jonny2mad
04-24-2008, 05:58 PM
I posted this on another board may be useful here if you have advice on how to pack or what to take or what to do or not do post here
I steward loads of festivals and its quite interesting watching what people bring and how badly packed the average person is
Anyway get a rucksack I have one big enough where everything I take fits inside the rucksack so I don’t have to strap things up on the outside , why this is good is you don’t have things bouncing about or hitting you while you walk , you don’t have things catching in things or getting stolen or lost.
in the main sack I have my tent I have a waterproof bag to put it in if I have to take it down wet strong bin liners will work at a push but you can get better rucksack liners , I have my thermarest inflatable mattress and sleeping bag also in the main compartment .
I generally take a full Gore-Tex set of trousers and coat the coat I keep in the top compartment so I can get to it easy the trousers with some pushing will fit in the main compartment.
Everything else I take fits in the two 20 litre side pockets and a small mess tin pocket that my rucksack has and any odd spaces putting things that can get wet in waterproof bags.
You want stuff that dries out fast don’t take jeans rohan make fast drying trousers or British army lightweights are good, trousers with zips on the pockets are a good idea.
I take a rucksack cover most rucksacks are not waterproof and you don’t want to be carrying more weight in water and getting your stuff wet.
When I’m walking in if its good weather Id wear a tee-shirt so its good if everything you take will fit in your rucksack.
Normally I take a stove and cook set, two trousers 3 tee-shirts 2-3 shirts and a wool jumper with pockets and spare underwear for every day I’m there and spare socks .
Get used to wearing a rucksack you need to learn how to adjust all the straps so its comfortable and how to pack it so its comfortable repack it several times to get it right , when your shoulders hurt tighten your belt a bit and take the pressure on your waist a while and when that gets tired take the weight on your shoulders .
Normally a rucksacks centre of gravity should be high on your back with say a 60/40 distribution of weight between the shoulders and hips its important to have your waistband done up as other wise your shoulders are taking the strain with out the help of your legs and hips .
A rucksack should be strong enough you can sit on it to compress it, I take a 120 litre Bergen. I’ve gone with smaller rucksacks but you end up having to carry things loose or outside the pack or carrying things and as I get older I like to take a thicker sleeping bag and more comfort , but its quite possible to go the lightweight route .
Down sleeping bags are great I have a few but they ruin if you get them wet so id take a man made fibre one although they take up more room and weigh more.
Get used to checking you have your stuff every time you move from somewhere while you’re travelling around site.
Also on the last day don’t rush to leave what I normally do is pack up my gear take it to the car then come back in and walk around a bit or sit talking in cafes rather than sit in long traffic jams .
have you noticed most of the small rucksacks people have today seem to be designed to hang at the base of the back this is the worse place for a rucksack to hang as a rucksacks center of gravity should be high on your back , avoid this sort of rucksack if you can.
I steward loads of festivals and its quite interesting watching what people bring and how badly packed the average person is
Anyway get a rucksack I have one big enough where everything I take fits inside the rucksack so I don’t have to strap things up on the outside , why this is good is you don’t have things bouncing about or hitting you while you walk , you don’t have things catching in things or getting stolen or lost.
in the main sack I have my tent I have a waterproof bag to put it in if I have to take it down wet strong bin liners will work at a push but you can get better rucksack liners , I have my thermarest inflatable mattress and sleeping bag also in the main compartment .
I generally take a full Gore-Tex set of trousers and coat the coat I keep in the top compartment so I can get to it easy the trousers with some pushing will fit in the main compartment.
Everything else I take fits in the two 20 litre side pockets and a small mess tin pocket that my rucksack has and any odd spaces putting things that can get wet in waterproof bags.
You want stuff that dries out fast don’t take jeans rohan make fast drying trousers or British army lightweights are good, trousers with zips on the pockets are a good idea.
I take a rucksack cover most rucksacks are not waterproof and you don’t want to be carrying more weight in water and getting your stuff wet.
When I’m walking in if its good weather Id wear a tee-shirt so its good if everything you take will fit in your rucksack.
Normally I take a stove and cook set, two trousers 3 tee-shirts 2-3 shirts and a wool jumper with pockets and spare underwear for every day I’m there and spare socks .
Get used to wearing a rucksack you need to learn how to adjust all the straps so its comfortable and how to pack it so its comfortable repack it several times to get it right , when your shoulders hurt tighten your belt a bit and take the pressure on your waist a while and when that gets tired take the weight on your shoulders .
Normally a rucksacks centre of gravity should be high on your back with say a 60/40 distribution of weight between the shoulders and hips its important to have your waistband done up as other wise your shoulders are taking the strain with out the help of your legs and hips .
A rucksack should be strong enough you can sit on it to compress it, I take a 120 litre Bergen. I’ve gone with smaller rucksacks but you end up having to carry things loose or outside the pack or carrying things and as I get older I like to take a thicker sleeping bag and more comfort , but its quite possible to go the lightweight route .
Down sleeping bags are great I have a few but they ruin if you get them wet so id take a man made fibre one although they take up more room and weigh more.
Get used to checking you have your stuff every time you move from somewhere while you’re travelling around site.
Also on the last day don’t rush to leave what I normally do is pack up my gear take it to the car then come back in and walk around a bit or sit talking in cafes rather than sit in long traffic jams .
have you noticed most of the small rucksacks people have today seem to be designed to hang at the base of the back this is the worse place for a rucksack to hang as a rucksacks center of gravity should be high on your back , avoid this sort of rucksack if you can.