How I Pack My Gear in 2024 - Full Comfort in A 35L Pack 

I remember watching your 2020 packing tutorial when it first came out. I was having lots of frustration getting everything to fit in my 55L pack as a new backpacker. I have followed your packing guide ever since and now I can easily fit my gear in a smaller pack using this method. Looks like not much has changed over the years with your packing routine but yet I still learned so much from just seeing your gear list as you pack. Thanks for being so genuine and helpful to your subscribers and fans. Happy Trails Darwin!

i really appreciate the nice and relaxing music. literally ever other youtube hiker uses annoying music.

What do you do with your camera and camera equipment when it starts dumping rain?

Nic, your 2020 "How I Pack" video was a watershed event for me, transitioning me from my old external frame days that I was taught 30 years ago in scouts into the modern era. Thank you for making me able to enjoy the modern era and get back outside.

Oh damn, you have 300k subscribers now! I had a kid and left the backpacking game for a good long while, but now I'm back in it! Just started rewatching all the hiking channels I was subscribed to way back when I would crush 20 miles a day and be out for a few weeks at a time. Sound advice as always. I'm doing my first >1 day trip in 4 years, so this is all great info to help me sort through my pile of gear to get myself a pack that will work!

I learned to backpack in scouts. The 'Be Prepared' motto is still ingrained in me and the size and amount of things you carry ( or don't carry at all) is significant. I am working on getting my pack size down but not having extras and not being supplied to med-evac someone ( I am not search and rescue) is hard to break.

Loved the video! Packing is pretty close to what I do in my zPacks Nero. I stopped using Nylofume after some problems with holes. So I just use two of the DCF dry bags, one for my quilt and one for all my dry clothes. Otherwise, I put my food above my tent for easy access during lunch. I put my ditty bag on top of everything, because my ditty is a bit heavier and it works better closer to my center of gravity. Rain jacket and gloves are in my outer mesh pocket. After years, I stopped using the thinl-lite pad, preferring just a smaller sit-pad. The thin-lite turned out to be just too much bulk for me, and I ended up using the sit-pad anyway. I had an issue with using the thin-lite for sitting, and it picked up some thorns and then popped my air pad at night. So now I just do the sit-pad with no thin-lite. I use a zPacks FUPA for camera/electronics. Edit: Just to add - a lot of what I do is learned from your videos back in the day and then adjusting to what works for me.

I've seen about a million of these videos but it's been a while since one Made excellent logical sense like this

Thanks for this. I especially appreciate the organization and simplicity. Nothing extra, just what you need.

Your energy is back. So great

You taught me how to pack more efficiently for my first overnight/few days hike/camp to Havasu falls (at nearly 50 and forsaking more than a day hike in nearly 20 years! By no means ultralight or extreme by through hike standards, it really helped to get lighter and more efficient, so your tips are just good help for those who want to get outside and take a walk! Thank you!

LOVE the idea of putting the sleep clothes in the footbox! Definitely trying that on my next trip!

Before my 2023 thru hike of the Long Trail I learned how to pack from your older video. I just added the gossamer gear 1/8 in pad as I'm getting ready to try a lighter, less structured pack this summer. Thanks for all your content!

Very helpful video for packing the size pack I would like to carry. You sacrificed nothing, and your pack organization plan makes huge sense! Thanks!

Thanks for this Nic! I always struggle with packing light, so this really helps me a lot - and my knees as well!

Took my 12 year son on 1st backpacking trip this weekend. Had a blast. I kept telling him as we were packing less stuff = more fun. J Keep up the great work.

