How to Attach and Use the Bungee Cord on Your Backpack

If you're not used to carrying a lot of gear in your pack when hiking, then you might not have a lot of experience yet using the shock or bungee cords. The bungee cord on the back of your pack is actually quite useful for carrying extra gear like sleeping pads, rain jackets, cooking equipment, and lots of other items.

Below I'll cover what shock cords on a backpack are for, how to use them, how to replace or attach new ones, and which alternatives you can use instead.

What a bungee cord on a backpack is for

Bungee or shock cords on backpacks are for securing additional gear that won't fit inside your pack. They also hold items you want quick access to, such as clothing, and they are especially useful for drying out wet items while you hike.

Sometimes you're carrying a lot of gear and just can't fit everything in your pack. This is where shock cords come in, especially for bulky items like blankets, pillows, sleeping pads, helmets, rope, and cooking pans. They can also hold longer items like trekking poles that can be tricky to attach to your pack. Sharp or pokey items like crampons are great to store outside too, since they stay away from the fabric and from the soft gear inside.

The good thing about shock cords is that they let you carry more even if you have a smaller pack. You don't necessarily need to buy a larger pack if you can attach gear to the outside. That said, I'd argue there's a limit. A pack hung with loose odds and ends is clumsy to carry, so lashing is best for a few well-chosen items rather than everything you couldn't be bothered to pack properly.

Quick access and airing out wet gear

Another reason to attach items to your shock cords is quick access. If you're expecting a sudden downpour, attaching your rain jacket or gaiters to your bungees is a great way to get to them quickly without having to open your pack. Opening the main compartment in the rain lets water in and means digging past everything else. Even if you're just expecting to put on more layers when it's cold, storing the items under the shock cords can also work.

If you have wet, muddy, or smelly items that you don't want to store in your pack, you can attach them to the outside as well. Wet items like rain jackets or smelly socks can all be aired out as you hike. Moving air and a bit of sun do most of the work, and your sleeping bag and dry clothes stay dry inside. Keep anything damp away from gear that soaks up moisture, and remember that gear on the outside of the pack is exposed to whatever the weather does next.

Attaching items with the shock cords also helps stop them bouncing around. If you're attaching items with carabiners, they might swing back and forth or get snagged when hiking. The elastic tension of a shock cord holds gear snug against the pack, which keeps the load steadier and quieter.

Just make sure that whatever you're carrying on the outside of your pack is secure. Gear that isn't properly attached tends to work loose on rough ground, and you often won't notice it's gone until you're well down the trail. Packs that ride high and tight are easier on your shoulders as well, and our best travel backpack picks show how much carrying comfort comes down to fit and load control.

You may also like Complete Guide to Backpacking Snow Shovels

Adding or replacing a shock cord

Some packs have slots or loops for shock cord lashing but not the actual shock cord. The good news is you can add one yourself. This also works as a guide if you want to perform a shock cord replacement, since the process is the same when old cord has lost its stretch or frayed.

Even if you do have a shock cord already, you can add a longer one so you can carry more gear. A pack like the EMS Long Trail 70L shows what to look for: lashing loops on the outside, and in some packs even loops on top, to carry even more gear.

One approach is buying 1/8" shock cord (25 ft) and 10 shock cord toggle stoppers. Those came from Amazon, but if you don't care about the fancy colors and just want plain black, you can buy it by the foot from REI. It's worth buying more than you need so you can use it for other projects.

Toggle stoppers like these work really well. They don't slip off and are easy to press. Fitting two lets you try fancier lashings later on. About 4-5 feet of lashing is a sensible amount for a pack of this kind. Measure it against your own pack and leave a little extra in case you are carrying bulky items, because cord that is too short is the one mistake you can't fix on the trail.

Thread the cord through the loops first, then tie or toggle each end so it sits snug when empty. The cord should have light tension with nothing under it. If it is slack when empty, it will be looser still around a compressible item such as a sleeping pad.

