distance hike, if my tent is dry I won't even bother stuffing it into a bag.  I just make it as flat as possible and put it across the bottom of my pack, followed on top by the stuff sack.  On top of this, my sleeping bag and sleeping pad will go in next.  While many people don't use a stuff sack for their sleeping bags either, I am a big fan of keeping these items in their own bags and filling the empty space with clothing and my cook pot.  Since my cook pot is a nesting system, my cup, spork, Swiss Army Knife, stove, lighter, and fuel canister all fit inside.  I usually cram this into an empty space created by the sleeping bag/pad combo.  

THE MIDDLE

The middle of your pack is going to be where the heaviest items go.  I normally take my food bag and lay it horizontally to fill up the entire space across the width of my pack.  If you have any liquid fuel, like Coleman fuel or white gas, make sure your cap is on tightly to prevent spilling on the items below.  Since we're talking about the middle of your pack, this is also technically where your Camelbak or Platypus bladder will go also.  Most packs designed in recent years will have a hydration sleeve running up and down the part of the pack closest to your pack.  Since water is one of the heaviest things you will carry, you definitely want this closer to your core.  Go ahead and put the bladder in while you're adding your food bag. 

THE TOP

After getting all the other items in your pack, the only thing left to go on top is probably a small bag with extra clothes.  If you haven't used them to fill the space in the rest of your backpack, go ahead and put these in a thin layer on top of your pack.  If you don't have an external front pocket, this is a great place to put your rain gear and pack cover for easy access in a rainstorm. 

THE BRAIN

Many backpacks have a lid or a brain.  This is a great place to keep small items you'll be using throughout the day, like a map/compass, guidebook, toilet paper and hand sanitizer, and your first aid kit.  Also, if you're like me and need glasses to see, a great place to store your eyeglass case and vitamins.  

EXTERNAL POCKETS

My backpack has three external pockets - one large one and two small ones, as well as two pockets on the hipbelt.  The hipbelt pockets are good for storing items you'll need throughout the day, such as your Phone/GPS/Camera, Chapstick, and snacks.  The largest pocket is where I'll store bear line and tent poles.  The upper small pocket is for my Sawyer waterfilter and the lower pocket is where I keep an extra water bottle.   If you have a large foam sleeping pad, like a Ridgerest or Z-rest, the lashing loops on the bottom of the pack generally reserved for gear like trekking poles or an ice axe is where you'll attach it to your pack.  

Is this the method you use to pack your bag?  What would you change or do differently with your pack?  Leave me a comment below or head over to the Facebook page to share your opinion!

Brushing Your Teeth in the Woods

Whether you're headed out for one night, one week, or even half of a year you're going to need your toothbrush and toothpaste.  While brushing your teeth at home isn't really something you have to even think about much, on the trail dental hygiene is crazy important.  This post is going to be dedicated to the one subject no one ever really talks about and most hikers skip - how to keep your teeth and gums healthy outdoors. 

Before delving into the "how to" section of this post, I'd like to mention common dental issues that hikers can face.  A friend of mine, despite all her brushing on trail, ended up with three cavities after a 6-month hike.  Considering the amount of high sugar and high fat foods, along with carbonated and sickeningly sweet drinks a hiker consumes, it's no surprise that even with regular brushing cavities are a common problem. Another thru hiker I know had a molar crack completely in half and fall out while consuming her dinner one night.  Thankfully, she was a short way from a town where she was able to be seen by a dentist on an emergency basis.  Commonly, plaque buildup can cause gingivitis - a swelling and bleeding condition of the gums.  Having a bloody mouth while you're trying to eat boiling hot and incredibly salty food is never a fun time!  If any of these scenarios don't sound like fun to you, you're not alone.

Saying that most hikers don't brush their teeth regularly is not a shock to many of us.  It's been a long day and all you can think about is eating your dinner and crawling into your bag.  If you aren't keeping your toothbrush in your food bag, chances are you've skipped this important action more than once on trail.  The number one way I advocate to remember to brush your teeth is exactly this: keep your toothbrush, toothpaste, and any other oral hygiene items in a Ziplock in your food bag.  If they're close at hand when you're cleaning up your dinner, you won't forget to brush!  Since your brush and toothpaste smell like foodstuff to mice and bears, leaving it in your food bag is an even better idea so it can go in your bear hang/bear can at night. 

Since we've talked about an easy way to remember to brush, let's talk about the toothbrush and paste you're carrying on trail.  Many hikers opt for a travel toothbrush because of its small size and weight.  Alternatively, if you have a brand or firmness of brush you prefer to use at home, you can cut the handle off to make it travel size yourself.  A tube of travel-sized toothpaste will last you easily 2-3 months in the backcountry.  Dental floss picks are also a popular item on trail due to their small size and disposability options.  These come in handy after a meal that just doesn't want to come out of your teeth!  Options I don't recommend on trail are single use disposable finger brushes, which are often expensive, heavier, and not so great at cleaning teeth.  

So you've picked out your brush and toothpaste of choice.  Is there really a proper way to brush in the woods?  Actually - there is.  For brushing in the backcountry, you're going to use a LOT less toothpaste than you normally would.  I recommend just a small dab in a thin layer on a dry brush.  This way, there won't be too much to spit out onto the ground.  After brushing as you normally would, the "spew" method is the most taught in Leave No Trace principles.  We recommend you spray it, blowing a wide area of toothpaste as to  not concentrate a large glob.  Also, if you're out in the woods, digging a cathole is an acceptable method of disposing your extra paste.  The final method taught by Leave No Trace is to swallow it.  Yes, I said to swallow your toothpaste.  Keep in mind that you aren't using even a quarter of what you're probably using at home.  I always use toothpaste without fluoride anyway, so that isn't a concern for me.  Tom's of Maine is a great non-fluoridated brand available here on minimus.biz. 

Did you experience any dental problems on your long-distance hike?  What is your method of keeping your teeth clean in the woods?  Leave me a comment here on the blog or over on my Facebook page and let me know!