I do a lot of similar things to you (albeit with less DCF). One thing that's different for myself is that I use an Ursack. I find it to be a nice middle ground between the weight of a bear can and avoiding the tedium of a bear hang. The ursack doesn't compress well when it's full of food though, so i actually put it at the very bottom of my pack folded flat. Then I store the food in an OPsack. When i get to camp i make sure to leave the Ursack in my pack until it's time to tie it up. That way i don't accidentally get any food particles on it that would entice critters. When it's time to tie it to a tree, i just drop the OPsack in there and find a tree to tie it on. I also use a Frogtoggs poncho instead of a train jacket. Then i can wear it over my pack, and i get a bit of air flow

Old dog learning new tricks 😊

After watching many of your videos, the main thing that always had my attention was your backpack I often wonder what was in it and not in it simplicity thats what I want👍

Excellent video! Getting my gear together and organized has always been a challenge. Thanks for sharing your system- simple and well thought out. Thanks and happy trails!

Thanks, Darwin...very logical method. I do have a Ranger backpack and its nice to see loading system that makes sense and fits the needs.

Thanks, and these videos are always good to review from time to time. Especially that I’m just a few hours from leaving for a 10 day backpacking trip with my two sons and our two dogs. Don’t want to forget any of my essentials and leave out as many luxury items as desired. We’ll see we how my layers fare in the foot box of my hammock quilt and if I’m able to access all I need during the day without needing to open my pack.

Love to see another packing video! I typically go with sleeping bag and pad at the bottom, clothes inside. Then comes cook system and food, followed by the ditties at the very top with first aid, shelter and rain gear strapped outside for easy access

simple, elegant, brilliant

Thank You sooo much for making these videos D. Absolutely priceless. I’ve learned countless tips and tricks from you over the years. Much love to you bro ✊🏽

Thank you for sharing your experience! I get a lot of idea 😊

Great vid thx. Always good to catch a fresh perspective.

Love your track wisdom, and over the years have picked all sorts of good bits. One thing (perhaps you’ve already tried it): I absolutely can’t do without polaroid glasses on the trail. Saves me carrying extra glasses, and rummaging around for sun glasses when it gets too bright.

Great information it all makes sense watching you go thru the steps. Thanks

Nice to see you back on our screens! Great video.

Super helpful video. Thanks! I really appreciate you sharing all the good info.

As always love your videos and I'm always learning something !

Editing magic. Love it!

I have a Gossamer Gear Mariposa. Like you, I always pack things the same way every time. This backpack has an extra wide water reservoir pocket. Instead of a bladder, I fold my sleeping pad and put that in that pocket. This helps protect my back from anything poking me and just adds a little vertical support even though I have a frame. Next I add a DCF pack liner and then shove my quilt in the bottom of my pack. I don’t use a stuff sack for it, because the next item that goes in is my bear canister/food. The weight of that compresses my quilt and my quilt spreads out so there is no dead space. Then I shove my extra clothes around the canister. My pillow and puffy go on top and I twist the pack liner closed. My cooks system, diddy bag, and ⅛” foam pad go on top and I cinch down my pack. There is a thin pocket at the top of the pack that I use for my DCF first aid kit and regular aid kit (repair patches, needle and thread, etc). In all the outside Mariposa pockets I keep: my tent in the tall pocket, my water system in the top side pocket along with bug spray in a ziplock, water bottles in the lower side pocket, my rain gear, poop kit, pee kit, and snacks in the stretchy big back pocket, and a buff, thin gloves, and DCF pack cover (redundant, I know but a wet pack is heavy) in an add on top pocket I attached above my tent. In my hip belt pockets I keep: more snacks, my phone, sunscreen, and chapstick. Currently my base weight is 12lbs without a bear canister and 14lbs with a canister. I’m working to shave a little more off, not to be UL, but to protect my spine because I only weigh 110lbs. For a 3 day trip with food and water I’m at 21-22lbs which is great. But for hiking the CT this summer I’m at 26lbs with 6-7 days of food. That is over 20% of my body weight. 🥺

This is practical advice for simple, and efficient pack setup. I got some really helpful tips out if this. Thank you!

I appreciate this video. Thanks! I'm always looking for new ideas! You da man!

one of the best instructional videos if found on this subject. cheers

Excellent! Super efficient. Love it

Woah... I modeled my packing method after the 2020 video, and felt simple and efficient. Haha, guess I'm gonna do it again! Great use of the 1/" pad!

