Ultra Light Backpacks

[Wmwood2001]

So I have discovered the awesome company of Zpacks! All of there stuff is pretty cool. If you are still trying to decide on a lightweight backpack check out my overview of the Zpacks Arc Blast 52. Ive hiked for the last 8 years with an Osprey Atmos and this pack is pretty similar but only weighs 16 oz. If you have any questions concerning the pack let me know. Happy hiking and cant wait to meet some of you thru hikers in 2014!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BdrJ...9LPnCgwj6AzkYw

[trapper]

I have the same pack....amazing!!!!

[Malto]

So I have discovered the awesome company of Zpacks! All of there stuff is pretty cool. If you are still trying to decide on a lightweight backpack check out my overview of the Zpacks Arc Blast 52. Ive hiked for the last 8 years with an Osprey Atmos and this pack is pretty similar but only weighs 16 oz. If you have any questions concerning the pack let me know. Happy hiking and cant wait to meet some of you thru hikers in 2014!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BdrJ...9LPnCgwj6AzkYw

Wouldn't a reveiw of the pack be more valuable AFTER you use it instead of before.

[Wolf - 23000]

Wouldn't a reveiw of the pack be more valuable AFTER you use it instead of before.

That seems like it would make sense.

It seems like an ok pack in the kitchen but there is a different compare to when you step foot on the trail. A little heavy for my taste but each to there own. He maybe hiking with people and like the extra room/weight.

Wolf

[MuddyWaters]

Ive hiked for the last 8 years with an Osprey Atmos and this pack is pretty similar but only weighs 16 oz.

I think its safe to say that an arc blast is NOTHING like an Ospey Atmos. What have you been smoking?

[Coffee]

Wouldn't a reveiw of the pack be more valuable AFTER you use it instead of before.

I like the unboxing videos (as well as later reviews). Unboxings let me vicariously satisfy my desire to check out brand new gear without denting my wallet!

[4eyedbuzzard]

3 lb vs 1 lb pack are pretty similar? Review suggestion: Put 25 lbs in each, hike 10 miles, and then report back as to which pack is more comfortable.

[brancher]

Wouldn't a reveiw of the pack be more valuable AFTER you use it instead of before.

Yeah, what HE said....

[Spirit Bear]

3 lb vs 1 lb pack are pretty similar? Review suggestion: Put 25 lbs in each, hike 10 miles, and then report back as to which pack is more comfortable.

4 eyed Buzz and I are on the same page. I have the ospray atmos because it's comfortable, for me. My pack weight is 17 lbs not counting food and water. Fully loaded for 5 days is 25-26lbs.

[Spirit Bear]

So I have discovered the awesome company of Zpacks! All of there stuff is pretty cool. If you are still trying to decide on a lightweight backpack check out my overview of the Zpacks Arc Blast 52. Ive hiked for the last 8 years with an Osprey Atmos and this pack is pretty similar but only weighs 16 oz. If you have any questions concerning the pack let me know. Happy hiking and cant wait to meet some of you thru hikers in 2014!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BdrJ...9LPnCgwj6AzkYw

I still get excited over new gear as well. I would love to get your take on it's comfort after a few miles.

[Shroomer]

There are so many great alternatives out there for UL and close to UL packs now. I started my first thru hike with a Osprey Exos, at about 2 lbs and loved it for the first 500 miles until it started breaking down. The suspension was just too light for the water loads we were carrying in the deserts. Took it back to REI and they replaced it no problem with the Aptos, a bit heavier, but much better for the load of a bear can across the Sierra.

I hiked with that till Oregon when a friend who had been hiking with the Aptos "upgraded" to a ULA Circuit. I tried his out for a few miles on the way to Crater Lake and ordered one from trail, overnight delivery to the NP, where I picked it up two days later. The big difference was my posture immediately improved. This was big. The suspension of the Aptos and Exos, that is sooo comfortable, pushes the center of gravity away from your back to get that wonderful airflow across your back. Very comfortable, but it causes me to lean forward to counterbalance the load. With the ULA I just stood up straight. It was revelatory! Yeah, it is sweatier, but posture is ultimately much more important to comfort while hiking on a long trail than sweat. I'm dirty as hell anyway out there. I've been using that same pack now for nearly 5,000 miles and love it.

I used it on the CDT two years ago and will be starting the AT with it this year. One friend had been using the same Circuit for thru hikes of the PCT, FT, AZT, AT and was finishing the CDT, over 10,000 miles all in just over 2 years. And the pack was still in good shape. Those light weight ULA packs hold up. I've been backpacking since the early '60s and it is the most comfortable pack I've ever carried. But comfort is always a very personal matter. On the PCT and CDT, ULAs are probably used by half the folks out there. Double, Triple Crowner, Lint uses the ULA CDT and lots of others love this smaller version of the Circuit.