You may also like How to Attach Sleeping Pad to Backpack

Lashing designs that work on a pack

There are lots of different ways you can do lashings on your pack. Each design offers its own advantages. Experiment on your own and see what works for you and your gear. A design that holds a foam pad well may do a poor job on a round, slippery item, so it pays to test a few before a long trip. If a pad is your main load, our guide on attaching a sleeping pad to a backpack goes deeper.

Cross / "X"

A cross is a good fit for bulky items. By crossing from opposite corner to opposite corner, you cover the most space on your gear. This design can be doubled or tripled for a more secure fit.

Switch back

The switch back design is another option. This can be good when you have limited cordage. It also works with shock cord when one end is anchored while the other end is adjustable, so you can cinch it down after the item is in place.

Criss cross

The criss cross design is what most of us are used to seeing. It is good for shock cords because it offers a snug fit with a lot of area covered by the cord. Spreading the tension across several crossings also means no single point is carrying the whole load.

You may also like Ways to Attach an Ice Axe to Your Pack

Lashing with paracord

If you don't have shock cords on your pack but have lashings, there are some alternatives besides shock cords. The first is paracord, which is a lightweight nylon rope; the parachute cord entry on Wikipedia explains how it is built and where it came from.

Paracord is light, strong, weather-resistant, and has a lot of survival uses over shock cords. It's also a cheaper alternative. The downside is that it's not elastic, meaning you might have to adjust it more often than a shock cord, but it's not always a big deal. As the load shrinks or settles over a day, the lashing loosens, so a quick re-tighten at a break is normal.

Using paracord for your pack lashing is also multipurpose. For example, if you use a ridgeline for your tarp, you can use the same paracord as lashing, saving you a little bit of weight if you want to go ultralight.

When you're using paracord for lashing gear to your pack, it's better to have a lot of paracord than not enough. Start by lashing around the gear and tighten as you go. Don't try to weave the paracord through the lashings first and then fit your gear inside; it just won't work. Any extra paracord hanging down can be tucked back into your pack, which keeps loose ends from catching on branches.

You may also like Hiking Without a Backpack: 3 Pack Alternatives

Using bungee cords with hooks

Bungee cords are another option. While they can be more convenient, there are some downsides. The term covers a wide range of products, and you can read how elastic cord is made and used in general on the bungee cord Wikipedia page.

For advantages, bungee cords are stretchy. This is good when securing bulkier items like sleeping pads or pillows. The hooks at the end are pretty easy to get on and off. You don't have to undo a lot of lashing as you do with paracord, making securing and undoing gear much easier and quicker.

The downside to bungee cords with hooks is that the hooks can come undone when you don't want them to. You can't exactly tie them, but you can use some pliers to narrow the gap so they come off less often. Bending the hooks will also prevent the metal from poking and potentially hurting your gear. Plastic hooks are an option, but unlike metal hooks, you can't bend them.

And yet another downside is that bungee cords are a fixed length. It's sometimes hard to make them fit every time because of the different bungee sizes and different pieces of gear. Even a little bit of slack and the bungee won't be able to hold gear properly. For bulky items, 10-inch long bungees work great.

Check hooks and cord before each trip. Elastic that has gone limp, or a hook with a sharp burr, is a reason to retire that bungee. Over time, sun and wear dull the stretch in elastic cord, and a cord that has lost its tension won't hold a load.

You may also like How to Cowboy Camp the Right Way

Lashing tips

Here are some tips for lashing gear to your pack:

• If you attach anything to the outside of your pack, keep in mind the weather. Rain or river crossing mistakes could get your gear wet.
• Secure items that have clips or cords, such as stuff bags, hammocks, etc, to the shock cord. If you accidentally take a dive or encounter snags, you don't want your gear slipping out.
• Tuck in any straps or cordage behind the shock cord to prevent snags.

Before you set off, give the pack a shake and a short walk. Anything that shifts or swings should be re-lashed while you are still at the trailhead. Keep heavier items close to your back where possible, since a heavy load hanging off the rear pulls you backwards on climbs.

Finally, gear that falls off becomes litter, and the Leave No Trace principles ask hikers to pack out what they carry in. A well-tensioned cord is the simplest way to avoid leaving anything behind.