So what do YOU prefer? A compression sack or a pack liner? And did this video bring to light anything you hadn’t thought about? The biggest surprise for me was by far how packable a compression sack is. It isn’t even CLOSE! This is crazy because everyone on Team Pack Liner seems to think the opposite. Honestly, it’s all about packing your bag correctly. And here’s how to do it. Put the compression sack down so that the thinnest part of the compression sack faces up. If compressed correctly, the shape of the compression sack should be a disk, not a tube. The disk provides a great base. Stuff your sleeping pad and clothing around this, filling out the bottom space of the bag. Now you’ve got a solid, ergonomic base to work with! What I use: I’ve had the Sea to Summit Ultra Sil Dry Compression Sack for nearly 7 years and it still works just as well as day 1. Don’t believe me? Be sure to watch the waterproof test. Even I was skeptic about how this piece of gear would hold up, but it’s a champ! 10/10 recommend! Grab one here: bit.ly/4dVLF1r (I use the 20L one) Oh don’t worry - I haven’t forgotten, here are the weights! Weights: Trash bag: 1.8 oz / 51 g Sea to Summit Ultralight Sil Compression Sack: 3 oz / 85 g Compression sack that came with my sleeping bag: 1.6 oz / 45.3g
You do realize this doesn't have to be an either/or question, except for extreme gram counters. For an extra 2 oz, you can put a compression sack inside a trash compactor bag for double protection. That is where my sleep system goes, including both bag and sleep clothes. On top of the compression sack, but still protected by the liner, I put my other clothes. I've gone into a stream before and still slept dry that night.
Well aware you can use both - and I'm glad that works for you and it's certainly a safe option. But this is a video about COMPARING not combining the methods.
As an ultralight hiker, I love my compression sack. It saves volume and weight because allows me to use a lighter frameless backpack than I otherwise would use. That’s analogous to your insight that you can take off the brain of your pack. So as far as money goes, you could also have bought a less expensive and smaller backpack to save money and using those savings to get the compression sack. So there isn’t even a financial hit to the $40 compression sack when you factor in the cost of the backpack itself.
I prefer the pack liner just for simplicity. I put all of my sleep related items (pillow, warm clothing layers, and then quilt) into the pack liner and stuff it down at the bottom of my pack. That way I don’t have to worry about rolling and folding my sleeping pad in the morning and packing everything up into its own little stuff sack.
Kudos for putting in the effort to pack and unpack 3 times each just for the video. That's dedication! Can't imagine ever just stuffing my bag into the bottom of my pack, but glad to know I've already scratched that mental itch if it ever pops up.
I stopped using compression bags after I got my first silnylon roll top stuff sack (Sea to Summit). You can compress all of the air out, roll it down, buckle up and have waterproofing. No strap weight.
Brilliant video. I have recurring issues with my backpacks feeling not quite right for a while now, and this video might have identified to cause from having my food being too high. Going to try using the compression sack out this winter!
After trying to pack my bear canister in my 55L pack, I put one of those Sea to Summit bags in my cart [waiting for monies]. Was waffling over the weight as well, but this video helps!
In all fairness I don't have to use a bear can often, but I find it helps me. What I would do is sit on the compression sack to make a puck (check out my shorts to see how to do that). and put the puck flat side down in the bottom of your pack to create a "landing pad" so-to-speak for the bear can. That's what I do. Afterwards, I'll stuff everything else around the can to keep it centered in my bag. Totally get the money thing! If you can, purchase from a retailer that lets you return items so if it doesn't work out, you'll get the money back in your pocket!
Thank you so much for this! I got sucked in by all the videos showing the trash bag system and wondered why I was always filling a 60 litre pack. I just couldn't compress my sleeping bag enough. I'm going back to my compression sack.
Nice test! For ultralight quilts in warmer climates, a compression sack is probably not necessary. But if you hike in colder climates during spring, fall or winter and use a sleeping bag and extra warm clothes, then it's good to be able to compress and save space for a tighter and more stable backpack.
