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skinnbones
08-26-2016, 13:11
Has anyone thru hiked the A.T. with a pack under 50 L ? I'm guessing the norm is 50 L - 70 L.

MuddyWaters
08-26-2016, 13:14
People have hiked with half that
For instance, Matt Kirk's pack was about 25L if I recall correctly.

What obviously matters is how much volume YOU need.

skinnbones
08-26-2016, 13:28
People have hiked with half that
For instance, Matt Kirk's pack was about 25L if I recall correctly.

What obviously matters is how much volume YOU need.Wow, how in the world you can get by with such a small pack. Thanks for the reply.

chknfngrs
08-26-2016, 13:32
Plenty of light and fast types out there with 25-35Ls

Bronk
08-26-2016, 13:47
I met a guy on the Blue Ridge Parkway hiking in shorts and a tshirt...he had some 550 cord that he had tied into a web that he wore over his shoulders like a pack and just tied his stuff to it...he didn't have much...I'd be surprised if the whole thing weighed 5 pounds. He used a sheet of tyvek as a sleeping bag. He carried a couple of power bars with him and other than that he only ate in towns...which was probably close to every day because he said he was doing 25+ miles a day.

saltysack
08-26-2016, 14:17
Easily....once you spend some time carrying all the useless crap you will really learn what's a necessity....we've all been there.....


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OkeefenokeeJoe
08-26-2016, 14:18
This thread interests me since I am considering downsizing to a Hyperlite Mountain Gear Windrider 2400, which is a 40L pack.

https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/2400-windrider.html#product_tabs_specs

I will follow this thread with great interest.

OkeefenokeeJoe

swisscross
08-26-2016, 14:23
Plenty of light and fast types out there with 25-35Ls

Neither fast or light. Actually fat and slow and I can fit (excluding water) with four days of food in 35 liters.

MuddyWaters
08-26-2016, 14:29
My 52 l (total) is 1/3 empty most of time in warmer months. It gets full when pack fleece and winter bag in late fall.

Ktaadn
08-26-2016, 14:32
Wow, how in the world you can get by with such a small pack. Thanks for the reply.
If you post your gear list, people will be happy to tell you how to downsize.

Uncle Joe
08-26-2016, 14:35
If you post your gear list, people will be happy to tell you how to downsize.

:D True! .

colorado_rob
08-26-2016, 14:37
My 52 l (total) is 1/3 empty most of time in warmer months. It gets full when pack fleece and winter bag in late fall.Just for another data point, this is pretty much my situation. My 50-ish L is usually nowhere near full.

I'm of the firm belief that if you have a relatively lightweight kit (even nothing really UL), 50 liters is all you need for late spring through early fall for a hike like the AT.

You sure see a lot of large (60L plus) or monster packs (75L plus) early on the AT down south. Stuffed full. Crap dangling all over the place. Up north, not very many packs larger than 50L, and tons in the 30-40L range. There is a correlation here, if you follow.

Feral Bill
08-26-2016, 15:40
The pack I plan to use on a thru next year is about 40 L. I'm no ultralighteri, just fairly careful.

AfterParty
08-26-2016, 16:17
I got a 70l pack which I love but could go smaller by a lot. But I like my space and pack.

Heliotrope
08-26-2016, 18:22
I use a 40 L gorilla and can fit 15lbs of food (7 days) with a 10 lb base weight.


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Another Kevin
08-26-2016, 19:27
In the warm months, I could probably do long hikes with a 45 liter pack.

But I don't think the weight saving would be enough at the moment to justify buying another pack, so I go on hiking with my Granite Gear Crown VC60 that also fits my stuff in the shoulder seasons. I don't have to pack it full.

hikehunter
08-26-2016, 19:50
the size of your other gear will have impact on pack size.

tflaris
08-26-2016, 20:34
Exos 38 works for me during warmer months.


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Slo-go'en
08-26-2016, 21:13
I used a 45L pack on this years late spring, 700 mile section hike. It worked, but I really would have liked a little more space. 50-52L would have been optimal for me. The problem was, I could fit all my gear in 45L okay, but I was limited in the amount of food I could carry and that on occasion was inconvenient.

You really have to start being a minimalist and start spending serious money to make 50L and under work. I also helps to have some experience in knowing what you can get away with - or without.

skinnbones
08-26-2016, 21:30
If you post your gear list, people will be happy to tell you how to downsize.I will do this after I return from a work trip. I feel like I need everything, so we'll see what the experts say.