Totally depends on how you like to pack

Update:12 Jan 2019
Summary:

Totally depends on how you like to pack your pack, or w […]

Totally depends on how you like to pack your pack, or whether you want to be able to split the load with another hiker, for example. I will generally hand off poles to another hiker if we're sharing a tent because that's an easy transfer. I would say that these rules of laziness and personal preference rule.

That being said—and perhaps I'm getting too philosophical here—good packing would indicate that you either organize your materials categorically (similar stuff together) or by sequence of use (what's used when, what's used first and last). Home organization, for example, dictates that items be stored where they are either first used or last used (think of dishes: either near the dishwasher, or in the china cabinet near the table..)

One example could be that you split your tent into "inside" and "outside" components, grouping inside components with sleeping kit and grouping outside components with rain gear. This, for example, works Alumium tent great if you are someone who doesn't automatically put up the rain fly unless you are prepping for rain, and it ensures that you only unpack what you need at each stop.

Another thing to consider is whether any components are used for other purposes, if you're going for ultralight weight. For example, a tent-fly could be used as a pack cover. Tent stakes could be used to stir coffee or pin down a fly (without a tent). I've even seen people use tent stakes to elevate a pot over a small stick fire while cooking lunch. These alternate uses seem extreme, but they are the stock in trade of the ultralight crowd (of which I am not a member.)