First, understand the characteristics of your gear and backpack. Put on your thinking cap and you'll find that packing a functional and neat backpack isn't difficult. The real fun lies in figuring out how to best store all your equipment within limited space.
Center of Gravity
Generally, heavier items should be placed at the top to raise the backpack's center of gravity. This allows you to keep your back straight while walking. For moderately challenging hikes, place the center of gravity lower to let your body bend and move easily through trees. For regular walking, you can have a higher center of gravity, with items close to your back.
Weight
Place heavier gear, such as stoves, cookware, heavy food, rain gear, and water bottles, at the top and close to your back. A low or off-center center of gravity forces your body to bend, which can be very tiring. Tent can be strapped to the top of the backpack, and fuel and water should be kept separate to avoid contaminating food and clothes. Moderately heavy items, like extra clothing (sealed in plastic bags and labeled with differently colored straps for easy identification), personal tools, headlamps, maps, compasses, and cameras, should go in the middle and lower side pockets. Lighter items, such as sleeping bags (sealed in waterproof bags) and air pads, go at the bottom. Tripods and water bottles can be placed in side pockets.
Backpack Packing Also Differs Between Men and Women
There are some differences in backpack packing between men and women. Men typically have longer upper bodies, while women have shorter torsos but longer legs. For men, heavier items should be placed higher up since their center of gravity is closer to the chest. For women, the center of gravity is lower, closer to the abdomen, so heavier items should be kept close to the back and above the waist.
There are also several small details worth paying attention to during actual packing: before packing, make sure to loosen the external straps and compression straps to fully open up the backpack’s interior space. After packing, tighten the compression straps to secure the contents. If your backpack has thin fabric or you’re carrying many external items, use a backpack cover to protect both your gear and the bag itself. Compared to an expensive backpack, losing a few cheap covers is a worthwhile trade-off.