I use a trash compressor bag as a bag liner. If I need to, I use a compression sack for my sleeping bag and then put it in the bag liner. Most of the time I don’t need the extra space. My stay dry clothes and electronics go into a HMG pod and then into the liner. That all compresses into the bottom of my pack well enough. If I over compress, it does push into the space for the side pockets.
My Exped schnozzel is a pack liner and a pump sack and it is a dry bag so can be compressed down very well as it has the valve. I usually use compression sacks though.
@@megintheforestoutdoors You need a good schnozzel for your Exped mat😂 My sleep stuff goes in the schnozzel pump sack. I have another sil nylon dry bag for all the other stuff that can be damaged by rain and then on top of all that is tent and stove etc. Electronics are double bagged but I only have cables, a charger block and a power bank. I'm trying to get away from too many electronics. No pump, a gps that uses AA batteries and a head torch is my gear. Maybe chuck an in reach in to that as well. The phone gets switched off and a camera with spare batteries gets used instead.
About those garbage bags as packliners, yes they are fairly cheap, however I found they just don't hold up very well, plus like you said, they don't pack down very well either. (creates lots of dead air space)
What’s recommended at trash COMPACTOR bags. Not normal trash bags. Trash compactor bags are heavier and much sturdier. Not fragile. They can last thousands of miles.
@@not-a-raccoon I watch the video and what is recommended in the video is bad (trash bags). But is “recommended” in the world of thru hiking are trash compactor bags. So the video got it wrong and confused you as to what the alternatives are. Did I suggest you NOT use a compression sack? No. I use a compression sack for my quilt and a trash compactor bag (for everything else).
Your hip belt is located across your belly reducung your breathing by roughly 25%. If you able to relocate the belt a few inches below your navel, you will regain your full breathing ability. Your spine is the center of your torso rotation, the best location for the heaviest gear such as water to be placed to reduce the side to side shifting of the backpack generating fatigue and best for increasing your speed.and endurance. During forward motion as your torso rotates you expend energy thrusting the backpack gear load side to side and returning the load with each step taken. With a backpack extending to your hips or lower you've lost your basic pace speed easily proven by first lifting your shoulder straps up and then pulling them down in front of you, holding the straps in place and then learning the result of this test. You could if preferred buy a shorter pack and transfer what you can't carry in your pack to a waist belt with the heaviest gear at the rear and center of your spine,
Your hip belt should hug your hips - with the widest part of the hip belt across the part of your hip bone that sticks out - which my pack is. In the 20-plus years I've been backpacking, often above 12,000 feet, my pack has never made me feel like I can't breathe. And that is where mine are. The belt isn't at my navel at all, but thanks for making assumptions about my body. I backpack at a speed that's well above average and I'm pretty happy with how I feel with my current setup.
Not sure where you got that pack liner but mine is 15 grams. Aprox ¼ what you just weighed. And it holds everything I may not want wet up to 70 litres (bigger than my pack) Maybe I can’t compress the heck out of my sleeping bag but that’s not my goal either. Just saying
I don't usually see people recommending regular trash bags like the one tested, but rather contractor bags which are thicker, more durable, and easier to repair. On the other hand they are heavier, noisier at camp, and still have the vulnerability that one hole could get all your stuff wet if it's not in individual dry bags.
instead of a trash bag, use a 3 mil thick trash compactor bag, and fold it over on the top to keep it water tight. Way more durable and waterproof. They will last multiple years for each bag, no problem.
So what do YOU prefer? A compression sack or a pack liner? And did this video bring to light anything you hadn’t thought about?
The biggest surprise for me was by far how packable a compression sack is. It isn’t even CLOSE! This is crazy because everyone on Team Pack Liner seems to think the opposite.
Honestly, it’s all about packing your bag correctly.
And here’s how to do it. Put the compression sack down so that the thinnest part of the compression sack faces up. If compressed correctly, the shape of the compression sack should be a disk, not a tube.
The disk provides a great base. Stuff your sleeping pad and clothing around this, filling out the bottom space of the bag. Now you’ve got a solid, ergonomic base to work with!
