backpack for a young boyscout

[misterfloyd]

hello,

It is I again this time with the latest segment,..........for a young Boyscout.

I have been looking for a pack for my son. He is 80lbs dripping wet. He has no hips, and is not very tall.

Packs that I have tried:

Kelty Santitas
Osprey Ace 48 liter
Gregory Wanderer 50 liter
REI passage 65 liter
Jansport scout.

The Kelty and the Jansport are externals, and that was what was recommended by scoutmaster. In trying both I was told that they were very uncomfortable. I know the benefits of externals and still have my Yukon.

My problem with all the packs is that to cinch his waist belt tightly I run out of room. I have thought about taking the Wally world blue foam pad and cutting it to the same size of the belt to add more room outward and to get a good tight fit. Heck I thought about taking a pool noodle and threading it through to buy more space. I hope I doing a good job of describing what I mean.

Of the packs that we have tried the Gregory and the Osprey fit the best, and it doesn't look like he is struggling. I cannot find a Dueter in this area except a Dueter fox 40... too small.

The rei passage is something to grow into but as it stands right now, it is too big.

Keeping in mind that he will carry 20% of his weight 20lbs

Any suggestions, thoughts? As a concerned parent who will hike with the troop. I want somthingthat will last and if he needs to grow into a bit that is fine.

The biggest sticking point is the belt and how to manage this.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated and very much welcomed.

Best Regards,
Vince Varriale

[Gambit McCrae]

A size Small Osprey Hornet, or a Dueter small pack...similar

[Mobius]

I just ordered the kids version of the ULA Circuit with the XS hip belt for my 8yr old daughter. We haven't taken it into the field yet but the hip belt appears to be much more effective than the Deuter Fox 30 that she was using. I couldn't get that one tight enough to transfer weight.

Bonus: the hip belt is replaceable as she gets older. The shoulder straps are adjustalbe too (unlike the regular Circuits) as she gets taller..

[Teacher & Snacktime]

Can you post a picture of the pack....the waist belt in particular. I'm currently resizing an adult day pack to fit a 6yr old, and I might have some idea of how to help fix it.

[misterfloyd]

Thanks for the suggestions,

The Osprey hornet does not have an adjustable torso.

[HooKooDooKu]

The description of your child sound so much like mine.

In what way was the Dueter too small. I considered that one myself because the pack seemed to fit my child, but I didn't like the fact it didn't have any lashing straps on the bottom to carry some extra gear externally (such as a tent).

Have you looked at the REI Passage 38?
It's almost half the weight of the REI Passage 65, and the hips/waist size is 3" smaller than the Passage 65.

[Alligator]

I just ordered the kids version of the ULA Circuit with the XS hip belt for my 8yr old daughter. We haven't taken it into the field yet but the hip belt appears to be much more effective than the Deuter Fox 30 that she was using. I couldn't get that one tight enough to transfer weight.

Bonus: the hip belt is replaceable as she gets older. The shoulder straps are adjustalbe too (unlike the regular Circuits) as she gets taller..

I was seeing an issue with the hip belt on my child as well, the belt was close to total cinching but a little loose. Also the shoulder width is a little wide even though the torso length was well adjusted into the middle of the range. Skinny child with narrow shoulders and the pack was sliding off the shoulders at times.

To the OP, have you measured your child's torso length? I too would suggest a pack with a removable hip belt or perhaps an adult small or extra small. Also, the REI Passage 40 has an adjustable hip belt if you think it might have enough volume. It's under the lumbar support, lift the velcro. Both sides of the belt can be moved one notch. I don't think you would move just one so I'd say the pack has small and large settings. I only found it because the stays were in backwards on the one we have and I noticed it when taking them out. If he's smaller it might fit, that pack also has a set of pad loops on the bottom, you could save some volume there.

[RED-DOG]

I don't mean to Hi-jack the thread but what exactly is a " POOL NOODLE " i don't think i have ever heard that expression

[Alligator]

I don't mean to Hi-jack the thread but what exactly is a " POOL NOODLE " i don't think i have ever heard that expression

It's those tubular foam floaties the kids play with in pools.

