Packing Clothing Barrels

Barrels are great, but you need to be creative about packing! You should be able to get at least 2 sleeping bags and all clothing/personal supplies for 2 people in a big barrel (including fleeces and rain gear).

Start by putting your sleeping bags in compression bags and pulling tight. Put two sleeping bags in the barrel, then stuff individual items of clothes (socks, shirts, etc.) all around the bags as tightly as possible to fill every nook and cranny of the barrel. It will maximize what the barrel holds ... but it could be a nightmare of muddled clothing, right?

Nope! Have a thin nylon drawstring sack for each person. Put these sacks at the very top of the barrel. As you empty the barrel at the next campsite, just toss items into the sacks -- then the sacks into the tent. Keeps stuff together and is the start of a pillow for the night! 

Before leaving the tent in the morning, stuff all your gear in the bag ready for packing in the barrel.

Leslie Dutton