What I use:
I’ve had the Sea to Summit Ultra Sil Dry Compression Sack for nearly 7 years and it still works just as well as day 1. Don’t believe me? Be sure to watch the waterproof test. Even I was skeptic about how this piece of gear would hold up, but it’s a champ! 10/10 recommend!
Grab one here: bit.ly/4dVLF1r (I use the 20L one)
Oh don’t worry - I haven’t forgotten, here are the weights!
Weights:
Trash bag: 1.8 oz / 51 g
Sea to Summit Ultralight Sil Compression Sack: 3 oz / 85 g
Compression sack that came with my sleeping bag: 1.6 oz / 45.3g
You do realize this doesn't have to be an either/or question, except for extreme gram counters. For an extra 2 oz, you can put a compression sack inside a trash compactor bag for double protection. That is where my sleep system goes, including both bag and sleep clothes. On top of the compression sack, but still protected by the liner, I put my other clothes. I've gone into a stream before and still slept dry that night.
Well aware you can use both - and I'm glad that works for you and it's certainly a safe option. But this is a video about COMPARING not combining the methods.
As an ultralight hiker, I love my compression sack. It saves volume and weight because allows me to use a lighter frameless backpack than I otherwise would use. That’s analogous to your insight that you can take off the brain of your pack. So as far as money goes, you could also have bought a less expensive and smaller backpack to save money and using those savings to get the compression sack. So there isn’t even a financial hit to the $40 compression sack when you factor in the cost of the backpack itself.
I prefer the pack liner just for simplicity. I put all of my sleep related items (pillow, warm clothing layers, and then quilt) into the pack liner and stuff it down at the bottom of my pack. That way I don’t have to worry about rolling and folding my sleeping pad in the morning and packing everything up into its own little stuff sack.
Kudos for putting in the effort to pack and unpack 3 times each just for the video. That's dedication!
Can't imagine ever just stuffing my bag into the bottom of my pack, but glad to know I've already scratched that mental itch if it ever pops up.
Haha - it was a time consuming experiment.
I stopped using compression bags after I got my first silnylon roll top stuff sack (Sea to Summit). You can compress all of the air out, roll it down, buckle up and have waterproofing. No strap weight.
Brilliant video. I have recurring issues with my backpacks feeling not quite right for a while now, and this video might have identified to cause from having my food being too high. Going to try using the compression sack out this winter!
Hope it helps!
After trying to pack my bear canister in my 55L pack, I put one of those Sea to Summit bags in my cart [waiting for monies]. Was waffling over the weight as well, but this video helps!
In all fairness I don't have to use a bear can often, but I find it helps me. What I would do is sit on the compression sack to make a puck (check out my shorts to see how to do that). and put the puck flat side down in the bottom of your pack to create a "landing pad" so-to-speak for the bear can. That's what I do. Afterwards, I'll stuff everything else around the can to keep it centered in my bag.
Totally get the money thing! If you can, purchase from a retailer that lets you return items so if it doesn't work out, you'll get the money back in your pocket!
Thank you so much for this! I got sucked in by all the videos showing the trash bag system and wondered why I was always filling a 60 litre pack. I just couldn't compress my sleeping bag enough. I'm going back to my compression sack.
Glad you found it helpful! I was shocked at how much space the pack liner takes up!
Nice test! For ultralight quilts in warmer climates, a compression sack is probably not necessary. But if you hike in colder climates during spring, fall or winter and use a sleeping bag and extra warm clothes, then it's good to be able to compress and save space for a tighter and more stable backpack.
Like many I use a nylofume plastic bag as a pack liner which weighs like 26 grams (less then a ounce) also quite durable
I use a trash compressor bag as a bag liner. If I need to, I use a compression sack for my sleeping bag and then put it in the bag liner. Most of the time I don’t need the extra space. My stay dry clothes and electronics go into a HMG pod and then into the liner. That all compresses into the bottom of my pack well enough. If I over compress, it does push into the space for the side pockets.
