
What does UL packing look like for masters? 05 Tips for good packing and how to choose a smart backpack
When you hear about packing when hiking or climbing, it's not just a way to pack a large amount of luggage neatly. Correct packing stabilizes the center of gravity, making it less tiring and reduces accidents such as falls due to shaking. Not only should you not be underestimating packing when climbing, but for first-time users, it is likely that there will be many confusion about what to do.
So, the " Outdoor Gearzine Trailhead Presents Arai Yusuke Packing Course 2016" was planned to ask experts about packing tips that are difficult for beginners to find the right answer. For this reason, the fifth installment of the summary video series will be about "packing" and "backpacks."
To put it simply, this story is actually more practical than a textbook-like systematic knowledge of packing, but rather a very practical method for UL hiking. This is a wealth of valuable know-how that you don't usually hear.
As always, this is an opinion based on Arai's experience, so rather than just accepting each of the conclusions, please enjoy it through the filters of individuals' wise judgment and broad minds.
List of serialized articles "What is Master's UL Packing like?"
- 01 What is the contents of Arai Yusuke's carefully selected backpack?
- 02 The secret to packing is how you use the stuff sack.
- 03 How to use sleep bags and sleeping pads
- 04 Tips for choosing shoes and how to tie shoelaces that don't easily loosen
table of contents
table of contents
- Packing Techniques for Ultra Light Hiking - Tips for Good Packing and How to Choose a Smart Backpack - (Video)
- Video and audio transcripts (additional information available)
Packing Techniques for Ultra Light Hiking - Tips for Good Packing and How to Choose a Smart Backpack -
As usual, the characters in the video are Arai on the left and me (Hisatomi) on the right.
Video audio transcript (additional information available)
What order is it best to pack?
Arai Yusuke: Now, then, I'm talking about how to pack this.
Hisatomi: By the way, who is the manufacturer of that backpack?
Arai Yusuke: This is a manufacturer called GOLITE, which is no longer available. This one is originally a garage brand. Do you know about Yama and Michi-san? There is a garage manufacturer (that's the name of it), and it was a manufacturer that was created when it was made by individuals and then mass-produced. However, it was crushed last year.
Hisatomi: It's a shame. But they're a manufacturer that seems to be the pioneer of the Ultralight boom.
Arai Yusuke: This is just a bag that doesn't contain a frame, but (first put it in a rolled-up hollow state) and put it in to replace the frame.
So, in what order do you pack it here? First of all (at the very bottom) is what you don't need while you're taking action, changing clothes *1. So please don't put this vertically, but put it horizontally.
*1 It also meets the basic golden rule of packing: "Heavy loads are as high as possible (light items at the bottom)."
Hisatomi: I would like a stuff sack that is not too compressed and hard so that it can bend or crushed flexibly here.
Arai Yusuke: Yes, this sleeping bag is still soft too. There are often people who pull them tightly with their compression bags. On the other hand, it becomes so hard that it becomes so hard that it becomes a circle, and as a result, gaps will form when things that are rounded overlap.*2 So, put this (sleeping bag) on its soft state and lie down and stuff it in the back . ( while packing a down jacket in winter clothes ) that they do something pretty casual, but (the way they fill) is really just casual lol.
*2 For more information on why stuff sacks with a spacious size are convenient, see 02 The secret to packing lies in how you use stuff sacks
Hisatomi: Well, it's just a matter of course based on experience.
Arai Yusuke: So, what will we put next is that we're probably going to be a tent, but we can't get in*3. Instead, I'll put hard items like this (cookers, stoves, fuel, gutters, cutlery, and other small items) . These are the times when you're cooking. After that, put in the tent . It's this size, even if it's a tent, and the food (and water) can still be stored from here.
*3 Since tents are relatively bulky gear, they are usually stored in the bottom of the backpack, but this was different for Arai. The reason will be covered in detail in a video about tents and shelters later, but to put it simply, "Since the tents are folded in order after all the luggage has been cleared, it is reasonable to pack them in the last order." I see.
Also (as regards the storage of trekking poles), it becomes a homemade item, but you have to carry a backpack on your back. Carry it on your back, and while you're moving, you can put a pole in the side of your backpack and hook it here, and it can be stored well .
Hisatomi: There are backpacks that already come with these features.
Arai Yusuke: Yes, I use it in Osprey*4 . With a regular backpack, you'll have to stick it in the back, but stab it in the back is a hassle because you have to put the backpack down. Now let's turn this a little, so try holding it. This is food and water, isn't it? This will allow you to stay in the mountains for about a week.
*4 For more information, see the review of OSPREY Kestrel 38
Hisatomi: Come to think of it, there's no water bottle, right?
Arai Yusuke: It's fine to use a water bottle like Hydration Platy Pass or a plastic bottle like this.
Customer: Is the hydration in front of the mat? Inside? Can you put it in?
Arai Yusuke: Put the hydration in the front (between the backpack and the mat). A hose comes out of the hole in the pack.
I'm sure there are quite a few people who are wondering where to put their water bottles, but for example, there are times when there is a pool on top of a large building. This is also intended to be earthquake-resistant, and in many cases the entire building is made so that it slowly sways (by pouring water on top). Therefore, it is best to put water in this way (side at the top of your backpack as much as possible) .
Hisatomi: In the top part.
