Criticism from a thru-hiker changed how I pack my food bag

I was on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia last June when a guy named Steve told me I was making a rookie mistake. He said I was wasting too much time digging through my pack for dinner stuff because I kept everything loose in the main compartment. After hearing him out, I switched to using a lightweight stuff sack for each meal category like breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Now I can grab exactly what I need in under 30 seconds without unpacking half my bag. Has anyone else tried organizing meals by day rather than by type?

2 comments

2 Comments

pipergonzalez2d ago

Yeah, Steve is right. I started bagging lunch and dinner separately after day 3 on the PCT.

emmar752d ago

Pipergonzalez got me thinking about my own PCT attempt a few years back. I ended up learning the hard way that you can't just toss everything in one bag and hope for the best. Had a massive bear encounter on day 5 because I left a half-eaten granola bar in my lunch sack overnight. Now I separate my meals like my life depends on it, which it kind of does out there.