When buying gear, should the pack come first?

[Cedar1974]

I've always thought you were to buy your pack first them make sure your gear fits the pack, but should it be the other way around so you don't buy too big a pack?

[Sarcasm the elf]

The pack is generally purchased last.

[KidA24]

Gear then pack. If you buy a pack that is too big, you'll just fill it with more gear :)

[theoilman]

The greatly overwhelming consensus will be NO! Your pack should be nearly the last - take your gear with you to your outfitter, test fitting with your gear, and get the pack that fits your need best. How the pack fits you with your gear is more important than the weight or appearance of the pack. A comfortable riding pack that weighs 3 lbs will feel lighter than a super light pack that weighs 1 lb that is uncomfortable.

[Hikingjim]

the reason the pack is last is because you have to budget and see how small/heavy your core items are going to be. ie: tent, sleeping bag, mat

If someone buys a big pack that could get away with fitting a 3.5 synthetic bag and an average size tent, then they go and buy a 1.2 lb quilt and a 1.5 lb tent, then they have the wrong bag!

so get the other 3 and approximate what else you'll be bringing, and you can fill in other little pieces later.

When my friend bought a pack at a retailer, we brought the pack/tent/mat he has and then just threw in a few other standard things at the store and also put 12 lb of weight in a 20 litre dry bag to approximate some food supply for up to 6 days

[Cheyou]

life is to short to only have one pack ;0)

[skinnbones]

I purchased my pack first. Some regrets (Weight). I have learned so much from this forum, unfortunately I didn't catch some tips in time. All my life I have done things a little bit unorthodox and this will include my 2017 thru hike. My pack will weigh 35-38 pounds, but this will be needed because my funds won't allow overnight town stops. I plan to just walk and to stay in the woods. Only major purchase will be food. I won't have the luxury to enjoy all the extra bells and whistles that most hikers enjoy. Listen to these experts when you ask a question(s). So much wise council on this page.

[DuneElliot]

I bought my pack at the same time as my other gear but that's only because I knew I was going as light and small as possible with everything else

[Connie]

I have used two strategies:

1. I tried on packs, with weight added by the store.

2. I carried my gear, in a sack, to the store, to put in the likeliest pack I found.

I gained experience by looking at gear in terms of weight, and volume.

Finally, I purchased a flat digital kitchen weight scale to weigh gear.

Nevertheless, I have divided gear into car camping, camping, and hiking, and I am selling off anything extra.

I did not avoid purchasing too much gear. Nevertheless, the process has answers.

If I had had a pocketful of cash, I still would have had to try things and learn by experience.

I did choose low weight and low volume I could find and I could afford.

There are so many choices: "read" weight and volume in the specifications.

Use a converter online, or an app. I want to see everything in liters and pounds, before a decision. I use geargrams, to consider a purchase.

As far as I am concerned, that is what gear lists are for. Only later on, they become the trip checklist before you leave for the hike.

[CoolBobby]

I bought my pack first... My gear constantly changes, my pack stays the same. Not a gram wheenie, but do cut back on weight as the budget allows. I only carry one pack regardless of the the trip- Overnighters and multi week trips all get my Osprey Aether 70 liter. I love my bag in its infinite capacity..

[MuddyWaters]

Doesnt matter.....if you know what you want, and what gear will weigh, and how much space it takes up, and what it costs

Most newbies have no clue of any of those things, so purchasing pack last is good idea for them.

[swisscross]

Buying a pack first is probably not the best idea but buying it last is not best either.

I had not been backpacking in about 10 years when I got the itch again.
Had been touring by bicycle thus already had a bag, pad, tent, stove and a few other items.

After reading far to many gear lists and pack reviews I made my decision on a pack.

This allowed me to at least get out and enjoy the woods.

[Malto]

Doesnt matter.....if you know what you want, and what gear will weigh, and how much space it takes up, and what it costs

Most newbies have no clue of any of those things, so purchasing pack last is good idea for them.

What he said ^^^^. Many including myself went through a couple of rounds of gear. That's not the end of the world since you can general sell quality gear and get a preset good price. My last round followed MW first paragraph. I knew where I was going with each component and how they work together as a system. The system part is the hardest to know without having the experience beforehand.

[CJOttawa]

I bought my pack first... My gear constantly changes, my pack stays the same. Not a gram wheenie, but do cut back on weight as the budget allows. I only carry one pack regardless of the the trip- Overnighters and multi week trips all get my Osprey Aether 70 liter. I love my bag in its infinite capacity..

THIS!

I brought my gear to store, found packs that worked, then added about 10L and bought a single pack that'll work year-round for me, for any trip. (75L Osprey, FWIW.)

[Hikingjim]

Depends on that pack's purpose. You can do like the people above and get a 5 lb or so 70-75 litre pack if you want to use it for everything. But if you are doing an AT thru-hike, then why would you want to carry 2-3 extra pack pounds for 2200 miles when you know it's not at all needed. Same applies for any long summer hike

my 69L winter or "carry all my slower friend's gear" pack feels pretty huge on a summer hike.

[Odd Man Out]

However, packs such as a ULA Circuit and the similar Elemental Horizons (which I got based on excellent reviews) are very popular but not generally available at outfitters who carry at most three brands to choose from, all of which are conventional. The strategy of taking all your gear to the outfitter may eliminate from consideration what may be your best option. I relied on the experience of others which says these 55ish liter packs are big enough and effective. I got that first and then planned the rest of my gear to fit, knowing that if it didnt, I could make better choices. In my case, I knew I was not able to carry heavy loads any more, so starting with a reasonable sized pack forced me to make reasonable choices about the rest of my gear.