Arai Yusuke: In the top part. The heavy objects come up and the water stops shaking.
Things you should do when choosing a backpack
Arai Yusuke: When it comes to choosing a backpack, I'm sure there are some people who have tried carrying this frameless type on their back and thought it would be difficult to carry (in that case, this type is still too early), but the typical backpack for beginners is one that supports them with three points (shoulders and waist). At this time, you need to choose a model that suits your back and muscle mass, and the most important thing you need to do after carrying it on your back is some people who say, "Oh, that's a great backpack" (while carrying it on your back), but that's not the case, I want you to do it this far (swing your body from side to side) . Shaking your body from side to side while carrying it on your back makes the pack sway and move around the bottom of your pack, which doesn't suit your body type. The biggest thing to do is to get thrown away, and a backpack that rolls when you swing it like this doesn't suit your body type. This means it is prone to crosswinds, or you may get caught in a chain and fall.
We are part of the Encounter Association, so we do rescue operations, but most of the time we have a lot of ordinary pockets and all sorts of things stick out from the backpack (in an accident). It's fine to put things in the outer pocket, but please keep this far (the gear is completely in place in the pocket) . There are people like this who say (the tools pop out) When some of the protruding tool gets caught, it makes me feel like a "whoa," causing me to lose my balance, and my backpack's belt gets caught, like chains. As a result, the belt becomes suspended, and surprisingly, only humans fall off without breaking. They leave the backpack alone on top and end up with no one there.
Choose to avoid overlapping backpack and clothing features
Another thing to consider is that (the model that gives the back breathable) has a frame so it is curved. If it is curved, it means that items that fit this curve will fit, but not the ones that don't fit, and even if the capacity is numerically the same (numerically for models with straight frames and models with curved frames), the amount of content may be different . If the two were the same 20L, then the straight ones would actually get in.
Frameless ones are just bags. Furthermore (in the case of frameless) when it's cold, you can just keep it in (the lower body) like this . (Depending on the environment) my legs will still get frostbite. From autumn to early winter, when radiative cooling occurs suddenly, some people are too thin to frostbite only the ends of the body. If it reaches below 0° there is a chance that it will cause frostbite. For example, there are quite a few people who go out to play at Kitakaruizawa or Mt. Asama at that time and get frostbite in just one day. If you have such a person, simply putting one frameless model in your sleeping bag or sleeping bag will change the heat retention considerably. You might think, "That's actually the case, so it won't change," but surprisingly, it doesn't come out, both moisture and heat. For example, even if you carry a backpack in the middle of summer, when you touch the contents of the pack, the deep inside (just like the cold air in the morning) can be cool, but in reality it's just that much insulation. It's quite different whether you wear it or not.
Hisatomi: (It's true) it comes down from above in the winter, and even though the area around it gets warmer after descending the mountain, it's probably very cold inside the backpack.
Arai Yusuke: It has that much heat retention, so it might be a good idea to use it as if it's an effective product (and also frameless).
Also, as mentioned earlier, there are types with removable frames and there are many models that allow you to arrange them in your own way, such as removing the frame or removing the canopy So maybe you can use that kind of thing.
Furthermore, I think that mesh backpacks on the back are the mainstream these days, but one of the effective ways is that features that can be used with clothing does not need to be added to the backpack, . If you choose this kind of clothing (an insulation packed with padding on the front, and a thin fleece on the back for highly breathable. For example, OUTDOOR RESEARCH DEVIATOR HOODY), you won't need this kind of clothing (a mesh backpack on the back that improves breathability on the back), and if you don't choose this kind of clothing, you can wear something like this, and there will be no overlap in functionality. As I mentioned earlier, important to have both functions .
If you find out which clothing you choose, or which one you'll be replacing (wear or backpack) more frequently, you'll probably end up buying more frequently, so I think it's better to choose clothing based on the backpack that lasts longer. (However), I think it depends on which one you buy first, but if you ask for it in a variety of ways, I think (the most wasteful) will probably be the backpack (a model with a straight back) and this clothing (a model with an ingenuity to improve the ventilation of the back).
Anyway, after learning a lot, I think it's really important to find out why there's no padding on the back, or if this type is more likely to carry (straight), not this (mesh on the back), then finding clothing that suits this one.
(End of transcription)
Profile of Arai Yusuke
Mountain photographer. Head of SHARA PROJECT. Since his father's acquaintance was a traitor, he grew up in a deep, intimate nature from a young age. He has a deep knowledge of a wide range of fields, from traditional trekking to UL hiking, skiing, MTB, hunting and survival techniques, and outdoor gear, and is also well-versed in knives. Every year in autumn and winter, it is a bush crafter that clings to hunt, and then dismantles and cooks in the mountains.
What is Outdoor Gearzine Trailhead?
Outdoor Gearzine was held in November 2016 at a gallery near Yoyogi Park for two weeks under the theme of "Starting autumn mountain climbing with Outdoor Gearzine . There is an exhibition of recommended autumn mountain tools, a corner for purchasing tools, a store for valuable outdoor gear, a flea market for used mountain tools after the test, and a talk event with mountain photographer Arai Yusuke, and various projects are being held that can be enjoyed by people who want to climb the mountains or have recently started climbing the mountains. This event has been a huge hit with readers of this site and mountain enthusiasts who have come here casually. For more detailed plans, please see this past announcement page .