Within the last year Ive begun to take backpacking very seriously and have gotten my base weight down to around 13 pounds. However, I am having a hard time organizing the pack in a way I like. I have a GG Mariposa Plus, TT Rainbow, Marmot Atom, and a Z-lite 3/4 sleeping pad as my major items. Any advice on how to organize this pack for mostly 2-4 day trips in the mid-atlantic would be greatly appreciated.

What bugs you about your current system? Is it on trail comfort? Access during the day?

For me I start with my sleeping bag packed loose at the bottom of the bag along with sleep socks, and long underwear all of this is put in a trash compactor bag. If it looks like rain my insulating layer also goes in the trash compactor bag.

I pack my tent so it fits horizontally accross the pack. Any tent poles required go on the outside of the pack. Then the neo air goes in. Next goes in the kitchen kit usually put in a small stuff sack, the food bag and fak ditty bag. On top go the wind shirt/rain jacket if the jacke is wet it goes on the outside. Camera goes in a hip belt pocket and water goes in the side pockets.

With this method your lunch is accessible with only taking out your coat. Camera and water are always accessible. Water treatment is easily reached. Sometimes i also carry snacks in one of the hipbelt pockets if i want to eat while i hike.

I focus on used items up top and camp items towards the bottom even if that means having a top heavy pack. For a longer trip or a trip with a bear can i take out the days food in the morning, then put the food / can in. Then everything as above. Food is the densest item in my pack.

I believe my biggest problem now is my TT Rainbow cannot fit horizontally inside my pack because of the apex strut. This forces me to put it in the large side pocket on the outside unless I put it in the pack vertically starting on the bottom. Then, when I put the tent on the outside I feel as if I have to much empty space in the main compartment.

Are you using a stuff sack for your TT? You could try loosely stuffing it in without a stuff sack. Anything on top would compress it down and it will conform to fill out the pack better.

The simplest answer is the Mariposa is far too large for your needs, and it doesn't compress well to handle smaller loads.

Maybe not exactly what you want to hear, but that's the way I see it.

To Justin-As of now I only have the sack that came with the TT but I could try packing it free within the pack.

To Stephan-this is probably the problem, but I don't forsee myself having the money to purchase a new pack within the near future so Ill have to work out the best alternatives.

Can you carry the strut in the tall outside pocket, and the rest of the tent in the pack ?

this is what works for me when i carry a similar setup.

put your zlite in first against your back. next put the strut in vertically against one side, and stuff the rest of the tent (still attached to the strut) loosely into the bottom of the pack. Next your large bear cannister so it sits low in the bottom and tight against your back. next your sleeping bag stuffed in to fill gaps around the cannister. on top goes all your other stuff including the day's food.

With the GG Maripossa Plus and the z lite short do you find that you need the hoop stay for loads around 20lbs?