packing for a trip

[Kim]

it seems like it takes me forever to get ready for hiking and esp backpacking. I'm wondering if i'm anal or if that's just how it is. there are certain things i will do ahead of time, like have the sleeping pad, tent, and certain things already to go in the pack ahead of time. but it still seems to take a few hrs to pack food, go down the list, squoosh it all in there... For hiking, i'll put ice cubes in the camelback the night before and have the eggs boiled if i'm brining eggs (they last well-good trail treat), fruit washed, sandwiches made.... So, does it take other folks a good few hrs to prepare (prob not so much for hiking) or am i just doing something wrong? any hints for making it quicker and easier each time?

[matt gilbert]

I keep everything ready to go in my daypack so i can pretty much just grab it and go. All the food I take is pre-dried or pre-packaged so i don't have to worry about it staying fresh. I keep my camelbak bladder ready to go in the refrigerator. That way I don't have to add ice and the insulation in the bag keeps it cool almost all day (and even when it 'warms up' it's still not as warm as it is outside). As for my backpacking equipment, the same goes. I keep all my exclusively backpacking equipment in the bag ready to go. Thne I add almost all the items from my dayhinking pack to that. I use mountain house dinners so I just buy them and stuff them in. The only things I don't keep in my backpack are my sleeping bag and my thermarest.

It doesn't take me that long to pack but i also usually start packing (especially for backpacking trips) a couple weeks in advance. I have almost as much fun packing my stuff as I do getting out and using ii though so that might make a difference. I just really like sorting through my gear.

Also if you make sure to go through everything when you get back from the trip and make sure its all still functioning/clean/etc. it helps make packing easier. You don't have to worry about replacing or cleaning anything.
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Cogito ergo ambulo cum sacculo
-Matt Gilbert

[Kim]

i do bring a lot of fresh foods. maybe that's as big part of what takes so long...

[Tom Treks]

Once you figure out what the "every trip" things are, and get a feel for what, and where things fit into your pack, the easier it gets. For the longer treks, you really have to map out your meals, clothes, etc. I mean test it out prior to the trip if necessary.

You will find that all you have to figure out is the poundage for food (and water if dry camp).

Of course the "frills" may have to be left at home for a lengthy jaunt.

I can usually pack for a full weekend in about an hour or two if the food situation is already handled.

[Shihiyea]

I'm so geared towards backpacking and I do it so often, that I could be packed and ready to go in 30 minutes, depending on how excited I am on leaving. Okay, so make it 15 minutes. I have my house set up in such a way, that it revolves around my outdoor activities. I have rock climbing gear in a plastic bin. Mt. biking gear in an other bin. I have my camping and hiking gear in several bins, each dedicated to different seasons and events. One for car camping, an other for backpacking, others for duel gear. It was easier when I had a garage, but I just learned to bin things together. My pantry always has backpacking and hiking foods, and I always have dehydrated food ready to go. So, the longest thing to get together is my sleeping bag stuffed and my t-rest rolled. I keep a headlamp in each of my packs, but my first aide kit, compass, whistle, kleenex, and lip balm moves from pack to pack.

When I went out, only a few times a year. It would take me a lot longer to get packed. My basic gear remains the same, so that's all in one place. The extra stuff, cold weather clothing, rain gear, etc, are in certain places. It would be maddness to others, but it's really very organized for me. I also like the bins, as you can see through them, so, I'll stack them, and know what's in each bin and which bin I need to get into.

Mary

[Trishness]

It took me longer than usual to get my stuff together for my last trip but then I just bought a new backpack and had to figure out how the best way to get everything into it. Normally I can be ready in an hour for a backpack/15 mins for a dayhike. I always use a checklist.

Like Matt suggested, I keep all my water bladders in the fridge 1/2 full of water so all I need to do is add ice. All my hiking stuff is located in one section of the closet so it's pretty easy to just grab it and go.


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~~~Trish~~~

"Eastward the dawn rose, ridge behind ridge into the morning, and vanished out of eyesight into guess; it was no more than a glimmer blending with the hem of the sky, but it spoke to them, out of the memory and old tales, of the high and distant mountains." � J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings.

[paintninaz]

Mary, I Luuuuuv your bin idea!!!

Why didn't I think of that before...I mean all my Christmas stuff is in bins, all my wrapping paper/party supplies are in a bin, all my car camping stuff is in a bin, all my paints are in a bin...why didn't I think to put my backpacking stuff in a bin?!?!?! Oooh I'll become so organized!
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~Tracy

“Friends make the bad times good — and the good times unforgettable.”

[Shihiyea]

I'm pretty pathetic. I even have the rolling bins for protein bars and other packing foods. I REALLY hate to shop, so when I shop, I buy in bulk and hope I never have to shop again. My entire house revolves around my outdoor activities. It's not a home, it's a gear store!

[paintninaz]

[Shihiyea]

Actually! I am thinking of selling a tent, bunk beds (it's in the way of my gear), and a couple sleeping bags. Interested? Mary

[Trishness]

Mary,

have you got a lightweight, short sleeping bag in that menagerie somewhere?


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~~~Trish~~~

"Eastward the dawn rose, ridge behind ridge into the morning, and vanished out of eyesight into guess; it was no more than a glimmer blending with the hem of the sky, but it spoke to them, out of the memory and old tales, of the high and distant mountains." � J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings.

[BoyNhisDog]

I can be ready as quickly as it takes to roll up my Thermarest pad, stuff my sleeping bag and throw in food and water. Everything else is stored in my backpack or daypack. I always take the daypack with me every day. I never know when I will end up somewhere and not make it back home for the night so I want to be prepared for some hiking in different locations.
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Seize from every moment its unique novelty and do not prepare your joys
- Andre Gide

[pfredricks]

Mary-
Hi, I'm Pete. I have been using bins too for a few years. I started with just one bin, then the next thing I knew, I built shelving to hold all the bins. Now I have a garage wall full of bins. The first step is admitting that I have a bin problem, and I think I'm ready to do that. Thanks for admitting your bin obsession. There are fellow bin users and now I know that I dont have to be alone.
-Pete
and careful paint....bins seem innocuous enough...but they can be highly addictive.

[Cynhikr]

pete,
With all of those bins, would you be bin laden?
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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
---Benjamin Franklin

"I wonder what ole' Ben would've thought of the TSA and photo-radar?" -- cynhikr

[Hikngrl]

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~~~Diane~~~

I want to shine!