How to pack a backpack

Many people think that walking the Shikoku pilgrimage becomes easier if you simply reduce the weight of your backpack. However, it is not just about weight. Even with the same load, the way you pack your backpack can greatly affect how tired you feel. Based on my experience of walking all the way to the final temple, I have summarized a packing method that reduces fatigue.

Walking the Shikoku Pilgrimage: Reducing Pack Weight Alone Is Not Enough to Prevent Fatigue

When you look into walking the Shikoku pilgrimage, you often come across the advice that “you should reduce your pack weight.”

Of course, reducing weight is important.

In fact, when I first did a section walk, I was able to ease the physical burden quite a bit by cutting down my luggage.

However, after walking all the way to the final temple, what I truly realized was that “simply making it lighter is not enough.”

Fatigue is not determined only by the total weight of your pack.

Even with the same weight, the way you distribute items inside your backpack can significantly change the strain on your body.

Why backpack balance matters in walking the Shikoku pilgrimage

When walking, the body does not simply move forward. It constantly and unconsciously adjusts balance in all directions—front, back, left, and right.

If the center of gravity of your backpack is off, these compensatory movements increase.

For example, if the load is too far away from your back, or unevenly shifted to one side, your body has to keep correcting that tilt.

Even though each adjustment is small, walking the pilgrimage means repeating tens of thousands of steps.

As a result, this leads to:

• unnecessary energy consumption
• misalignment in stride and foot placement
• increased strain on the legs and lower back

The key factor in walking the Shikoku pilgrimage is backpack balance

Fatigue is not determined only by the total weight of your load.

Even with the same 8 kg, the physical strain changes depending on where the items are placed inside your backpack.

The reason is related to the moment around the center of gravity (torque).

Why keeping heavy items close to your body reduces fatigue

The idea is simple.

The farther a heavy object is from your body, the greater the force that pulls and destabilizes you.

Rotational force (moment) is expressed as:

weight × distance

In other words, even with the same 1 kg load, the impact changes depending on distance:

• 5 cm from the body
• 25 cm from the body

These differences significantly affect the physical burden.

Even with the same 8 kg, fatigue changes depending on how you pack it

For example, let’s assume a total backpack weight of 8 kg.

A: Random packing

Item	Weight	Distance from body
Water	1 kg	25 cm
Tent	1 kg	20 cm
Clothes	1 kg	15 cm
Others	5 kg	15 cm

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Total moment

= 1×25 + 1×20 + 1×15 + 5×15
= 135

B: Balanced packing (center of gravity considered)

Item	Weight	Distance from body
Water	1 kg	10 cm
Tent	1 kg	10 cm
Clothes	1 kg	8 cm
Others	5 kg	12 cm

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Total moment

= 1×10 + 1×10 + 1×8 + 5×12
= 88

Result:

A = 135
B = 88
→ about 35% reduction

Even though the total weight is the same (8 kg), the rotational force acting on the body is significantly reduced.

This is one of the reasons why “the same weight can feel very different in terms of fatigue.”

Why a waist pouch is useful in walking the Shikoku pilgrimage

An interesting example is the waist pouch.

Let’s say you carry 500 g of trail food.

A: Stored in the upper part of the backpack

Position: about 20 cm behind the body

Moment:

0.5 × 20 = 10

This creates a force that pulls your body backward.

B: Stored in a waist pouch

Position: about 10 cm in front of the body

Moment:

0.5 × (−10) = −5

The value becomes negative because it is placed in front of the body.

In other words, it partially cancels out the backward moment.

Visual image (side view)

      500 g
        ●
        │
     [Body]

← pulled backward

[Body]
   │
   ●
 500 g

← forward position offsets backward moment

Of course, this does not mean “the more you put in front, the better.”

If you overdo front loading, it can cause other problems:

• Restricts hip movement
• Causes swaying
• Interferes with body rotation while walking

However, for around 500 g of items such as rice balls or trail food:

• easier access for eating
• fewer times opening the backpack
• partial cancellation of backward moment

From this perspective, a waist pouch is a very rational choice in walking the Shikoku pilgrimage.

Walking Shikoku Pilgrimage | Ideal Backpack Packing for Reducing Fatigue

In the Shikoku pilgrimage, it becomes easier to organize your backpack if you consider not only weight, but also shape and frequency of use.

For example, tents and sleeping bags are often long cylindrical shapes, and placing them in the center of the back takes up a lot of space.

On the other hand, water and food are heavy, but they are frequently taken out during the walk.

Therefore, in practice, it is more realistic to think in terms of three factors:

weight, shape, and usage frequency

Packing list example

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Results of changing how I packed my backpack during section walks

My first Shikoku pilgrimage section walk in Tokushima: poor preparation led to foot pain

During my first section walk in Tokushima, I was simply not well prepared.

I packed in anything that seemed necessary and placed items randomly wherever there was space in the backpack.

At the time, I thought, “It’s heavy, but there’s no choice.”

However, once I started walking, I began to feel pain in my feet, and the level of fatigue was far beyond what I expected.

I also developed blisters.

Back then, I thought it was simply because I wasn’t used to walking long distances, but looking back now, I believe the way I carried my load was also a major factor.

I reduced weight and also improved how I packed my gear

On my next section walk, I first reviewed my gear.

I removed items I was carrying “just in case” and kept only what was truly necessary.

But the change was not only about reducing weight.

I also focused on how I packed:

• Heavier items closer to the back
• Reduced left-right weight imbalance
• Frequently used items placed on the top or sides
• Trail food placed in a waist pouch

In other words, I began to consciously manage the center of gravity of the backpack.

After adjusting packing, fatigue changed significantly

The result was clearly different.

Of course, part of this improvement may have come from getting used to walking and building physical strength.

However, the difference in fatigue was too large to be explained by that alone.

During my first Tokushima walk, I developed foot pain and blisters.

After revising how I packed my backpack, I no longer experienced foot pain.

I also no longer developed blisters.

Personally, I originally thought that walking the Shikoku pilgrimage was mainly a matter of physical endurance.

But after completing the pilgrimage, I realized that not only fitness, but also how you carry your load plays a major role.

Even with the same total weight, how you pack your backpack can dramatically change how easy it is to walk.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion

In the Shikoku pilgrimage, it is important not only to reduce backpack weight, but also to keep heavy items close to your body.

From my own experience, I felt significantly less fatigue after I started paying attention to how I packed my backpack, compared to when I was only focused on reducing weight.

Even with the same 8 kg load, walking comfort can change greatly depending on how the weight is distributed.

If you are planning to walk the pilgrimage, I recommend taking a moment before departure to review the position of items inside your backpack.

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