How to Pack a Tactical Backpack

From durability to increased performance, there are plenty of benefits of tactical gear and backpacks. But there’s just one thing standing between you and those benefits: packing. While it’s important to include all of the gear you’ll need, it’s also important to properly pack your backpack so you’re not sacrificing comfort to carry a huge load of gear. This also helps ensure that you’re not going to cause any injuries or back strain. In this guide, we’ll teach you how to pack a tactical backpack and offer you backpack organization ideas that’ll have you packing like a pro for any outdoor adventure.

Your Packing List

Before you learn how to pack a tactical backpack, you need to figure out the outdoor survival gear you’ll bring. Despite the significant storage space of tactical backpacks, every bag has its limits. Differentiate between your essentials and nice-to-have items. It may be helpful to make a comprehensive list so you’re not forgetting anything.

What you pack in your tactical backpack will vary depending on whether you’re camping, hiking, or heading out on another excursion or mission. However, some fundamental items for every adventurer include:

• First aid kit
• Food and water/water purification
• Multi-tool
• Lighting, such as a flashlight or fire starter
• Military clothing

Organizing Your Gear

Another essential step to learning how to pack a tactical backpack is figuring out your packing strategy. What does that mean? Think of it this way: if you didn’t have any sort of strategy, how would your backpack look? You’d likely have difficulty accessing some of your most critical items and have an uneven distribution of weight, which greatly impacts your comfort, injury prevention, and mobility. No one wants that!

A common backpack organization idea is to pack like a pyramid – heavier items at the bottom of the bag, medium-weight in the center, and lightest items at the top. This helps to create a more even weight distribution and makes your backpack easier to carry.

At this stage, you also want to prioritize your essential gear. Typically, the gear you don’t need immediate access to goes to the bottom, and the critical items sit at the top. For this reason, you may want to separate these items into groups based on urgency.

How to Pack a Tactical Backpack: The Bottom

A well-packed tactical backpack starts with a solid foundation. You should start by packing the items that you don’t need immediate or regular access to. These are usually the items that you’d only need to grab if you were setting up camp for the night or taking an extended rest. This could include spare military clothing, a blanket, and hygiene items.

From there, you want to add your heavier items, like entrenching tools, tactical equipment, and footwear. This backpack organization idea is beneficial for carrying and back support. Having the gear slightly elevated above clothing helps keep the center of gravity closer to your body, making carrying your bag much easier and more comfortable.

Tip: try to pack your clothing as flat as possible or utilize the rolling technique to prevent it from taking up too much extra storage space.

How to Pack a Tactical Backpack: The Center

Now that you’ve established your center of gravity, you can pack the next layer in your tactical backpack. These are items that you may or may not need mid-excursion. Think of them as being useful, but not critical.

This is a great spot to pack your food, like military MREs and other non-perishable foods. If applicable, you can add your underwear here to provide a layer of cushioning or separation before you add the rest of the items to your tactical backpack.

How to Pack a Tactical Backpack: The Top Layer

This spot is where you’ll add your lighter, miscellaneous items. These are items that you may need to reach for more often or need quicker access to, such as a poncho, navigation gear, or water purification. The top of your backpack is also a useful space to hold any medications, identification, or your phone.

If you’re looking for more compartmentalization, one valuable backpack organization idea is to use MOLLE pouches. These small pouches enable you to carry all your essential tactical supplies and other items, while offering more organization when you’re on the trails.

Exterior Attachments

Learning how to pack a tactical backpack doesn’t stop at internal storage. One of the key features of these backpacks is their ability to allow external attachments through MOLLE webbing. You want to make the most out of your tactical backpack by utilizing all of the storage and organizational capabilities.

The exterior is where you put your critical items, such as your first aid kit, canteen, multi-tool, or even a flashlight. Why use this backpack organization idea when packing your bag? Besides preventing these small items from getting lost in your backpack, it helps provide fast, easy access to this gear when you need it most.

While not a critical item, you may need to secure your sleeping bag or tent externally. This could be applicable if it doesn’t fit in your bag or if your bag has straps, loops, or an external frame for this type of gear. When figuring out how to pack a tactical backpack, you might also choose this option to save internal storage space for additional survival gear.

Check and Make Adjustments

Finished packing your tactical backpack? Before heading out on your excursion, checking your backpack is helpful. Check that your external attachments are secure. Put the backpack on your shoulders to see if you’ve properly distributed the bag’s weight. It’s better to make any necessary adjustments now rather than in the middle of your journey.

Now that you know how to pack a tactical backpack, you’re almost ready – all that’s left to do is make sure you have your essential military surplus. Get the latest gear today at Army Surplus World!