Now, as for ZPacks, Joe simply has great gear. His packs are the farthest thing from the Aptos that you are familiar with, but my partner on the CDT, Nancy "Why Not" used one and loved it and used it again on the AT last year and is carrying it now in Patagonia. They are great packs, but buy one and try it out. Each person's frame is different and depending on your load, one pack will be far superior to another. If it doesn't ride right, send it back. The people I know using them, swear by them. Packs are totally individual in how they fit, so don't expect to necessarily get it right the first pack on your back. If it is love at first mile, more power to ya!

Shroomer

[Osiris]

Might also consider a http://gossamergear.com/packs/backpa...-backpack.html for $105 w/o hip belt $125 with

[Kneecaps]

I'll be using the Arc Blast 52. I like it very much. Great customer service, too. I screwed up my measurements (he custom builds each one depending on your torso length and waist size) and he had a lot of suggestions on how to get it to fit right. Unfortunately nothing worked, so he adjusted it for free. I just had to ship it down. VERY cool of him, and it fits way better now.

[Pendragon]

I started my AT section hike to Damascus with my trusty old Camp Trails external and tried to go with a lighter pack after my shakedown at Neels Gap. The guy tried his damnedest to get me into a ULA Catalyst but even after the shakedown, He couldn't squeeze my stuff into it. He thought for a few minutes and came back out with the new Osprey Volt, which is their lighter weight high volume pack (3 lbs 12 ozs). It worked, I got all my stuff into it and it was very comfortable, with a wire frame that mimics the characteristics of an external frame. Sadly, the deal to buy it fell thru and I wasn't able to actually get into one until Franklin. The pack got me to Damascus but I still would like to work on my load to get it down to fit the Catalyst; it just takes money for lighter equipment (my down Kelty Galactic was 3 lbs alone) which I never have much of these days. The Volt is a great alternative for those who have trouble getting their volume, rather than strictly their weight, down. And it's pretty cheap at about $200.

[Demeter]

I have used by Zpacks Arc Blast for about 400 miles so far and love it. I just did a trip 2 weeks ago to Seneca Falls in WV, where the Arc Blast held my gear for the -3* temps (without windchill). Truly an amazing pack. Here is my review.

[Drybones]

Wouldn't a reveiw of the pack be more valuable AFTER you use it instead of before.

That's what I was thinking, and with food, which is where the bulk of weight will be.

[LAF]

Just curious, has anyone had any experience with HMG's Windrider? I realize it's more in tune with the lightweight climbing crowd but..... It is a heavier than ZPacks but claims it can handle a slightly heavier load (big water days?). About only common factor I see between arcblast and windrider is cuben fiber making them "waterproof". Not sure how this would compare with ULA in a cuben fiber (I know he'll make them in cuben for an additional 100) making it a touch lighter and "wp". As far as I can tell, all quality packs but as was said above, fit is per individual.

[nu2hike]

Demeter nice review! Two questions 1: you mentioned a problem with the shoulder straps being uncomfortable which improved after adjusting the arc 2: you expressed concerns about the hip pockets being too large!
After 400 miles what is your opinion regarding these issues?

[Demeter]

Thanks nu2hike! Answering your questions, firstly, the shoulder strap discomfort is more noticeable without the arc feature deployed, and slightly more noticeable when the pack is at the 30-35# mark. I find the Arc feature much more easier to adjust when the pack is empty. On a recent trip, when my pack weighed 35# with my winter gear, I forgot to adjust the arc feature before loading. Once loaded, with that much gear, ain't gonna happen! YMMV, but I think if (when!) I get another, I will ask Joe to slightly widen the horizontal space between the straps. Maybe it's my manly neck, lol!
Secondly, I have decided I looove the hip pockets. I find my arms don't rub at all when using hiking poles. When I don't use poles, my arms may rub occasionally, but the good def outweighs the bad. It's so nice to carry my snacks, camera, and gloves at hand. When other people take off their packs at rest stops, I leave mine on because I don't have to take it off to get at everything.

[faxanadu]

Just curious, has anyone had any experience with HMG's Windrider? I realize it's more in tune with the lightweight climbing crowd but..... It is a heavier than ZPacks but claims it can handle a slightly heavier load (big water days?). About only common factor I see between arcblast and windrider is cuben fiber making them "waterproof". Not sure how this would compare with ULA in a cuben fiber (I know he'll make them in cuben for an additional 100) making it a touch lighter and "wp". As far as I can tell, all quality packs but as was said above, fit is per individual.

I used a windrider for the majority of the trail. Started with a ULA pack. It fit great, the stitching is really good, the zippers are water resistant, and the cuban fiber held up really well (tons of people were impressed by its durability).

The biggest plus to these packs is not having to stop and put a rain cover on it when it start raining. The very bottom of the pack gets a little damp (condensation i think) ... but it really wasn't an issue at all. My only real complaint would be that the pack is white.