pack comparisons

[Thad]

I'm thinking about a new pack. My old one is definitely not lightweight, kinda bulky, hasn't been used in years, and weighs about six pounds. I'm getting near retirement and will finally have the time to get out on the trail. I've mostly day hiked and car camped the last few years. In the near future I'll not be thru hiking, I just plan on sectioning on the Allegheny Trail in WV and the AT in VA, so a few pounds for comfort and convenience is not a problem (I think). I"d like to try to go light but probably will never reach ultralight. I've been looking at Ospreys. Can anyone discuss the difference between the Exos and Talon series. The specs on the Exos seem to discourage weights of more than 25 lbs which is probably more than I'll end up with, I think. Any advice on the Talon vs Exos series or maybe another pack. Should I think more about reducing a pound here and there? However, I wouldn't want to spend the big bucks on something like cuben fiber until I'm more confident about what I really need and if I want to go ultralight. Thanks for any help you can give.

[Havana]

I can't comment on the specific packs that you're asking about, but I can let you know how I worked through a similar process last year. I was hiking with a Osprey Kestrel 48 pack which weighs a little over 3 lbs. Still love the pack. On an average 3-4 day hike I was carrying 30-35 lbs. My goal was to reduce my total weight so I began looking at everything that weighed a few pounds to get the big pounds down first. That led me to reconsider my pack, tent, pad, and bag. I came to the same decision point that you did -- do I go ultralight or just less weight. Since I'm not getting any younger (50) and I don't plan on stopping hiking anytime soon, I decided to make a plunge towards UL gear. My mental math was if I went lighter and then later decided to go ultralight (which I figured was where I was heading), I'd waste a bunch of money with the intermediate step.

Now I've got a Zpacks Arc Blast, a Zpacks bag, a Neoair Xlite, and stuck with my BA tent. I also then went through everything else getting rid of all the extras that I carried but rarely used. I've only got a few nights with the new system but last hike I was at 17 pounds all in on the trail which is close to half the weight of last year and a joy to carry.

I'd recommend looking at the pack as the last item to replace. The pack is in a large part determined by the volume and weight of all your other gear. So there may be places you can save weight and volume that will guide some of your thinking on which pack makes the most sense.

Best of luck with your process.

[Walkintom]

Best advice I can give for a situation like yours is to go into an outfitter and get fitted for a pack. It's a great way to research what fits you well and to get hands-on with several different packs. Don't pull the trigger the same day unless you just are that sure about it.

With the context of what you learn from the packs you try on you can compare to what people say about other current packs and get a better idea of what else you may be interested in.

There are lots of good pack choices out right now. More than one manufacturer has released 2015 packs with adjustable length torsos and overall pack weight is lower than your old pack, even on some packs that can handle pretty beefy loads.

[swjohnsey]

You might want to consider some of the cottage industry stuff that is not made in China like ULA.

[OCDave]

I changed packs about 2 years ago. I spent weeks shopping several different retailers. I stumbled upon ULA at a small specialty shop and ended up with a ULA Catalyst. This pack has been very comfortable to weights exceeding 40 lbs, durable and user friendly. I just purchased a second ULA pack for my 11 yo son. His first real backpack will be a ULA Circuit.

You might need to contact them to find a retailer in your area.

http://www.ula-equipment.com

Good Luck

[kevperro]

I love my ULA packs. My overall experience is that about 7-8 years ago I started updating all my "old" gear that I did most of my long hikes with. By today's standards my gear was heavy. My pack alone was like 5lbs, tent in the 3.5 lb range (not bad), stove and cookwear all heavy by todays standards. I'm guessing my old base weight for doing the AT & long sections of the PCT was in the 18-20lb range. Back in the day to be honest that was perfectly comfortable. I never felt like I was carrying too much weight. I carried 50+ lbs in the military and had no desire to repeat that. My goal is comfort, safety and enjoying my hike.

I made a concerted effort to go lighter with all new equipment purchases. There are plenty of really lightweight choices now days that are mainstream. There are multiple choices for packs in the 2lb. - 3lb. range. Same with tents. There are relatively few choices below the 2lb threshold and they get progressively much more expensive. Sleeping bags (or quilts) in the 2lb. range are common. I had a ultra-light weight by 1990s standards with a Feathered Friends 30 deg. bag (32oz exactly and still use it). Today if I bought a 20deg.-30 deg. quilt it would be around 20 ounces.

You also start to trade off durability, size and in some cases features (although you don't need most "features). The sweet spot for me is the 12-15 lb. base weight range. You don't make many sacrifices to get there and you can do it without spending big dollars. If you buy the lightest and latest.... you will spend x2 - x3 as much and you will often sacrifice durability, size, and/or warmth.

In terms of hiking... I find a < 20lb. pack gives me an enjoyable hike. Would it be nice to have 2-3lb. less to carry? Sure.... less weight is always good but there is a price to pay for those 2-3lbs and you have to recognize that it isn't necessarily better......just a trade off. Me personally I'd rather have a warm bag/quilt large enough for me to sleep comfortably. A pack that last me a decade or two, a sleeping pad that has that extra bit of comfort. One of thsee new-fangled inflatable pillows, a double wall tent that I can stretch-out in and bring all my gear inside and a cooking solution that fits my needs (boil water and drink coffee). I also refuse to spend an extra $100 to trim 1-2 ounces from a piece of gear.

Different strokes for different folks.

[bigcranky]

Osprey makes some nice packs, but I don't know if the Talon or the Exos are right for you. I don't think either of them will carry 30 pounds comfortably, at least not on me. I really wanted to like the Exos 58 as a winter pack, when my gear is bulky but not that heavy, but trying it in a store with ~25 pounds I found the frame dug into my hips in a most exquisitely painful manner. Of course, smaller people are unlikely to have this particular issue (I weigh 205). Not sure about the Talon, the 44 seems to have a light frame of some sort - it would be worth trying it on with a full load and see how it fits.

The ULA Circuit and Catalyst are well made packs in the 2-3 pound range which will carry 30 pounds pretty well. We have 3 Circuits in the house at the moment. If I were to order a new one (mine has had five years of heavy use) I would get a custom pack of 100% Dyneema fabric, along with the stretchy mesh pocket and drawstring top closure from their Ohm pack - just personal preference, mind you, but after owning so many I know what I want. A Circuit is about $225 for the stock pack, so not too off the charts for price.

The thing about light packs and "ultralight" is that it all works as part of a system. A Circuit isn't ultralight, but it still requires thought about the entire gear system. If you have common traditional gear, like an 8 pound 2-person tent, a 4-pound synthetic sleeping bag, and a big cook kit with a gasoline stove and several large pots, it's not going to work with a Circuit, or any other ~50 liter 2 pound pack. But if you have a 2 pound down sleeping bag, a 2 pound tarptent, and a small pot with an alcohol stove, etc., then you're all good.

[Venchka]

REI's Anniversary Sale starts this Friday. Lot's of good deals. Worth a look.

Wayne

[q-tip]

+++ Granite Gear Crown VC - best pack I own. It is 2.2 lbs, 60 L and I can keep all of my gear inside the pack (preference) . At $200 a great value....
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/asset.php?fid=21915&uid=20935&d=1377262692
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/asset.php?fid=21920&uid=20935&d=1377263270