How To Pack A Rucksack For Wild Camping
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Wild camping, when you know where to go, can be the perfect liberation for the soul. There’s relaxing under the stars and feeling generally free. But there’s a good bit of preparation that goes into it, too.
Making sure the camping trip runs smoothly, whether you’re hiking alone, alongside man’s best friend or with the family, you need to know exactly how to pack a rucksack for wild camping.
It’s pretty much a talent when you get the hang of it. Simply because it involves a little more care and consideration than the average hike to the camping site. For one, normally you don’t have to think about access to the loo; but it’ll be one of your wild camping essentials!
What size rucksack do I need for wild camping?
Choose Your Backpack Wisely
First thing’s first is making sure you’ve got the right rucksack for the trip (and for you, of course).
It goes without saying, if you’re only headed out for a night in the Scottish Highlands taking in the fresh breeze and experiencing nature as it comes, don’t get the biggest bag on the shelf. You want the smallest and lightest possible bag to suit the journey. That way, you’re not punishing your back for something it didn’t do.
That said, there are some typical bag litres you should be aware of and what they can carry.
There are mini bags which carry around 6-10 litres. There are day bags which carry around 10 to 30 litres, overnight bags which carry 30-50 litres and back-breakers which carry upwards of 50 litres. In the camping world, back-brakers generally go by the name of large rucksacks.
Depending on your travels and how light you like to keep your wild camping essentials, you might want to opt for the medium bag or the large. This is because they provide ample room for the tent and sleeping bag, too.
What is the best way to pack a rucksack?
Knowing how to pack a rucksack for wild camping isn’t something you learn without getting your checklist together, first. In fact, we’ve found it’s always useful to lay everything out on the floor before packing.
This way you really can be sure you’re checking things off the list. As well as this, you can really see the size and weight of items (instead of just going by memory), meaning you don’t have to unpack-remove-and-repack things a dozen times over. Been there, done that, and nearly didn’t get to the zone in time.
If you’re unsure of what you’ll need as well as how to pack a rucksack for wild camping, you might want to have a quick look and print-out of our Free Printable Camping List.
Knowing how to pack a rucksack for wild camping is all about strategy. You might have been under the impression that camping (especially ad-hoc wild camping) is all about leave-your-brain-at-the-door freedom.
In reality, it takes a lot of consideration for your bag and your back. After all, you’ll have a lot more items in your packing list that you might think. And there must be a way to squeeze them into your bag in a way that is repeatable, efficient and comfortable for your back. It really is a pre-camping game of Tetris.
So, start by consolidating your items into five piles:
• The big things
• The things you’ll need immediate access to throughout the trip • The food and drink
• The light things
• The super heavy things
Doing this allows you to clearly see what needs to go where, what needs to be packed last and what things might need to be strategically placed for comfort.
When it comes to packing the wild camping essentials, you’ll want to strap your big things like your sleeping bag to the underside of the pack (with a waterproof cover). Then, you should start by loading the lightweight and non-immediate items at the bottom of the bag.
Avoid the pendulum effect by keeping the super heavy items (such as liquids, cooking tools and the tent) close to your back and in the centre of the bag rather than at the bottom. Place any medium-heavy items in the middle of the bag, next to the super heavy things.
Finally, stuff the rest of your lightweight items (and immediate-access things) right at the top of the pack.
What should I take wild camping?
You can get small caddy-like dry-bags for your trip.
Sometimes, they’ll come with a carabiner attachment to connect to the outside of your rucksack, other times they can have a stomach strap to become a bum bag and some will need to be placed at the top of your roll-top rucksack.
Make sure you find the right one that can suit your carrying needs while having the litre-capabilities to hold your essentials. When we say this, it’s because we’ve found that some of the smaller wild camping essentials (no matter how well packed) can fall to the bottom.
For example, phone, keys, wallet, torch, tissues, mask, first aid, water, snacks, poncho, etc.
So, we’ve found it best to keep these items in a self-contained waterproof bag that can be easily accessed whether it’s in your bag, on your bag or on you.
A quick tip before you set off on your preliminary trip; your bag should be able to stand on its own (they’re made to do so when packed correctly). This is just a trick to prove you’ve put everything exactly where it should be, otherwise you’re good to head out and explore your local neighbourhood.
This final step for how to pack a rucksack for wild camping pretty much just makes sure you’re able to take the weight for prolonged periods, nothing is sticking into your back and the distribution is right!
