Some other posts here about what gear you need to get to and how you get to it led me to think about an underlying practice in packing gear that I have been following for a while.

Some kits are like a parachute. You carefully and slowly pack it to fit in a tight space, and set it up so it deploys quick when you need it, but once it's deployed, it's gonna take a while to get it all re-packed. Many of my emergency kits were packed Parachute style, until I had to actually use them in emergencies and I found that the time I spent re-assembling a kit was a PITA. Communications kits are packed Parachute style as are some longer-term items.

Then there's the Tool Box style of packing. Orderly, neat and with everything individually accessible. Not nearly as efficient as a Parachute setup in terms of space efficiency, but if it's a kit you're going to actually be using, you need to sacrifice ultimate packing density for ease of access and use. All of my medical and auto extrication kits are packed "toolbox" style - not the ultimate in tight packing, but nothing is hidden away from view either.

Finally, there's the "purse" - call it what you will, this is stuff that's not really "packed" at all - it's just carried around and at hand at all times. Cell phones, pocket knives, fire - also hatchets, guns or saws - this is stuff that you need to be able to reach for and grab without looking for it. A fire tuck is configured partly as a purse and partly as a tool box, never as a Parachute.

Anyway, just a way of thinking about stuff.

All my EDC items on my person I never even have to look at. I'm like that with tools too, I know them by feel and know exactly where they are without having to look.

My bag on the other hand is packed very loosely so I went for a larger bag than most people would. I like being able to grab stuff out and throw it right back in without having to squeeze stuff in. Everything has a pocket it's designated to go in, but I don't worry about WHERE in that pocket it ends up.

Except the first aid kit, outside pocket, basically the only thing in that pocket, very easy access. I also have a flashlight clipped to the zipper pull on the outside of the bag to make it easier in the dark to get items out/in.

Martin,

Just make sure the parachute and the backpack are not close in appearance. Elmer Fudd never made out well when the rip cord released his silk skivvies instead of his silk canopy.

Absolutely. Only my tobacco tin survival kit is packed parachute-style because it's basically a last ditch backup that I almost never need. The rest of the gear is distributed in a manner that allows me easy access to every item I might need on a regular basis or in an emergency.

Good advice. I was on an adventure with a buddy when he asked me to get something from the black bag in the back seat of his vehicle. Unfortunately, ALL of his bags were black and there were several to choose from. Duh!

I have my kit packed as a combo toolbox / purse style... Some components are clearly packed individually, others are just sort of there...

While I favor purse-type organization for EDC in most cases, there is some level of compartmentalization that I maintain in any sort of kit. There are loose items in my EDC bag, but there are also packages of items (FAK, PSK, foodstuffs) that make finding stuff a bit easier. The wife's purse has the same thing, her cosmetic and nail bag, her hair care bag, her wallet, along with loose items like gum, key rings, cell phone, pens and pencils.

Tight packing is just for shipping, it doesn't work in real life on a day-to-day basis, just for the reasons outlined above. If you're in a hurry to get it out, you might be in just as much of a hurry to pack it up.

Of course, you could just toss it all loose into the parachute and drag it behind you! *grins*

Sue

Generally I tend toward the 'toolbox' system for tools, first-aid kits, etcetera.

I don't know exactly and precisely where the pliers are but I know they are within a couple of inches. Some things, like wood chisels and files can't be allowed to rattle and bang around if I want the edges to remain sharp. So I pack them into a roll that keeps them well ordered, more like the 'parachute' system, and protected while the roll rattles around in the larger kit.