Bush leader Chris Gardner is also a Good Local Media journalist.
New Zealand Outdoor Instructors’ Association bush leader and senior writer Chris Gardner continues his outdoor series by discussing choosing and packing a backpack.
Tramping the Bell Track to Mount Pirongia’s Central Campsite is much more comfortable in a well-fitted and correctly packed backpack. Photo: Chris Gardner
Tramping with an enormous backpack overflowing with gear will kill your enjoyment.
The total load of your backpack should never exceed one third of your body weight and, for young people, 15kg is the absolute maximum.
On a multi-day trip, a wet shelter or tent and wet clothes will add weight to your backpack.
Backpacks come in all shapes and size and, like clothes, should be tailored for the walk or tramp you are undertaking.
Day walkers should pack their outdoor essentials in a 30-litre daypack, including hat, gloves, emergency shelter, and survival bag in the event that they spend an unplanned night outdoors.
A 65-litre backpack is perfect for a short tramping trip when a sleeping bag and tent are necessary
Long-stay expeditions warrant a 100-litre backpack, mostly because of the additional clothes and food needed.
When backpack shopping it is important to buy a backpack that fits you. Reputable outdoor gear retailers will have staff trained in fitting packs.
Chris Gardner’s backpack at Mount Pirongia’s Central Campsite, packed and ready to go after a wet day and night. Photo: Chris Gardner
Some manufactures make male and female models as, generally, men tend to have longer backs than women. In many cases a women’s model pack will suit tweens and teens better than the alternatives. Some backpacks have adjustable backs, to allow you to adjust the harness as you grow.
Look out for well-padded and easily adjustable shoulder straps.
A well-padded and easily adjustable hip belt with a quick release feature is also essential. This will ensure that the weight is carried on your hips and not your back. A quick release belt buckle is essential for the emergency removal of the pack in a river crossing, should it go wrong.
Features, like pockets and side opening zips, are down to personal taste but they do enable quick access to the likes of first aid kit, food, raincoats, thermals, and water.
While many manufactures claim their backpacks are waterproof, most will not keep your gear dry in pelting rain, and no backpack will be dry inside after a river dunking. Always use either a pack liner or dry bags inside your backpack. Sealed properly, these can add buoyancy to your backpack. But if they are not sealed, a pack liner can fill with water and drag your pack down.
A good rule of thumb when packing a backpack is first in, last out, meaning the last thing you should pack is the first thing you might need in a hurry.
Sleeping systems, sleeping bags, sheets and mats, should sit at the bottom of your backpack, followed by clothes.
Your tent will most likely be your heaviest piece of gear and should sit in the middle of your pack and hug your back. This will help you to maintain your centre of gravity.
You’ll want your cooking gear, food, and water near the top along with a water and wind proof top and bottom. If your stove runs on liquid fuel, you’ll want to keep the fuel in a sealed bag or three, in case of leakage, and store it as low as possible, in case it breaches the barriers. For this reason, I favour gas cookers and cartridges.
If you are not carrying a sleeping system and tent, because you are on a day trip, remember to include an emergency blanket and shelter in case you get caught out by an accident or sudden change in the weather.
It’s best practice to keep all of your equipment and gear in your pack, rather than strapped to the outside. It helps keep it secure and dry. Many times, I’ve seen tampers carrying billies or cups dangling from their packs, like tinkers, with the vessels swinging and filling with water as it rained. On swinging the pack off they get drenched,
Take it from me, a well-chosen and packed backpack can make the difference between a successful hike or tramp and a disaster.