REALLY appreciate this video, thx

Thanks for sharing your thoughts great work

Way to go Darwin, this is so helpful to have from a practical, experienced person. New to this whole thing so just trying to gain a bit of knowledge- thanks! 🚴🏼‍♂️🌱🧘🏼🌿🙏

Thank you so much. Applying now

Thanks Darwin! Great video! I am always trying to pack more efficiently 😉

Great to see you back, refreshed and rebooted

great video mate , love the simplicity

all great things to do!! I've learned some new tricks.

Some great tips Darwin, thank you. I'm used to canoe trips where weight is not option but off on a big hike soon so need to pack lighter. Need to pack a lot lighter!

Excellent video, as always. Thanks a bunch, Darwin!

man I still remember my first video I watched from you which was those gaiters bag when Altras were still a good shoe, oh how far you've come man i'm proud

Lot's of good tips here, even for an old dirt bag like myself! Thanks Darwin!

Hard-earned tips 😁 Makes sense. For longer water carries I keep the (collapsible) containers close to my back. Otherwise the heavy water load pulls the center of gravity backwards, and that sux when you are scrambling up the mountain. Thanks for the vid.

Thank you 😊

Thank, Darwin

Efficiency is cool. 😎

Wow! Its like Marry Poppins bag! Your house, sleeping system, kitchen, closet, and even a crapper. Impressive...I will have to remember this system. Crazy efficient 👍

Love ya, Darwin!!

I didn't think this would be all that interesting given that your four-year-old video felt very recent, but of course I didn't remember all the details and damn, it's satisfying to watch everything go in its proper place! 😄

thanks darwin for this updated version. looking forward to a microspikes video, what you'd recommend, your experience with the vargo cleats and how to know when to bring'em or not for a longer trail🤙

Thanks for sharing it's a really useful tip.

Great video. Sometimes I don’t use the stuff sack for my tent and stuff it into the dead space in my pack; usually on longer hikes when I need more room for food. If the tent gets wet I stuff it into a Glad trash bag.

Pretty similar for me. I hammock camp so hammock and quilts are in the pack liner along with any extra clothes. Tarp and food bag on top. lately I've been keeping my ditty bag in my food bag for extra water proofing, but I might try your system (individual zip locks for electronics/first aid/etc and putting that on the outside or at the top of my pack) next time I head out. No matter how many of these kinds of videos I've watched it's nice to know I can still get an idea or two from them. Thanks.

Informative and beneficial video

We pack similarly with slight differences, my raincoat is in the big mesh pocket, often my puffy is there too as I am too lazy to open my pack. I like to keep my tent on the outside so one side pocket for hydration, the other for my tent. Often doing 7 - 9 day food carries so I need that room in my pack. It is comforting to know that my pack style is similar to those with many more miles than I.

I stress about this so much ! I always pack vertical and I’ve never liked how my gear shifts . You make it look so easy like a PRO😊: going on a trip in a couple weeks soooo going to try the horizontal way of packing …. Thanks for doing this video Darwin

thanks so much😊

Excellent

Hey Darwin, I am huge fan! Just wanted to pass along how much I appreciate how interesting and accessible your content is! Just fantastic stuff. Even as a long time, hiker and self proclaimed ultralight guy I get so much out of your videos. I have been an ultralight hiker for a time. I now have two kids and your content continues to inspire me to upgrade my kit and get out. The acronym in my house is WWDD (what would Darwin do). Keep up the great work!

Looks like the perfect minimalist ish pack load.

