I use a karrimor Sabre 45L rucksack, with a back length of 19 inches. Also a Gransfors small forest axe, also at 19 inches. I find that the best place to secure this axe is inside the main compartment of the rucksack, with the axe head centred at the top, next to the back support. The only modification to the rucksack that is needed is to sew in a small loop of paracord. This is the most effective way to carry any heavy gear, high on the back, and as close to the spine as possible. If you keep your axe head oiled, then all you need do is make a hood for the head, out of neoprene nylon.

Hi Jampot,<br><br>Neat idea, sewing an axe loop inside the main compartment of a backpack. I've never thought about modifying the interior of a pack to improve organization. As always with good ideas, it seems fairly obvious... now that someone else has pointed it out to me. I'm sure there are also many other ways this thinking could be applied. Thanks.<br><br>Just to pick a nit, I would argue, that "high on the back" would not always be "the most effective way to carry any heavy gear", though I do agree with keeping heavy stuff close to the spine.<br><br>Here's an excerpt from a good article on packing backpacks which can be found at OutdoorPlaces.com...<br><br>"Make sure you balance your load. Don't have too much extra weight on one side or the other. If you are carrying heavy or bulky objects make sure they are closer to your back and your natural center of gravity. Pack your load top heavy and you will be staring at the ground all day. Pack your load bottom heavy and your shoulder straps will dig into you. Load too heavy to the left or right, and the imbalanced load will hurt your shoulders, hips and feet. A properly loaded pack should fee natural on the back, and you should be able to stand erect without too much pressure on your neck, shoulders, back, or hips. If you're going to be doing a lot of scrambling over rough terrain, consider loading your pack slightly bottom heavy. This lowers your center of gravity and improves your balance, while taking away some of your ability to bear a load." (emphasis added)<br><br>Here's an image I snagged from a shorter article which can be found at the website of The Syracuse University Outing Club.<br><br><br><br>Here are links to two other very short online articles I liked:<br>http://www.gorp.com/gorp/activity/hiking/skills/packing.htm<br>http://www.justpacks.com/pacyourpacju.html

jet, <br> I'm not implying having all the weight at the top. I'm thinking along the lines of 2/3 in the upper half, and 1/3 below. I wear my shoulder straps loose, so the upper part of the rucksack doesn't touch my back. This gives me more ventilation, and I wear a viscose towel around my lumber region to absorb the sweat. This also gives better support to my waist. I can carry 15 kgs easily enough this way.

Jampot wrote<br>"...viscose towel around my lumber region to absorb the sweat. "<br><br>I'm not familiar with "viscose towels." can you describe it and how do you secure it to your waist (lumbar area)?<br><br>Thanks

A viscose towel is made from plant cellulose. It's highly absorbant, and can be wrung out upto 90% and reused straight away. It's just a matter of removing it, rinsing it in a stream, wringing it, and putting it back in place. I don't secure it to my waist. The rucksack itself keeps it in place. They are very lightweight. If you buy the XL one from PackTowl you can cut it into 3 equal pieces, each one 50cmX100cm. You can reserve one for drying your body, and the other two you can use to absorb sweat from your lumbar region, and to stuff inside your boots at night when they get wet. The XL PackTowl weighs about 375g.