I've been packing my bag wrong for years and a rainy day in the Smokies proved it

I was on day three of a five day loop in the Great Smoky Mountains last fall when a cold rain started that just wouldn't quit. I was soaked and miserable, and when I finally set up my tent, I realized my sleeping bag was damp. Not from a leak, but from my own sweat. For years, I'd been putting my sleeping bag at the bottom of my pack, thinking it was the safest spot. But all my other gear was crushing it down, making it hard for any air to circulate around it. My body heat and the trapped moisture from the day's hike were just getting sealed in. I spent a shivering night that made me rethink everything. I switched to packing it vertically, loose in the main compartment, and my next trip was so much better. How do you guys pack to keep your sleep system dry?

2 comments

2 Comments

parker_patel8424d ago

I mean, that's the classic move, right? You spend all this time worrying about rain getting in from the outside, and then your own gear betrays you from the inside. I've definitely been that guy shivering in a damp bag, feeling like a real genius.

betty_ramirez523d ago

Nah, you just didn't dry your gear right. That's on you. My bag's never let me down.