Organizing your gear while hiking and backpacking is now much easier with Hillsound’s PackStack system

On my last backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon a few months ago, I took my usual approach to organizing my backpack with plastic bags and stuff sacks. It all worked out fine, although I wouldn’t say I felt, well, organized, nor did I really expect to. Was I using my 50-liter pack’s capacity efficiently? Honestly, I can’t say I really thought about it. But now HillSound, a company based in British Columbia, has come up with a product that promises to optimize my backpack’s storage capacity and help me better organize my gear, and I think it’s one of those innovative products which is going to meet a need I didn’t even know I had.

PackStack™ and PackStack PRO™ comprise a modular packing system which reminds me, and may be inspired by, those packing cubes I use to organize clothing when I travel with a suitcase. And that’s not a bad thing! It’s a great concept, but I wouldn’t want to use a packing cube in my backpack. Unlike the cubes, the PackStack compartments are crescent-shaped to fit the contours of a backpack and eliminate dead space, and the back is concave to accommodate a hydration bladder. Both the PackStack™ and PackStack PRO™ are made of tear- and abrasion-resistant CORDURA® RipStop nylon with YKK zippers, and the PRO version is waterproof. PackStacks™ can accommodate cooking gear and food, clothing and soft goods, sleeping gear and tents, and small items like electronics and camera gear. The PackStack™ and PRO™ versions can also be mixed and matched to separate wet from dry, clean from dirty, food from non-food, et cetera.

The modules have handles for hanging and I can see that as a potential advantage for hanging inside the tent or at home, being used to store gear when not in use. Then you could just slip the module into your backpack when getting ready for a trip rather than gathering up gear from all corners of the closet, which is what I usually do.

One of my concerns is weight. They come in Tall (17 cm high/9.8L capacity) and Short (10cm high/5.6L capacity) for both 40L+ and 60L+ capacity packs. With weight per compartment ranging from 94 to 122g, using four of these could potentially add up to about a pound, certainly more than a grocery store plastic bag or an ultralight stuff sack. Ultralight backpackers would have to decide if it’s worth it, but they might not be looking at this product anyway. I would like to be an ultralight backpacker but I recently purchased a one-pound hiking chair because I’m tired of sitting on rocks, so I probably don’t qualify.

At $23 for PackStack™ and $35 for the PRO™ version they’re priced on par with other quality outdoor gear. I tried out my PackStack Tall on a short hiking trip recently and found it a clever way to organize things. It fit perfectly into my backpack and kept everything neatly in place. A more thorough review with the full complement of PackStacks and a longer backpacking trip is yet to come.

Likes:   

• Keeps things organized
• Neat appearance
• Optimizes space in backpack

Dislikes:  

• Added weight, but fairly insignificant

Learn more by visiting www.hillsound.com.