Glad to hear that, John, thank you.

Thanks,

John Jentzer

Thanks, Jennifer.

You’re welcome, Johann. I’ve often just put a rain cover (when I have one) over a pack and rested it against a rock or log to keep it mostly off the ground. When possible, you could also hang the pack by its grab/haul loop from a branch stub under a tree, where it may be somewhat protected from rain compared to being out in the open. That also keeps the pack off the wet or muddy ground and out of reach of rodents and other small animals that may try to chew into it in search of food. Make a small hole in the trash bag you pull over the pack to have the haul loop out.

Thanks for the comment.

I have tried a few packing methods, and have not settled on a single solution as I think there are too many variables. However, the argument for not using a separate stuff sac for the sleeping bag is that it allows you to fill all the little nooks and crannies in the pack better (within the protective confines of the trash bag, and still compressed somewhat by the weight of your gear). It does work to an extent, but I find it is very dependent on how big your pack size is and how you layer your items. I am not at the ultra minimalist with a very small size pack (25-35 litres) where this sort of approach to fill every nook is required, but I don’t usually take a stuff sac specifically for the sleeping bag in most cases just to lighten up and test efficiency. I think I will still be testing different approaches until I stop walking, which I hope is a lot of years away.

Thanks, Mike.

Thanks, Chris. I agree that I don’t use very many stuff sacks (I’m not carrying all that much in clothing). The other benefit of a stuff sack for your sleeping bag is to prevent the bag from expanding and occupying too much pack space.