View Full Version : Most Popular Pack...
Hi,
I'm sure there have been many disussion (debates at times) over the best pack...
Though I wondering what is the most popular pack carried by AT thru-hiker 2003-2006 (including what will be used this upcoming season)?
~R~
Jack Tarlin
02-02-2006, 22:34
Two Granite Gear packs (Vapor Trail and Niimbus Ozone) have been the most popular packs for thru-hikers for the past few years, followed closely by the Osprey Aether 60.
Other extremely popular packs are the lighterweight models from Gregory, Go-Lite, and ULA.
jackiebolen
02-02-2006, 22:36
The majority of thru's I saw in 2004 had Granite Gear (and Go-Lite being a distant second).
IMO the Mariposa is an excellent pack as well from Gossamer Gear.
Two Granite Gear packs (Vapor Trail and Niimbus Ozone) have been the most popular packs for thru-hikers for the past few years, followed closely by the Osprey Aether 60.
Other extremely popular packs are the lighterweight models from Gregory, Go-Lite, and ULA.
I've seen many GG VT packs too. That's been a good pack for GG.
~R~
The majority of thru's I saw in 2004 had Granite Gear (and Go-Lite being a distant second).
Some of the people that I've heard from that completed '05 AT hikes didn't have too much good to say about the Golite packs. Also, I recently heard "squeeky" (recent triple crown - 1 cal. year) state that he didn't like the Golite packs at all and wouldn't recommend them (and he used one a few times on his journeys).
Have you heard good things? Or, did you just notice a lot of people had them?
Thanks.
~R~
TwoForty
02-02-2006, 22:48
I've seen mostly various GG packs and the Opsprey Aether.
Almost There
02-02-2006, 23:50
I would reccommend checking out Mystery Ranch. My buddy carried one on his thru last year and so I decided to try it out. Small company started by Dana of Dana Design fame, the pack we have is Deep Trance, it weighs in around 3.5lbs and can carry over 40lbs if necessary. customizable with different hipbelts, etc. Runs a little over $200. Otherwise I would say Osprey makes a great pack, my wife caries an Osprey Ariel 60.
I looked at the gear listings that are attached to many of the trail journals at trailjournals.com for the AT hikers class of 2005 a few months back because I was curious about the same thing and what I found confirms what many here are saying: Granite Gear is the leading brand by a significant margin, GoLite is the second leading brand, and the rest are behind those two brands by a decent margin. (And by the way, far and away the leading shelter brand is Henry Shire's Tarptent.)
Dana Designs Bridger- great pack, but HEAVY.
ULA P-2 ( Mountain Crossings version) Nice pack with nice features and
decent weight.
'04 Version of the Go-Lite Breeze.
I will be hiking with my Breeze on my thru-hike in just over a week
now.
I do not know about others, but I find packs much like footwear. Each has
it's place and will be the ideal pack for that person at that time and place.
I would recommend any pack that came in under 3 lbs, fit you correctly,
carried what you wanted it to, had features suited to your personality and
looked good to YOU !!
Programbo
02-03-2006, 00:22
I`m probably going to get laughed off of here for saying this (Can`t fight 20 years of programing) BUT...Looking over the latest generation of internal frame packs I still am convinced that a high quality external frame pack beats an internal frame for over the trial use..I had this discussion with Jim Whittaker of Jan Sport and Wayne Gregory way back when and we figured this is what started the modern internal frame revolution: Once backpacking magazines/catalogs/internet started to become popular people would look at photos of mountaineering expeditions or climbers/hikers in the Rockies etc and see them all wearing internal frame packs and it wasn`t long before people came to the conclusion that internal frames must therefore be superior since that`s what all the "experts/professionals" used and they started buying them in quanity and most companies saw the huge profit to be made (Internal frames costing much more) so they began marketing them and many new high end internal frame pack companies came on the market..Now..What these people who looked at these photos and started this whole trend were unaware of was that the mountaineers they saw using all those internal frames in those photos had carried the gear TO the mountain over established trials in EXTERNAL framed packs..But no one took to many photos on the way to the mountain or where ever since it was not what the expedition was really about and was somewhat boring country...The idea is that an external frame pack carries the weight higher and aligned along the bodies natural center of gravity and the frame directs all the weight straight to the waist belt there-by allowing one to carry an equal or greater weight than an internal frame but it actually would feel lighter...The climbers/backcountry hikers would wear or switch to internal frames once on the mountain or off trial because the internal frames gave them better balance and freedom of movement..There`s even more involved in this whole thing but that basically is what started the internal frame trend and the rest is 20+ years of advertising,culture,new folks just copying what they see in quanity,the modern obsession for technology,etc...As I said I`m talking about a high quality external frame (If anyone bothers to still make them)...Put 45 pounds (Properly loaded) in each on an open trial and I`m betting the weight will feel lighter in the external frame...Of course where that fits in the modern hikers desire to race headlong up the trial racking up the miles I don`t know..Maybe in that case internal frames would be better..Thank you..I am done my trip down memory lane :)
I would recommend any pack that came in under 3 lbs, fit you correctly,
carried what you wanted it to, had features suited to your personality and
looked good to YOU !!
