Packing top and under quilts while hiking

[scooterdogma]

Just sharing, I use a compactor bag and stuff, stuff, stuff. I don't need no stuff sacks. Down quilts in the bottom, everything else stuffed on top. I am a True Believer in compactor bags because of this experience; we were doing Spring trail check on the Sheltowee Trace in KY, Came to a rockfall covering the trail. River on my left, cliff wall on my right, huge boulders in front. My buddy went over first sans her pack, I threw her pack over and she caught it and layed it aside. I threw my pack over and ****, bad throw or butterfinger hands resulted in my pack rolling into the fast moving river. I heard the thud and splash and looked toward the river in time to see my pack floating by me. Thankfully it snagged on a tree and I was able to wade in and get it. The whole time I was thinking, Quilts, Quilts, Quilts! Got the pack back on dry land, opened it up and everything, was dry,dry,dry. Yep, True Believer.

[Longrun]

I started playing with a few options from suggestions given. I like my quilts in a separate trash compacter bag at the bottom. It really compresses. I have a Sea To Summit waterproof compression bag that I put my hammock and tarp in and connect that to the outside bottom of my Gregory Baltoro pack. It carries very nicely. Fully loaded with 4 days food and a liter and a half of water is just over 29#. My goal is under 27#.

I have had to leave some stuff back. Buy some lighter gear - exchanged the Katadyn Water Filter with a Sawyer Squeeze, got an alcohol stove to replace my Primus canister stove... I am getting close! I start hiking north from Springer Mtn June 6 for the summer.

[Longrun]

How did you tie your trash compacter bag?

[Dylanc95]

How did you tie your trash compacter bag?

Use your compactor bag to compress the quilts, then take the excess on top and twist it. You should end up having something like a tail. You can put an overhand knot in it, but I prefer just tucking it to one side. Never had a problem with that method.

[Grumpy Squatch]

Depends on my backpack. I always start w/ a trash compactor bag liner. For my 3-season 48L bag, I put sleeping clothes in the bottom, then my Topquilt in a stuffsack goes in the middle, and I stuff my underquilt around that. I've found this gives me the best use of space.

If I'm using my 70L winter pack, I usually stuff both TQ and UQ into the bag without a separate stuffsack.

How did you tie your trash compacter bag?

Twist and tuck. I usually put my food over top of this and use the internal compression strap on my pack to cinch it all down tight. Never had it open up this way.

[Longrun]

I leave from Springer Mtn for my 9 week section hike June 5! Lots more to do but getting close.

My quilts pack incredibly well in a trash compacter bag at the bottom of my pack. Would never have packed this way if not for your help!
Thank you all!