[Cedar1974]

I am going with a Hammock (Which I already have) a Kelty Noah 12 (Good all season tarp) A top and underquilt (Need to buy those still) and I am still looking for a good cook system. I was considering getting the ULA Catalyst, because it is light but has the largest volume. I'd rather have the extra space in case I need to carry extra food and water later on. I know the hundred mile wilderness will need to be able to carry plenty of food through there. And I know it seems crazy to want to always have at least 3 liters of water at all times, maybe more. But I drink lots of water being Diabetic and a former heat casualty. But I will hold off on the pack until I get the rest of my gear. It sounds like solid advice.

[bigcranky]

Gear is a process. Buy your gear in whatever order you like, use it for awhile. It would surprise me if, after a couple of years of hiking, you are still using all the same gear.

[Connie]

..heat casualty?

I had heat stroke, once, powering up a steep hill on my 10-speed.

Now, I need to avoid heat forever. I use a Kool-Tie around my neck, and, I even have a hat insert, if I need it, that uses Crystal Cool inside, that is available from Quest Outfitters and they have a free pattern to make the neckerchief.

http://www.questoutfitters.com/miscelaneous-cart.htm#CRYSTAL%20COOL

[gbolt]

I am going with a Hammock (Which I already have) a Kelty Noah 12 (Good all season tarp) A top and underquilt (Need to buy those still) and I am still looking for a good cook system. I was considering getting the ULA Catalyst, because it is light but has the largest volume. I'd rather have the extra space in case I need to carry extra food and water later on. I know the hundred mile wilderness will need to be able to carry plenty of food through there. And I know it seems crazy to want to always have at least 3 liters of water at all times, maybe more. But I drink lots of water being Diabetic and a former heat casualty. But I will hold off on the pack until I get the rest of my gear. It sounds like solid advice.


Just be carefull. I had that same plan but when all was said and done I purchased the ULA Ohm 2.0. Carries close to the same liters but weighs about 10 oz less. Why use a pack that carries 30+ pounds of gear if you are only going to carry 20+ pounds. Another reason why purchasing the pack last is a good idea. I thought there was no way I can get winter weight under 30 and summer under 25lbs. But now that I have all my items for a thru, I know I carry 12 lbs Summer and 19 lbs winter and the Ohm is perfect.

The he best purchase is always the one you don't regret.

[Dogwood]

Are you revamping your entire or most of your kit? If not perhaps you can buy your pack whenever since you should or could understand "what gear will weigh, and how much space it takes up, and what it costs. Most newbies have no clue of any of those things, so purchasing pack last is good idea for them." Are you planning one basic kit or set-up or not OR are what you carry for different trips going to change? If not perhaps multiple packs with different volumes, features etc, would work OR consider packs that have changeable volumes, load bearing specs, etc.

IMO, no packs don't always have to be purchased last.

[Dogwood]

Kit volume, wt, etc plus consumable bulk and wt can and often do change so makes sense to perhaps consider these personalized aspects of your trips.

[rafe]

As I've gotten older and learned to get by on less gear and lighter gear, my packs have gotten smaller and lighter also. So absolutely, the pack you use depends on what you carry. Of course you have to start somewhere. Most of us who've been at this for a while have gone through lots of gear, and a few packs as well.

[Abi]

I bought my pack first. But, before I purchased my pack, I thought about what I wanted to do with it, what type of hiker am I? What are my goals?

I purchased a 36liter pack because I decided I was not going to allow myself to carry any more weight than would fit in it. I also chose a pack with a "trampoline" back as I overheat easy and really liked having the pack ride 2inches away allowing some air flow through the mesh.

Then I researched the gear that I would like to carry that would be small and light and would fit in the pack. I purchased everything on sales or coupons.

[Odd Man Out]

Gear is a process. Buy your gear in whatever order you like, use it for awhile. It would surprise me if, after a couple of years of hiking, you are still using all the same gear.

True that. I went through a phase where I was upgrading all my gear and suffered "paralysis by analysis". I wanted to get the perfect gear and would not buy anything until I felt I had it all figured out, and just when I did, I went and changed my mind and started over. As a result I bought nothing for a couple of years. Eventually I saw the foolishness of my ways and just started buying gear. Some I've kept. Some I've replaced. Lightly used gear keeps its resale value so you can sell to someone else without much loss (did that with my tent). My Elemental Horizons Kalais pack has worked out great. Haven't tried to sell my blood-stained sleeping pad (note to self - wet rocks are slippery).

[Namtrag]

Pack first, then buy the gear to fit. Unless you are going on expedition style trips, you should be able to get everything into a 50-60 liter pack.

I am not sure where the logic is in buying the gear first because, assuming you go with a down bag or quilt, you end up with 90% of the same gear that everyone else has, bulk wise. And most people end up fitting their kit into a 50-60 liter pack.

But in the end, it isn't really a big deal either way to me.

[poolskaterx]

I started with a 65L Osprey and used to stuff it until it was nearly bursting; I have since dropped to a 52L Zpacks and pretty much changes ALL of my gear out over the past 3 years... now I have to roll the top down on my pack and fluff up my sleeping bag sometimes to take up the extra space. Going from 45lb+ to under 25lbs fully packed is an adventure on its own. Get out and do it and change your gear as you understand your needs. P.S> I still use the Osprey pack for weekend and "overpacked" day hikes.

[AfterParty]

I will be getting the mystery ranch glacier. I'm not going ul and used to have their disc golf bag and know without a dought I will be happy with that pack, so first or last doesnt mean much to me. I will deffenitly be in under 40lbs which to me is perfect. It's a hike your own hike thing. Get what you can stand to bear for 2200 a bad one will suck after 8.