Osprey Exos 58

[JLorenzo77]

Hey all - I am a week away from heading out on my first overnight trip. I'm going with a buddy who is pretty experienced. Anyway, I am having a heck of a time trying to put everything in my Osprey pack. Between the tent, the sleeping bag, my clothes, food and jetboil, it is crammed in there like crazy!

All told it weighs about 28 lbs which is fine since I am only going out for a night. Still, it's bulky and crammed. Perhaps I am not as good at packing it as I thought I would be. I put my clothes in a compression sack and my food and toiletries are in their own plastic storage bags.

Just wondering if anyone had any tips on how to properly pack a bag.

Thanks!
Josh

[eabyrd1506]

Everyone has tips on how to properly pack a bag but ultimately you need to figure out what works for you. Some of the baselines I work with are
1. Keep heavier items close to your body to minimize impact on your center of balance. You'll hear top & bottom of the pack, I prefer top so that it moves forward if I'm leaning into a climb.
2. Try to envision how you'll be using things at night. Keep the stuff you need quickly or often towards the top or in an outer pocket. In my case I keep small items in the brain (removable top) and in the main pack I have (from top to bottom) my food bag, rain coat, pad, sleeping-bag, spare stuff. The tent / groundcloth are kept vertical against my spine)

Again, this is what works for me but I'm still evolving too.

[chknfngrs]

I've found that tent poles and sleeping pads travel well on the outside of my pack.

Also take another look at what you are bringing with you, there may be a chance you don't need it.

[hikernutcasey]

I have an Exos 58 and carry it without the lid. You really have to experiment with packing. Are you using individual stuff sacks for everything? Switching to a trash compactor bag for sleeping bag, clothes and everything that needs to stay dry was a huge space saver for me. Just put dry stuff in the bag and everything else on top. Also, utilize the mesh pocket. You can cram a ton of stuff in that thing.

[Hikingjim]

it's hard to know what you're working with. some tents, sleeping bags, clothing choices can be very bulky and fill almost any bag
see what you can strap to the outside that isn't too heavy. Part of your tent, mat, whatever
If you keep most of the weight around your upper and mid-back, then it should be fine if you have some light externals for a night

[JLorenzo77]

Thanks everyone. When I purchased stuff I really wasn't thinking about weight. That said, everything comes out to about 28lbs and I figure I can just manage for a night. I wanted to get in a day hike while carrying pack weight but didn't get a chance.

I have a compression bag for my clothes, a sleeping bag, tent, small pillow, stove and then a ziplock bag of mountain house meals and sandwiches and a ziplock bag for my various hygiene stuff (toothpaste, first aid, etc). My issue is how much clothing and food should I bring. I don't typically eat much when I do day hikes. That could change when I sleep out there though. Anyway, it's only a total of 20 miles (10 each day).

[Venchka]

Educated guess:
Too much food. You could put your food for an overnight trip in your hip belt and pants pockets. Or a small stuff sack hung on the outside of your pack.
Too much clothing.
Are you sharing the stove and tent?
Tents and sleeping bags vary greatly in volume. How much space do your tent and bag take up?
Have fun.
Wayne



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[capehiker]

Sometimes tents are finicky to put inside. Try putting the tent on the outside, using the bottom lashing straps for this trip.

[chknfngrs]

Echo the clothing comments. Other than one spare pair of socks, I don't bring a change of clothes with me on the trail. I do bring insulating layer and/or shell but that's it. Food planning is always tricky because who doesn't love food? 'Make your more experienced pal carry the tent and all the grub, i mean why not?!?

[pickNgrin]

One tip I have heard is to lay out all of your gear onto the floor. Then divide the gear into three piles: absolute essentials, items that would be nice to have from time to time, and luxury items.

Leave piles 2 and 3 at home.

[JC13]

As others have said, unless you plan on bushwhacking, strap the tent to the bottom of the pack with the straps there.

[JLorenzo77]

That's a good idea, as are all the others. I have my accordion-style sleeping pad on the outside bottom of my bag but maybe putting the tent there will help.

[capehiker]

That's a good idea, as are all the others. I have my accordion-style sleeping pad on the outside bottom of my bag but maybe putting the tent there will help.

You can shift the sleep pad to the top and put in under the pack lid.

[morgan]

Have you adjusted the lid higher so you can use the extended collar on the pack, thus making more room inside? My Exos 58 has two plastic hooks on the backside, near the top of the shoulder straps. It has three adjustable settings.

[DuneElliot]

Knowing what gear you're carrying would help to give us an idea of how to recommend packing. I have an Arc Haul (62L but 47L main compartment), and it is full only with a week's worth of food and a bulky travel pillow, otherwise I can never fill it. It half empty on an overnight.

[Maydog]

I have the Exos 48, and going out for one night should be no problem. I think you are taking too much stuff, or your stuff is too big. As has been stated, don't duplicate items that your buddy is taking. Also, try stuffing your sleeping bag in the bottom of the pack without using a stuff sack or compression sack.

[SWODaddy]

One of the problems I had when first starting out was trying to stuff everything into its own (compression) sack. You end up trying to pack a bushel of bowling balls into your pack which is really inefficient.

[hikernutcasey]

One of the problems I had when first starting out was trying to stuff everything into its own (compression) sack. You end up trying to pack a bushel of bowling balls into your pack which is really inefficient.

+1 on this. You wouldn't believe how much more room you can create by using a trash compactor bag or something similar instead of 14 stuff sacks.

You can still carry a couple of smaller stuff sacks for things like toiletries and/or cooking equipment but by stuffing everything else in that big bag makes life so much easier.