If you “don’t need the extra space”, then your backpack is too big and it’s a waste of pack weight that provides that extra space.
Very cool! What size is the Sea to Summit compression sack?
Oh great question! It's the 20L (medium). I'll add this to the pinned comment.
My Exped schnozzel is a pack liner and a pump sack and it is a dry bag so can be compressed down very well as it has the valve.
I usually use compression sacks though.
You had me at "schnozzel" 😅
@@megintheforestoutdoors You need a good schnozzel for your Exped mat😂
My sleep stuff goes in the schnozzel pump sack. I have another sil nylon dry bag for all the other stuff that can be damaged by rain and then on top of all that is tent and stove etc. Electronics are double bagged but I only have cables, a charger block and a power bank. I'm trying to get away from too many electronics. No pump, a gps that uses AA batteries and a head torch is my gear. Maybe chuck an in reach in to that as well. The phone gets switched off and a camera with spare batteries gets used instead.
About those garbage bags as packliners, yes they are fairly cheap, however I found they just don't hold up very well, plus like you said, they don't pack down very well either. (creates lots of dead air space)
Agree! I used a more durable bag, but a disposable plastic trash bag is still a disposable plastic trash bag.
Id never use a trash bag, honestly. Theyre too fragile. Compression sack all the way. Btw, hellp from Norway! 🇳🇴
What’s recommended at trash COMPACTOR bags. Not normal trash bags. Trash compactor bags are heavier and much sturdier. Not fragile. They can last thousands of miles.
@@RC-qf3mp did you actually watch the video? It's not being used as a pack liner 😑. I'll stick with the compression sack.
@@not-a-raccoon I watch the video and what is recommended in the video is bad (trash bags). But is “recommended” in the world of thru hiking are trash compactor bags. So the video got it wrong and confused you as to what the alternatives are. Did I suggest you NOT use a compression sack? No. I use a compression sack for my quilt and a trash compactor bag (for everything else).
Your hip belt is located across your belly reducung your breathing by roughly 25%. If you able to relocate the belt a few inches below your navel, you will regain your full breathing ability. Your spine is the center of your torso rotation, the best location for the heaviest gear such as water to be placed to reduce the side to side shifting of the backpack generating fatigue and best for increasing your speed.and endurance. During forward motion as your torso rotates you expend energy thrusting the backpack gear load side to side and returning the load with each step taken. With a backpack extending to your hips or lower you've lost your basic pace speed easily proven by first lifting your shoulder straps up and then pulling them down in front of you, holding the straps in place and then learning the result of this test. You could if preferred buy a shorter pack and transfer what you can't carry in your pack to a waist belt with the heaviest gear at the rear and center of your spine,
Your hip belt should hug your hips - with the widest part of the hip belt across the part of your hip bone that sticks out - which my pack is. In the 20-plus years I've been backpacking, often above 12,000 feet, my pack has never made me feel like I can't breathe. And that is where mine are. The belt isn't at my navel at all, but thanks for making assumptions about my body.
I backpack at a speed that's well above average and I'm pretty happy with how I feel with my current setup.
Not sure where you got that pack liner but mine is 15 grams. Aprox ¼ what you just weighed. And it holds everything I may not want wet up to 70 litres (bigger than my pack) Maybe I can’t compress the heck out of my sleeping bag but that’s not my goal either. Just saying
This is testing a DIY home method of an extremely common household brand trash bag that lots of people use against an outdoor product.
With the trash bag, I'd worry about it getting a rip/tear/cut on a multi-day adventure.
Same! The first time I used one it tore - and ripped a hole in a brand new sleeping bag which is why I stray away from them these days!
I don't usually see people recommending regular trash bags like the one tested, but rather contractor bags which are thicker, more durable, and easier to repair. On the other hand they are heavier, noisier at camp, and still have the vulnerability that one hole could get all your stuff wet if it's not in individual dry bags.
instead of a trash bag, use a 3 mil thick trash compactor bag, and fold it over on the top to keep it water tight. Way more durable and waterproof. They will last multiple years for each bag, no problem.