Great video! The music is relaxing for sure, and I love my WaterColors channel on XM radio, so it fits perfectly on the video :)

Excellent video. This is a problem ive always had and im using a 45 litre pack now so i should have more than enough room to get all my gear in the one thing thats always worried me is folding my sleeping pad i suppose i should just bight the bullet and try it. Love watching your channel i always learn something new . All the best mate from the UK😎👍

For size, balance, convenience, and practicality -- I'm not sure you could do any better. But of course that's not gonna keep us from tryin! I'm liking a 2 bag setup -- for its modularity and to separate the shoulder straps/vest above and the hip belt below. Just got a Savotta Askare 7L hip bag for heavier and smaller items, plus water (there's webbing left, right, and back). That's paired with a SMD Flight 30 with vest harness I picked up on sale a few years ago. The side pouches are available for extra water or whatever needs easy access or doesn't fit well elsewhere. The thing that really sets this apart is that shoulder weight can easily be transferred to the "shelf" below the pack, but weight on the hips is never felt on your shoulders . . .

不喜歡睡在防水的雪櫃裏(single wall tent)，不常用手杖，喜歡用單人營，wechsel exogen 1， montbell light pack 30L，18-25°c溫度用品最少，不連食物，3日2夜重量約4kg。動物靠嗅覺找食物，可用刺鼻用品驅離(樟腦丸)。15°c以下的衣服，睡袋，地蓆等也要用重量級

If your pack liner fails on trail turkey oven bags are basically the same material maybe more durable. I've been putting them in all my dry bags for extra protection. Mainly protects bag itself from early delamination. Since doing so my dcf bags last much longer same with my sea to summit roll top bags. Especially handy in your electronics bag. Ive also seen Cornish hen size for smaller options.

Roughly the same as we did on our last hike on the Cape Wrath Trail in Scotland. I used hip belt pockets instead of a bottom pocket. The sleeping bag would go on top to be able to air it out during the day. And I use a camera bag from HMG hanging on both of the shoulder straps. This way the weight of the camera is more distributed on both shoulder straps, and the camera is better protected from rain. (Kinda obvious why that would be a big plus in a place like Scotland...)

This is great! Thanks. Perhaps you can also share an updated video with what you take with you for clothing during spring/summer/fall? 🙏🏽

I came across three moose in less than twenty minutes on the trail the other day.

On my most recent backpacking trip I had the Ranger carry just at 30lbs comfortably without the hipbelt without any shoulder or back pain.

Excellent, I'm training to get back on the trail at 65. Hiking NH 4000 footers you might want to have an outer layer more handy for temp and weather changes if I remember correctly.

Yay!

Pack+pack liner = Belt+suspenders. Always good insurance. I've used pretty much the same system but I've learned some new tricks too.

Always interesting to see how people manage camera stuff. Like others, also curious about your plan for when it rains and the camera is out. I love using shoulder strap convenience pockets for those handy things as well and that's where I find the hip belt to be great as well. I use a smaller MFT camera, so go with a small bag as a holster, though it isn't specifically that style, then a slightly top long lens pouch for a couple of the other lenses and small accessories that didn't fit in the other bag. Both of those are highly water resistant and the holster has a built in rain cover, so I end up pretty well prepared until or if I need to get camera stuff into a dry bag.

I pack the same way except I don't use any stuff sacks (tent only) I stuff everything in the pack liner, sleeping stuff and clothes, close that, and then tent, and food bag. My ditti bag is just a clear gallon ziplock and goes inside the pack, then a piece of Tyvek for sitting (also ground cloth). Currently use a 55L arc haul which is a 47 L main compartment. It's overkill for my 11 lbs base weight, but not interested in stuffing everything into small stuff bags. Phone, toothbrush, PLB, on the shoulder straps. snacks in the single hip pocket. Poop kit in back pocket plus filter and misc clothing for the day's weather. Water right/left side pockets. I use the compression straps on the pack to narrow and heighten the load so it's close to the body if there is not 5 days of food in the pack. You've definitely got me thinking about a smaller pack and I think I could pack the same way I do now and make it work thanks for the video Darwin

I’m happy you are producing backpacking videos. Any updates to your menu planning?

