Heavy things go against your spine

The best way to pack a day-hiking backpack is to put the heaviest items right against your spine, around the level of your lower back.

The reason is simple: a load carried close to your body’s center of gravity is way easier to balance. Tuck a big water bottle or a heavy lunch at the very bottom of the pack and every step will tug at your shoulders. Push it too far away from your back and you’ll feel like you’re being pulled over backward.

Visualize the inside of the pack as a soft “C” shape. Light, bulky stuff goes at the bottom (jacket, extra layers) and the top (rain shell, hat). Your heaviest items — water, food, stove, first aid kit — stack vertically in the middle, snug against your back panel. That keeps the weight over your hips so the hip belt, not your shoulders, does the real work.

And after you load it, tighten the hip belt and the load lifters. A correctly packed daypack should feel like it’s glued to you. If you’re leaning forward to stay upright, repack.

Your shoulders will thank you by mile three.