Smaller pack? I use small packs with no compression. Sometimes I stuff the sleeping bag free to fill space away from my back - especially late in a hike when the food bag is smaller. Things that don't suffer from compression (tarp, hammock) get smashed into small stuff sacks. Everything else gets loosely bagged. At the same time, I don't think good down suffers much from heavy compression. So if you want a pack full of odd-shaped bricks, go for it. Hike your own hike.