Pack Size

[Cracky]

Hi Everyone,

First off, this site is awesome. Thanks everyone.

I am planning a thru-hike starting in early March. I just picked up an LL Bean White Mountain pack. It's pretty big at 4500-5700 ci and heavy at 6lb 6oz. For those with experience, is this overkill, or is it just what you need. I ask because I've been eying the High Sierra Titan 65 at a much lower price. Any suggestions?

[hikerboy57]

Hi Everyone,

First off, this site is awesome. Thanks everyone.

I am planning a thru-hike starting in early March. I just picked up an LL Bean White Mountain pack. It's pretty big at 4500-5700 ci and heavy at 6lb 6oz. For those with experience, is this overkill, or is it just what you need. I ask because I've been eying the High Sierra Titan 65 at a much lower price. Any suggestions?

you might want to search the equipment forums. many have posted their gear lists here and youll get some good ideas. no one pack is right for everyone, but you can get an equivalent size pack at less than half the weight.im a section hiker, use an osprey atmos65(just over 3lbs) and im looking to go smaller and lighter next year.
you need to put together your gear list first before you determine how big of a pack you'll need.
welcome to whiteblaze

[Cracky]

Great advice. Thanks so much for the quick reply.

[hikerboy57]

Great advice. Thanks so much for the quick reply.

there is a ton of information on the home page on the left hand side.great stuff there.im comfortable carrying between 25-30 lbs with 4 days food and water, many prefer to go lighter, some like heavier.
how much backpacking have you done?

[Cracky]

I've hiked in the Whites all my life. this summer I hit all 48 4000 footers as day trips. I have only light experience with overnights, but plenty when I was younger. I'm a college professor and this is my last semester. At 36 years old, I'm going for it. I've wanted to hike the AT for over 20 years now. My problem is, everything seems super lightweight compared to the stuff I was overnighting with back in the 90s.

Thanks for the guidance. I'll poke around tonight. I can still return the pack, but I got it very cheap at an LL Bean outlet store, so I wanted to secure the option. Am I crazy to go for it with this pack?

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/50494...-mountain-pack

[hikerboy57]

I've hiked in the Whites all my life. this summer I hit all 48 4000 footers as day trips. I have only light experience with overnights, but plenty when I was younger. I'm a college professor and this is my last semester. At 36 years old, I'm going for it. I've wanted to hike the AT for over 20 years now. My problem is, everything seems super lightweight compared to the stuff I was overnighting with back in the 90s.

Thanks for the guidance. I'll poke around tonight. I can still return the pack, but I got it very cheap at an LL Bean outlet store, so I wanted to secure the option. Am I crazy to go for it with this pack?

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/50494...-mountain-pack

awesome. we're planning a party in monson maine august 12th if you get up that way.
the bean is still way too heavy for me to consider. for around $200-250 you can get a pack thats a lot lighter and will still get the job done.if you like the size, check out the rei flash65

[bigcranky]

The pack is larger and heavier than most long distance hikers use. Not saying it won't work for you, of course. But it's fairly easy to find a 60 liter pack under 3 pounds, and that's all one really needs for an AT thru-hike.

The three things to spend time and money on are your sleeping bag, your pack, and your shoes. Given how much time your body spends in contact with those items on a daily basis, they might as well fit right and be lightweight and comfortable.

[Hosaphone]

Thanks for the guidance. I'll poke around tonight. I can still return the pack, but I got it very cheap at an LL Bean outlet store, so I wanted to secure the option. Am I crazy to go for it with this pack?

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/50494...-mountain-pack

What you saved in money, you will pay for in extra weight.

You want to strike a balance between "hiking comfort" (ie lighter weight = more comfortable hiking) and "creature comfort" (ie heavier weight due to more stuff, luxury items, extra pairs of socks, etc). My baseweight is around 13 pounds and I think that's a good "not too heavy but not too light/minimalist either" weight to shoot for.

My backpack weighs ~2 pounds. The Bean pack weighs ~4 pounds more. That pack alone would increase my baseweight by more than 30%...

In a nutshell, yes, you are crazy! Fortunately there will be many opportunities along the trail to swap out gear if you find something isn't working for you.

[Hosaphone]

My baseweight is around 13 pounds and I think that's a good "not too heavy but not too light/minimalist either" weight to shoot for.

Of course, the "sweet spot" will be different for everyone. Some people need more "creature comfort" and to them it's worth it to carry the extra weight of, say, a book or a camp chair. Some people need less creature comfort than I do and are able to shave weight by using frameless packs, no-cook meals, ponchotarps to serve as rain gear AND shelter, etc.

But regardless of whether you lean towards "hiking" comfort or "creature" comfort, I feel the Bean bag is not a good choice. Even if you are the type who wants a 20+lb baseweight, you should be able to find a pack that weighs at least 2 pounds less but still can carry the weight comfortably.

[Veetack]

Hi Everyone,

First off, this site is awesome. Thanks everyone.

I am planning a thru-hike starting in early March. I just picked up an LL Bean White Mountain pack. It's pretty big at 4500-5700 ci and heavy at 6lb 6oz. For those with experience, is this overkill, or is it just what you need. I ask because I've been eying the High Sierra Titan 65 at a much lower price. Any suggestions?