Interestingly it's pretty much the same as yours but the food is top, tent is next, then sleeping mat. I use two rubble sacks - cheap and durable - one for the sleep system and one for the outer pack. i do that for extra security but also to store the inner tent seperately if needed - which might be slightly wet vs the fly being super wet. I don't use stuff sacks or any of that, just ziplocks on electronics or food/first aif etc. This means the sleeping bag and clothes can spread to fill any niche in the pack. Puffy can sometimes be in the pack (raining) or outside in a pocket if I have a bag for it...and the wet stuff - rain jacket, cap, neoprene gloves, rain trousers if I'm taking those - all lives in the back pocket. Where everything else lives depends on the pack - but again, yes, hydration stuff is side pockets or hip belt pockets, snacks are hip belts, I hang my selfie stick/tripod off one of those strap loops. Trowel is side pocket, as is trekking poles and sponge/swedish cloth, cos that dries there in the mesh. If I'm using my packs which have a brain, or a top pocket, I prefer to keep the penknife, first aid kit, and electronics up there, but mic, light and tripod have to be accessible so those are hipbelt or pockets. I still keep my phone in my pocket, I know it's frowned upon to have stuff in your pants, but I find that it's easy to damage stuff in the hipbelts or outside the pack by dropping it. I don't want that to happen to my phone!

I carry a hard shell case for my sunglasses id be interested in a ul hard shell case. Maybe has a webbing loop to attach to pack.

You make it look easy as I struggle not make my sleeping bag by itself take up half of my 36 liter pack alone haha! Guess I need less bulky gear or something, great video by the way! Trying to carry a smaller backpack is a challenge.

Very good presentation and logic on how to best organize the contents in a backpack. I have a couple suggestions that you may want to try since I use that same tripod and ND Filter. That PMVND case is pretty robust and heavy. You might look at using a B+W single ND Filter plastic case. It's much lighter. On the tripod, I don't use the center column. The tripod without the column is enough for all my shots and it's one less adjustment on the tripod that I don't have to make for every shot. Also, my camera feels less stable using that center column extended. Anyway, I thought I'd share that in case it might help you. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!

I ordered one of your Ranger backpacks a few weeks ago. Hope it gets here in time for the Big Bear Highlander trip. I'll see you there!

Stuff I need during the day goes at the top or outside. Done

I found this really useful. I’m headed out on the Lost Coast Trail soon and carrying a 35L frameless pack for the trip. The only difference is I have to figure out how to cram a bear can in there too.

welcome back

i'm going to rethink my load out after seeing this video. I have been trying to compress my gear as small as possible. I think packing your items loose and allowing them to fill the air gaps is a much more efficient use of space. I like to hammock camp and my underquilt is a bulky item (synthetic fill). It takes up a lot of space in my pack but leaves a lot of empty voids that are unusable. I am going to play around with my gear and see if I can find a more efficient way to pack it. Thanks again for the inspiration.

Solo hiker and pilot and generally carry this only for the SOS functionality. If you generally hike with others, probably not worth the subscription, but gives my family peace of mind when I’m hiking alone. I look at the Garmin Mini as an insurance policy, one I hope I never have to use.

Ultra light is ultra discomfort. You are so right on!!!

I wish I had seen this idea before I hiked for 14 days at Philmont BSA. I carried way to heavy pack. This video would have been helpful.

Excellent video. I'd like to know, if you are going for a 7 to 10 day hike what clothes are you packing? Assume evening temperatures possibly could get down to 5 degrees centigrade. 40 Fahrenheit.

Thank you, very good info. No mention of extra battery pack for cellphone. I experienced completely no juice, very uncomfortable feeling, cannot connect to anyone in case something unforseen happen.

Everything I do is very similar. The big exceptions I see are I have my GG 1/8 pad in the outside and I was taught to roll my sleeping pad and create a ring when putting it into the bag to create a platform. i then snuggle my cook out into the opening in the middle ( still outside the nyloflum bag.

Since the days of scouting. I never put my shelter, then tent on the inside of the pack. I use a side pocket which you have camera gear. Then i strap it on the top. Yes, first thing needed at camp, without opening my kit. But you really pack a squared off pack.😅