ZPacks Blast????
Has anyone any experience with the Blast series from ZPacks? I am considering the 30 or 36 model but couldn't find too much info on their performance.
The 30 should be plenty big enough. I have the Exo, which is similar to the blast with an exo skeleton. I have only used it for a week-long trip but it performed perfectly. It is the pack I plan on wearing on my 2013 thru.
I would suggest you look at the "hybrid" material. For a coupla ounces of weight penalty I think you will get more use. The traditional cuben fiber is reported to start to fray in a thru season.
It's easy to grin / When your trip comes in / And you've got the MUDs and PUDs beat. / But the man worthwhile, / Is the man who does miles, / When his shorts are too tight in the seat.
ive been carrying a blast thirty, which i have used for a straight month on the trail. I started a thru hike in march, but broke my foot and am currently waiting to get back out. I plan on using the same bag re-starting SOBO next month.
Im really enjoying the light and frameless design. It is very comfortable to carry provided you have a base weight somewhere right around ten pounds or less, without carrying over 20lbs on the regular. Id say the max weight id want to put in it would be about 25 lbs, but only once and awhile, maybe coming from town with extra food weight. The pack can comfortably handle more, but the cuben doesnt seem to want to take the abuse. When i first started using it i was carrying about 30 lbs, and the pack did start to wear a little faster than expected. Lightening up helped out w/o any more damage done to the pack. I agree with chin music on the hybrid cuben. If i was to buy it again, i would probably get the slightly heavier, but tougher fabric.
Its a no-frills designed pack, without a ton of pockets to stash all kinds of stuff. Theres the open main compartement, and the mesh back pocket. I opted for hip belt pockets to carry small items like my camera, a snack, and whatever i might like to have on hand during the day.
Verdict: If you can commit to going light and basic, its a killer, super light pack.
It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.
-Sir Edmund Hillary
Is there any reason to avoid the 36 like overkill or anything like that? is 3000 c in. more than enough for a through hike? I plan on traveling lightly.
the 3000 c.i. volume is perfect for me. i can carry all my gear +5/6 days of food and be maxed out on space. Thats just where i want it. if i had more room, id probably just want to bring more junk with me. i had my sleeping pad rolled up inside for support and my sleeping bag wasnt in a compression sack. even with that stuff taking up extra room i was fine
It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.
-Sir Edmund Hillary
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