For me, that pack is GIGANTIC. I currently use a GoLite Quest 50, and I'm considering changing to the Jam 35, because I have a lot of free space. The Quest, for comparison, is 50 liters or just over 3000 ci. and is 3.5 pounds.

As for High Sierra products, IMO they're not worth half of what they cost. I used a Summit 45 for quite a while, and I never realized it until I replace it, but I had huge issues with the pack. The top lid flops, and doesn't adjust down tight enough. The hip belt does not provide for great weight transfer and I found myself carrying the bulk of my load on my shoulders, which in turn caused me quite a bit of shoulder pain. The materials that HS uses, however, are extremely durable, which I'm sure accounts for a lot of the weight.

I tend to be a pretty big advocate for GoLite products, as they provide great quality for the price. The Quest 50 is currently $89.99 and is worlds better than a High Sierra.

[Drybones]

The lighter the load the more you'll enjoy hiking. It aint fun when it becomes work. I just finished packing up for 5 days on the Foothills Trail and my total pack weight is about 25 pounds, base weight is 17 lbs, that's about as much I want to carry up the mountains. You would not regret going with a lighter pack.

[Cracky]

Wow! Thanks, everyone! This advice is excellent, especially from people who aren't trying to sell me something. I like the looks of the Quest 50L pack. Is 50L really big enough for such a long trek? I suppose it is, but it takes a little getting used to. I absolutely can't wait until this becomes more about the walking than the gear!

[nitewalker]

the jam was onsale yesterday at golite...too bad im late to the thread...sorry

[Donde]

It'll work but you can go lighter, smaller, and maybe cheaper.
+1 To no skimping on pack, sleeping bag, and shoes.

In general philosophical terms SGT Rock said it best " The less I carry the more I like Hiking. The more I carry the more I like camping." SO figure your out your balance point, and go from there.

[bigcranky]

I like the looks of the Quest 50L pack. Is 50L really big enough for such a long trek? I suppose it is, but it takes a little getting used to.

Yes, if your other gear is also light and low volume. A high quality down sleeping bag, a single wall tarptent or tarp, just the necessary clothing, no big bulky kitchen, etc. If you have traditional gear -- synthetic bag, double wall 2-person tent, big kitchen, tons of clothing -- a 50L pack won't work.

[NCMedic]

Wow! Thanks, everyone! This advice is excellent, especially from people who aren't trying to sell me something. I like the looks of the Quest 50L pack. Is 50L really big enough for such a long trek? I suppose it is, but it takes a little getting used to. I absolutely can't wait until this becomes more about the walking than the gear!

I carry a smaller pack than a 50L and have more than enough room! 50L will work great on the AT where resupply is generally plentiful.

[stlinn]

Hi Cracky,
I'm also new to the site and find it extremely useful. I'm a section hiker usually spending 5 - 8 days on the AT. Agree with hikerboy57 that "no one pack is right for everyone". Like hikerboy, I have a Osprey65 and like it's size, weight and simplicity. I can't quantify this, but Osprey might be the most popular pack on the AT. Last year was hiking a portion in New England with 2 north bound thru hikers and all 3 of us had the same pack. This past year hiking thru Georgia and NC ran into 2 southbound thru hikers and 2 section hikers and 4 out of 5 were sporting Osprey packs. Bottom line for me is that I will sacrafice almost anything to go as lite as possible with all my equipment and food. Steve

[Cracky]

Wow! Everyone, I can't thank you all enough for the input. After reading these threads and after spending way too much time reading other similar posts on this site, I concur the big pack is too much. I will just adjust my thinking. Believe it or not, I have an old LL Bean Mountain Guide pack from a few years ago.

http://www.backpacker.com/gear_guide...iew/gear/12893

I never would have imagined it would be suitable for trekking, but it's 55 liters, has tons of straps and weight about three pounds lighter.

Happy holidays, everyone!

Cheers,

[Hosaphone]

Wow! Everyone, I can't thank you all enough for the input. After reading these threads and after spending way too much time reading other similar posts on this site, I concur the big pack is too much. I will just adjust my thinking. Believe it or not, I have an old LL Bean Mountain Guide pack from a few years ago.

http://www.backpacker.com/gear_guide...iew/gear/12893

I never would have imagined it would be suitable for trekking, but it's 55 liters, has tons of straps and weight about three pounds lighter.

Happy holidays, everyone!

Cheers,

Could still shave a few pounds off that, but it looks like a big improvement. Your knees will thank you. I'd suggest just going with that pack for now. You can always swap it out on the trail if you want to, once you have a better idea of exactly what your needs are.

[jrabbott]

The lighter the load the more you'll enjoy hiking. It aint fun when it becomes work. I just finished packing up for 5 days on the Foothills Trail and my total pack weight is about 25 pounds, base weight is 17 lbs, that's about as much I want to carry up the mountains. You would not regret going with a lighter pack.

Did you thru hike the Foothills Trail? Was up there today...gonna do it with 3 kids and wife - not sure we can do whole 71 mi in 7 days???