The Bishop’s staff (that would be me and my co-workers) were delivering the second of two training events for new vestry and church leaders this Saturday morning. Like most meetings nowadays, it was on Zoom. I got to be slide master, and we all gave 10-minute talks to introduce ourselves and let the folks know how we can help them. While I was running the slides, some of my colleagues were diligently playing mute the microphones whack-a-mole. Of course the weather is set fair today, and I was working.

I decided I’d fit in a quick one-nighter and packed ready last night. As soon as we’d finished delivering the morning’s training I was ready to get changed and head out of here!

***

Post-trip, looking at this picture I realized there are a few things I can do to improve how I stow things.

Currently, the right pocket is used to keep my waterproofs, and mini-tripod and the left pocket is where I keep my water bottle.

The giant mesh back pocket looks like it is pretty jampacked, and it is, but it’s all things that can get wet and so don’t need to be kept in my pack, leaving room inside for more food, clothes, and other goodies.

What’s in my mesh pocket?

• Water scoop, filter and purification
• Back-flushing syringe for the water filter
• Dirty water pouch
• Alcohol fuel
• Lunch (noodles)
• Trash bag
• 6′ x 2′ Tyvek groundsheet
• Hammock straps
• Stakes for the tarp
• Camp light
• Cathole trowel
• Wash bottle (aka backwoods douche)
• Baby wipes
• Towel

And here are the changes I’m planning.

• Camp Light. I’ve been keeping the camp light in this pocket because it is water-resistant and has a big magnet. I didn’t want to keep it with the other electronics and more specifically, my compass. However, I’m moving my compass to a more accessible location (probably my front shoulder pocket), I can now keep the camp light with all the other electrical gear in my pack.
• Back-flushing syringe. It can be left behind. I can use the platypus water bladder to flush the filter. I shall be glad to see it go. It’s big, has to be kept clean, and I’ve never used it on the trail.
• Alcohol Fuel, Water scoop, filter, etc. I’m moving them to the right-hand pocket, and I’m moving my waterproofs to the mesh pocket. It just makes more sense to make better use of the side pockets.
• Cathole trowel, Wash bottle (aka backwoods douche), and Baby wipes. I’m going to experiment with these, and see if I can fit them in the side pockets. Whatever I can’t fit elsewhere, will stay in the mesh pocket.

In theory, all I’ll have in the mesh pocket in the future are:

• Waterproofs
• Noodles (for lunch)
• Trash bag
• Dirty water pouch
• 6′ x 2′ Tyvek groundsheet
• Hammock straps
• Stakes for the tarp
• Towel
• Tarp (see below)

The freed-up space in the mesh pocket will let me move my tarp out of my pack, which is great, as it is the first thing I get out when I make camp, and often, it’s the last thing I put away. With all the wet weather I’ve encountered recently, I’ve been stowing the tarp wet, and I’m not keen on keeping wet things inside my pack, even if all my gear is kept in Dynema dry bags.

Now I need a break in the weather and a weekend when I’m not working to be able to get out and test if this new arrangement is going to work.

Update: It worked fine. here’s my pack all squared away with my new packing regime.

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