I was mucking about in the character builder today, and after creating a brand new character I decided to play around with the new inventory management tools. I thought it would be tidier to add another backpack and rename it to 'Strapped to Backpack', given things like tents and bedrolls are described as being able to be carried outside the container. After moving everything I'd expect to be strapped outside the backpack to this new container, I noticed something a little weird.

Unless I've made an error I've overlooked, it would appear to me that the starting equipment for a brand new character is unable to fit into the backpack provided. Assuming the bedroll and 50 feet of rope don't contribute to the weight limits of the container, we still start nearly 10 pounds over the limit.

I don't actually play the game keeping that close of an eye on details like this, but I just thought it curious that such an oversight wouldn't be caught by whoever decided what should be included in an explorers pack. I did get me wondering if others plan to keep more of an eye on things like this in the future, however. As a DM I know I've got to pick my battles about what to be pedantic about, and overladen backpacks isn't a hill I want to die on, but do others like to examine those rules?

Thats right, the starting kit isn't fitting into the backpack. But that's not exactely a dev problem: the starter kit, and specifcally the explorer's pack (or any other pack) are ment to be a "pack" of itens sold togheter. That didn't mean necessarelly that this amount of items must fit inside the backpack, some things might be carried strapped outside the backpack (as the rope and bedroll you mention), or tied to a belt as the waterskin for example.

DDB add it all into the backpack automatically, probably in order to make it organized as it meant to be since that kind of sheet organization were implemented, but as a DM, if you use the rules on encumbrance and are worried on capacity from containers, in both cases here or anywhere else you may assume that all of those packs are literaly "packs" of itens "sold" to the char but it should carry it in a way that it don't overload any container.

Yeah, I tend to assume that either more of those things are strapped to the outside (like maybe only the things that need to stay dry, the torches and the rations are in the bag). The backpacks also have a storage area of 1 cubic foot, which also doesn't work too well if you're carrying a bundle of firewood and your groceries for the week. That said, I've yet to play with a DM who's been concerned about it.

I don't think there were any official rules, maybe stuff in Dragon magazine, but I did play an AD&D game once where you needed to ID where stuff was on your person or where in the backpack items were. There were sheets to indicate where on your person or in your pack particuarly items were. I don't remember ever having to dive into the pack for anything I needed during combat, so I guess I organized my stuff all right.  I think they were house rules popularized by DMs wondering "so ok, you can carry all that stuff but _where_ are you carrying it?"

For myself, I added an additional Backpack to my inventory, then Customize it to be Name: "Backpack (outside)", Cost Override: 0, Weight Override: 0, Capacity Override: 0.

Then I moved the items that hang off the backpack (bedroll, rope, waterskin, etc.) to that container.

The default "backpack" in D&D is probably not what most people think of when they think of an adventurer's pack. Based on the description of its capacity and limits, it's basically just a standard elementary school child's Jansport pack or a small trail pack - they're not meant for carrying anything more than a couple basic needs for a day.

One cubic foot is a touch over 28 liters (the small child's Jansport is 25L, for comparison), while packs designed for self-sufficient overnight camping by anybody other than experienced ultra-light backpackers and their ilk tend to start at double that, and the pack I myself used as a 14 year old was over 3 times that size and had no problem comfortably handling 50+ pounds, with many packs being larger.

Modern technologies have obviously gone a long way to increasing size and reducing weight, so I don't want to pretend there should be a direct correlation, but even packs made specifically using older materials and technology for vintage/historic woodsmanship and camping come standard in 40-50L sizes, with traditional waxed canvas packs with leather straps and external lashings going up over 80L capacity. A pack like that laughs in the face of 30 pounds of gear.

Even when I do pay attention to weight and volume for games, I tend to ignore the printed capacities and go with something a bit more useful (or just introduce a "large backpack" variant and assume everybody starts with that).

Honestly, the only items that maybe need to go in the backpack are the rations. (depending on how they are stored/wrapped)

The bedroll, rope, and torches can readily be strapped to the outside. This could be a container called Backpack-outside.

The mess kit, tinderbox, and waterskin could all be worn directly by the player. Simply listed under the Equipment section/heading.

Reading this made me think of the other shorting's we get on equipment here, every time a character gets a short or longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows we don't get the quiver added to equipment list same thing with our pouch with coins have no pouch added. It is little things that we really don't need to track.

Don’t forget that things like rope, waterskin, and bedroll can be strapped to the outside of a backpack.