They can be handy for fixing stuff.

[OCDave]

The biggest problem buying a pack for a short, 80 lb BoyScout is that he may be 40 lbs heavier or 6 inches taller the next time he puts the pack on.

For our 80 pounder we modified older packs that were lying around. We cut up a closed foam sleeping pad to modify a hip belt on an slightly too large frameless pack. We actually kept his pack weight closer to 15 lbs. We spent the dollars we saved on a new pack on lightening his sleeping bag and sleep pad.

The external frame packs do provide greater adjustment for an explosively growing scout. Perhaps you could improvise a suspension that would make your external frame passable for the first year or so. The problem I see with an external frame pack is young scouts tend to have lots of stuff loosely tied to, or swinging from the pack. Day packs, book bags, home-made rucksacks are all worthy of consideration as well.

Finally, All Scouts grow. I am fairly confident there is a pack which has been outgrown within your son's troop. Lightly used packs and boots are commonly passed items in my sons' troop.

Good Luck

[bobp]

This is a tough sell for some Scouts, but the younger, thinner, smaller ones do far better for fit with women's packs. And it will be quite difficult to find a pack that will suit a boy at 11 and a young man at 17 (with that said, the Camp Trails external that I used at 13 would still work for me now if I hadn't graduated to other packs).

[misterfloyd]

Hello,

Thank you all for your input and help.

The Dueter 40 was fine but with a cats meow bag not much room is left.

I would like to get him at least something close to 50L. With the 20% rule that would be A NF Cats Meow bag, closed cell pad, water, food, FA kit, and clothes.

I have asked the scout master, and have not gotten a firm answer yet. I have no problem with modifying packs. I've done that with mine, and you do what you have to in making it functional for you.

I had his torso measured and he is at 12''. I just might order the osprey, gregory, and the NF packs at REI and what ever feels the best with the appropriate weight I will get.

I did make the suggestion at an outfitter about a small women's pack and was not given a a good answer why this would not work well. Can someone tell me why this wouldn't work....?

[HooKooDooKu]

Some ways to save space:
If you can return the Cat's Meow or if someone else in the family can use it, replace it with a Mountain Hardware Ultralamina.
The Cat's Meow (20º) packs down to 9x17
The Ultralamina (15º) packs down to 7x13

This bag normally sells for around $250. But if you look for sales and clearances, you can find some discounts.

Get either a Therm-a-rest Neo Air Xlite (expensive) or a Therm-a-rest Pro-lite (not AS expensive). Both weigh about 1lb and both can be rolled up really small. The Neo Air is really simple to roll up small. The Pro-lite takes some work and a little bit of strength. But I regularly roll the Pro-lite up for my 8yo in the small size pro-lite stuff sack (even though the pad is "regular" size). That means the sleeping pad stuffs down to 4.5"x11".

[Alligator]

Hookoodoku is spot on about reducing sleeping bag volume. I've got a Cats Meow too and when I need that temperature rating, that bag is a major reason for switching to my Aether 60. If you are into DIY, and don't want to spend hundreds on a new bag, you might also consider making a quilt. They pack small too and your son could get a lot of use out of it. I haven't priced out materials lately but I would guess you could make a synthetic one for under $80. Only caveat I would add is to consider whether your son will stay on the pad or roll around. Some kids just won't stay on it.

[Another Kevin]

When my daughter was that size, I couldn't find a better answer than putting her in a climber's day pack, and putting her sleeping bag in a compression bag and crunching it far beyond what the manufacturer recommended. Since the compression bag was also a drysack, she could lash it outside when she ran out of space. That kind of hard compression is not good for the down, of course, but she had only a handful of nights out while she was that small. She still uses the pack as a technical daypack. It's an awkward answer, but for fast-growing kids I don't think there's a good one.

