Pack a rucksack so you can find things in the dark

The head torch is at the bottom of the pack, the rain jacket under it, and half your kit is spread across the moss. The rain has already started. Anyone who has been on a camp or a hike knows the situation. It is not bad luck. It is a rucksack packed however it happened to go in.

Weight close to the back

A carefully packed rucksack carries lighter. A badly packed one presses on the shoulders and tires you for nothing. The weight is spread evenly across both shoulders, and the centre of gravity is kept close to the back, at shoulder height when walking. So heavy items go against the back.

It is also worth going through the adjustments unhurriedly. A rucksack adjusted well to your own body is comfortable even with a heavy load. A badly adjusted one is uncomfortable even with a light one.

A fixed place for every item

Pack the rucksack the same way every time, and give every item its own fixed place. Then what you need comes to hand in the dark, without a light. Frequently needed items are packed within easy reach, tightly and without rattling.

The same principle works on an exercise, on a hike and in an everyday bag: time spent searching is time taken from everything else.

Everything is packed watertight

Weatherproof packing is done from the inside out. A large liner sack goes into the rucksack first, and the rest of the material goes inside it in its own smaller bags. Different-coloured bags make the right item easier to find. Things are strapped to the outside of the pack only when there is no alternative, and then they are tied down firmly.

Clothes rolled, surplus removed

Clothes are folded or rolled into tight bundles. Carelessly stuffed clothing takes extra space, and an inexperienced packer easily takes too much of it. A hooded jacket is packed inside its own hood, which takes less room and makes it easier to search the pack for anything else. Surplus wrapping is removed from food packages before packing, and snacks go within reach.

The rucksack stays packed

A packed rucksack stays packed. Only what is needed right now comes out, and after use it goes straight back into place. At a break, the whole contents of the pack do not get spread out beside the stove: by the time the water boils, the fuel bottle and the water bottle are already back in the rucksack. That way nothing is left behind in the terrain, and you can move quickly.

The easiest improvement needs no new equipment: next time, pack the rucksack in the same order as last time and give the most important items a permanent place.

Sources

• Selviytymisen käsikirja (Survival Handbook, 2024), pp. 42 and 43. A public guide of the Finnish Defence Forces.