Pack It In!

White Rock Mountain, Ozark National Forest

I have never packed a backpack quite like this before, so I took the time Thursday night to document exactly how I put together my pack in the hopes that I will can look back and see what I did right or wrong, and in the hopes that someone reading this knows how to do it and will give me tips and constructive criticism (hint, hint: that is you, please!). Nevertheless, here is my somewhat educated guess on how to pack my crap together for a 3 day hiking trip.

1.hand towel 

2.mess kit 

3.clothing (2 undies, 2 tops, 1 pair of shorts) 

4.pack 

5.wet wipes 

6.toothbrush and paste 

7.non-existent number 

8.LED lantern 

9.cash 

10.waterproof electronics bag, first aid kit for 1, LED flashlight 

11.chapstick, deodorant, comb, bug spray and dry shampoo 

12.boots 

13.sleeping bag 

14.tent 

15.notepad 

16.food

 Items to be packed in the morning: toilet paper, matches, and firestarter.

i'm pleased by the simplest things, like this nifty spot to put your ID on the pack

I stuffed all of my granola bars into one box.

after standing this up inside of the pack I realized just how large the thing could expand to...

most websites recommend only taking along clean socks and simply washing the rest of your clothing as needed, however, I'm just taking the dang clothes.

the all-important water... and the all-heavy

lots of extra room left for my pack-in-morning items

I struggled for a while with attaching my sleeping bag to the top of the pack... then I simply laid it all down and everything was easier.

by the time you're reading this, I will have become well aware of what I could have done better with my packing and what items I wish I had brought.

Thoughts on camping: The ultimate camping trip was the Lewis and Clark expedition. - Dave Barry