[dzierzak]

A few years ago I ran across a hip belt mod for skinny (no hip) kids. Instructions from the author follow.
hip belt mods 1.jpghip belt mods 2.jpg
hip belt mods 3.jpg
Author's process:
I laid out and cut pieces of pad to match the front pad part of the hipbelt Then, using scraps of nylon
fabric, I cut two pieces of cloth for each pad, about an inch bigger than the pad. Sew them together
(1/2" seam) inside out, leaving one end open (if it tapers a lot to the front, make it the wide end!). Turn
it right side out, insert pad, and sew up the back, by hand or machine if you can jam it in there.
Then I went to needle and thread by hand--positioned the pad over the matching part of the hipbelt,
and just stitched it on, through the fabric cover rather than the padding. You can be really secure and
go all around, or just anchor the corners and maybe midway each side.
If you wanted, you could make generic pads, by sewing elastic to the fabric covers so that there are
loops that can be slid over any hip belt. They wouldn't stay in position as well, but wouldn't require
custom time with each boy's pack.

[Likeapuma]

From what I've seen with the Troop I volunteer with, whatever you decide, don't spend too much money on a pack for a boy who's yet to hit his growth spirt.

I have seen parents buy nice expensive bags for the few backpacking trips they do a year, only to need to get something bigger the next year. If they have a big trip planned (Philmont or something), then maybe it's worth it to spend a bit more, as they'll be using the pack enough to justify the cost.

Your best bet is to ask around the troop. Parents of older kids went through the same issue, & probably have packs collecting dust somewhere. Ik a lot of kids actually donate their old packs once they outgrow them, so help newer scouts avoid some of the cost of buying all new gear.

[garyp]

Scout direct is going to be your best bet. you get a 45% discount due to you being in the scouts.

http://www.scoutdirect.com/scout/program

[perdidochas]

hello,

It is I again this time with the latest segment,..........for a young Boyscout.

I have been looking for a pack for my son. He is 80lbs dripping wet. He has no hips, and is not very tall.

Packs that I have tried:

Kelty Santitas
Osprey Ace 48 liter
Gregory Wanderer 50 liter
REI passage 65 liter
Jansport scout.

The Kelty and the Jansport are externals, and that was what was recommended by scoutmaster. In trying both I was told that they were very uncomfortable. I know the benefits of externals and still have my Yukon.

My problem with all the packs is that to cinch his waist belt tightly I run out of room. I have thought about taking the Wally world blue foam pad and cutting it to the same size of the belt to add more room outward and to get a good tight fit. Heck I thought about taking a pool noodle and threading it through to buy more space. I hope I doing a good job of describing what I mean.

Of the packs that we have tried the Gregory and the Osprey fit the best, and it doesn't look like he is struggling. I cannot find a Dueter in this area except a Dueter fox 40... too small.

The rei passage is something to grow into but as it stands right now, it is too big.

Keeping in mind that he will carry 20% of his weight 20lbs

Any suggestions, thoughts? As a concerned parent who will hike with the troop. I want somthingthat will last and if he needs to grow into a bit that is fine.

The biggest sticking point is the belt and how to manage this.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated and very much welcomed.

Best Regards,
Vince Varriale

If he's that small, I'd get him something cheap. Smaller boys in our troop have done well with some of the Outdoor Products packs. A new Boy Scout is about to go into one of the fastest growth phases of their lives.

[perdidochas]

The biggest problem buying a pack for a short, 80 lb BoyScout is that he may be 40 lbs heavier or 6 inches taller the next time he puts the pack on.

For our 80 pounder we modified older packs that were lying around. We cut up a closed foam sleeping pad to modify a hip belt on an slightly too large frameless pack. We actually kept his pack weight closer to 15 lbs. We spent the dollars we saved on a new pack on lightening his sleeping bag and sleep pad.

The external frame packs do provide greater adjustment for an explosively growing scout. Perhaps you could improvise a suspension that would make your external frame passable for the first year or so. The problem I see with an external frame pack is young scouts tend to have lots of stuff loosely tied to, or swinging from the pack. Day packs, book bags, home-made rucksacks are all worthy of consideration as well.

Finally, All Scouts grow. I am fairly confident there is a pack which has been outgrown within your son's troop. Lightly used packs and boots are commonly passed items in my sons' troop.

Good Luck

Not might, but probably will be much larger. My sons have done well with the Outdoor products external frame packs--fairly cheap and work.