Staying organized on backcountry backpack hunts can be a challenge, as you need to carry all your gear and supplies on your back and keep everything accessible and easy to find. I have to admit, I was once guilty of throwing stuff in random pockets, the lid, and my personal pockets because I was “in a hurry” and not organized. I’ve seen the inside of lots of backpackers’ and hunters’ packs, where they put their necessary items, and how they organize. Maybe it’s me, but I’m also very observant of the speed at which they can access certain items. Are they having to wade through a pile of odds and ends to fish out a band-aid or a couple of Advil? Been there!
If you struggle with organization and are tired of “yardsaleing” your pack every time you go to find your Steripen, this article is for you!
There is one method I’ve used for years to keep my pack organized which helps me avoid going insane. I utilize a variety of Initial Ascent Pack Sacks to help keep “like” gear together such as firestarter, hydration, first aid, and electronics. They come in four sizes from small to XL. Here are specific examples of the sizes and quantities for each category I use to keep myself and my pack organized.
WHEN THE MOMENT OF TRUTH COMES, CAN YOU FIND WHAT YOU NEED QUICK ENOUGH?
Initial Ascent offers a variety of options for pack organization to make sure that you know exactly where all your gear is to for quick and easy access.
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Hydration Kit- Medium Pack Sack
I like to keep anything that has to do with hydration in one spot and the Pack Sack allows me to do that. If I go down to the creek to retrieve water, I simply grab this bag and I’m ready. It’s all there.
- Two 3L Hydrapak Water Reservoirs
- Steripen Adventurer
- Variety of electrolyte supplements (Liquid IV, NUUN)
- Aquatabs
“Everyday” Kit- Medium Pack Sack
This kit will have the items I need every single morning to start my day or last thing in the evening before I go to sleep. Check out these items and you’ll see what I mean.
- Contact Lenses
- Glasses
- Toothbrush w/ toothpaste
- Advil
- Daily vitamin and mineral supplements
- Probiotics
- CBD supplements
- Sunscreen
- Chapstick
- Eye drops
- Ballsy Shower in a Bag (large wet wipe)
Kill Kit- Large Pack Sack
This kit contains all that I need to process an animal in the field.
- Goat Knives Capra Hunter replaceable blade knife
- 3- 60A replaceable blades
- 1 Contractor Bag
- Grakksaw Gamebags
- Latex gloves
- 50 ft of paracord
Fire Starting Kit
- Pyro Putty Lighter
- Pyro Putty
- Esbit Cubes
- Waterproof Matches
Bathroom Kit- Large Pack Sack
- ½-1 roll of soft toilet paper (No John Wayne!)
- Individual Dude Wipes (at least 2/day)
- Hand sanitizer
Electronics Kit- Small Pack Sack
- Battery Pack- Dark Energy Poseidon
- 3-ft iPhone charging cord
- Micro-USB cord
- Petzl e-lite headlamp (backup)
- Spare battery for SteriPen
- Spare rangefinder battery
Tarp and Stakes Kit- XL Pack Sack
- 10’ x10’ Syl Nylon Tarp with guylines
- 4 aluminum stakes
- 25’ of paracord
Other possible uses for pack sacks you might try are as follows:
- Cold weather kit (gloves, beanie, neck gaiter, mitts, Hot Hands, etc.)
- Snacks (one of my buddies puts all of his snacks in an XL Pack Sack
- Electrolyte storage
- Camera gear storage
My first aid kit is actually the Sthealthy Hunter Med Kit and comes with its own storage sack. The only reason I don’t replace it with a Pack Sack is because it is in a high viz orange color. I like to have my first aid kit a different color so I can identify and grab it quickly if necessary.
I hope this will give you some ideas on how utilizing Pack Sacks can greatly increase your organizational game and make your next trip more efficient and enjoyable. If you haven't purchased your Initial Ascent Pack Sacks yet, make sure to get some before you hit the hills!