First go at my lust, packing advice?

[Grav3yardgirl89]

First pack ever put together. It's a short trip for about two weeks... I felt like I needed everything in the world (especially warm clothes galore). But to keep it lightweight and at minimum. Damn. Could use some great advice for the next future plannings. It's a standard duffle that I wear as a backpack. What's at best, the simple and efficient way to pack when dealing with the winter weather in the South. (Panhandle)
::nailbiting::

 

[Art101]

Winter in the south hmm thats tricky right now.Think layers,sure you prob already have.I like a good base layer perferably moisture wicking like underarmour or something like that.Next layer(mind you I worked outside in the mountains so this is more along the lines of that)my favorite pair of winter pants are old west german wool.They wear forever and are nice and warm.So something along those lines I guess.I usually cap it with a pair of surplus gortex pants for moisture protection.On the top repeat with a good base layer t-shirt a fleece and a water repelent jacket.Hopefully that helps and usually the base layer stuff is light and compacts easily.As for foot wear good boots.Thats my 2 cents.

 

[Rob]

sleeping bag, a few layers of clothes, socks and first aide shit never hurts.

 

[creature]

be carefull with duffels.. if it's a standard navy C bag (most likely), remember that although they hold a lot, they are not designed for long distance.. generally they were meant for ship to ship transport, and not camping or other survival.
the have no vertical or hip support, pull heavily from the shoulders back, and are hard to balance..

i landed in france & went through a bit of england with one, many, many years ago..
the worst decision of the trip, perhaps... wound up ditching it in Folkstone & re-outfitting completely..

this is *not* something you want to hike with, at all, ever, unless you rig an effective frame of some sort, or everything you have is super-light..
you run the potential of damaging your back, if you try to hoof any number of miles in it.

Guys who are over 6' & stiocky may be ok, but if yer like me, at 5'6", it's not a good ratio..
if it's a shorter dufflel, like a gym bag or some such, you should be ok, but standard issue is, i believe, somewhere around 48".

anyways, if yer just out for 2 weeks, you shouldn't need too much.. a cheap pack, at a thrift store for 10 or 15 bucks, if you can afford it or ask for it as a donation, will do you far, far better..
don't take anything super important with you, either, if yer def coming back.. no more than your communicator..

good luck, though, & i hope you have a great trip!!

: )

 

[Art101]

True on the duffel spaced that.I injured my back using one course it was loaded badly and I was trying to bail from a train in Oregon and actually tore a muscle in my back from it whipping to one side and knocked me on my ass.

 

[Matt Derrick]

there's the saying that you should gather up everything you think you need, then split that in half. makes you really think about what you do and don't need...

 

[kaichulita]

I just layered up in clothing, had a tarp, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad... Layer up smartly so that you have good insulation rather than just a whole bunch of layers.

 

[Kal]

Take only what you need and make your pack as light as possible the lighter the better.

 

[technotrash]

lighter is always better.
pack light stuff towards the bottom/outside (away from your back) and the heavy stuff towards the top/closer to your back/shoulders. Distributing the weight like this will make it a lot easier on your body because if the heavy stuff is at the bottom instead of resting on your back it's actually pulling at your shoulders and stuff.