That may seem, to some, like a simple thing that you said there, but it is actually very insightful and good advice IMO.
Thanks!
~R~
By the way, is there anyone out there using a panel loaded, rather than all those top loaders? How about the Gregory Z Pack?
~R~
I`m probably going to get laughed off of here for saying this (Can`t fight 20 years of programing) BUT...Looking over the latest generation of internal frame packs I still am convinced that a high quality external frame pack beats an internal frame for over the trial use.. :)
Well, I for one, am not laughing. External packs do have their place, but as you have observed, we have all been influenced by marketing. Currently, Kelty is about the only firm still making external frame packs.
One thing to note is that the suspension system (load lifters, etc) has improved on external frame packs to keep them comparable with internal frame packs. Now, if they would only update the fabric, hip belt, and otherwise lighten them up some.
Kerosene
02-03-2006, 18:20
If you have to carry 45 pounds, then I'd agree that a late generation external frame might be preferable to my big Dana Designs Teraplane (or other high-end high-volume pack). However, I don't care how well the pack fits and distributes the weight, you still have to lug around 45 pounds. At the end of a day of comparable mileage your feet will hurt a lot more with 45 than with 25.
Programbo
02-03-2006, 18:51
Now, if they would only update the fabric, hip belt, and otherwise lighten them up some.
Actually right before I got out of the business CampTrials had come out with an external frame pack that was made of the same fabric as the internals and basically had an internal frame suspension system (hip belt,etc)...But it had a bit of weight to it
>>>By the way, is there anyone out there using a panel loaded..<<<
Panel loaders were always a flop..I bet I sold 10,000+ packs and except for the conversion type of traveling pack (Euro-Hostel type crowd) probably only 5% were panel loaders
The trouble is the AT has a lot of climbs and scrambles that would be rather awkward with an external frame, and one really does not need 45 lbs of gear. I doubt I can find an external frame pack that holds the 20-35 lbs I carried and weighs only 3 lbs. And I seriously doubt I could have kept an external frame pack on while wriggling through the underground passageways in Mahoosuc Notch.
But you are right, external frame packs certainly have fields in which they excell.
Mouse, LuxuryLite makes an external frame pack that comes in around two pounds (depending on the sizes of the cylinders you hang on it), carries 20 to 35 pounds very comfortably and HopefulHiker had it on his back the length of the AT last year. I can't speak first hand about how it does in confined spaces on the AT, but HopefulHiker spoke very highly of it in his trail journal.
Hmmmmm........:-? Sounds interesting.
Twofiddy
02-03-2006, 23:50
I have posted on this subject before.
Osprey, Granite Gear, and Gregory, hands down they have the AT market locked up because they target the market in a very heavy way and they provide excellent customer service in just about every single outfitter store close to the trail.
That is not to say that there might not be another pack out there that is really great that every thru-hiker should carry, but simply put, people buy what is avaliable, what they see others successfully using, what they see others happy with.
Happy Hiking
And I seriously doubt I could have kept an external frame pack on while wriggling through the underground passageways in Mahoosuc Notch.
Done it twice with external frame packs
Lone Wolf
02-04-2006, 09:28
The trouble is the AT has a lot of climbs and scrambles that would be rather awkward with an external frame, and one really does not need 45 lbs of gear. I doubt I can find an external frame pack that holds the 20-35 lbs I carried and weighs only 3 lbs. And I seriously doubt I could have kept an external frame pack on while wriggling through the underground passageways in Mahoosuc Notch.
But you are right, external frame packs certainly have fields in which they excell.
I've hiked 10,000 miles on the AT with a Jansport external, 4 times thru Mahoosic Notch. Never had a problem. There is nothing awkward on the AT that an external frame pack can't handle.
I use to take people on backpacking trips...I provided all the gear. I had a mixture of external frame packs..Jansport, Kelty and an excellent brand called Camptrails. External frames are GREAT. Its not a problem if your sleeping bag is huge. You can always find somewhere to tie that pad..strap that tent ..tie on the kitchen sink (if you are the trail boss you sometimes have to tote out the kitchen sink.) One day an outfitter friend of mine asked me to testdrive a new internal frame pack. It was tricky fitting all my stuff in there but once I put it on I was hooked...I am a short small female and internal frame packs just fit me better. I never gave the pack back..I had to sell my favorite mountaineering tent to pay for it. It was a Dana Design Terraplane. With the wet rib attached I think it came to about 8 lbs. After the drunk driver got me I gave all my external frame packs to a boy scout troup and sold the terraplane to a thru hiker. I thought my trail days were done but then another outfitter friend of mine (Jeff at Neels Gap in Ga) showed me a Golite Breeze. I read Beyond Backpacking..found this website and got hooked and I am back on the trail :) Now my total rig weighs 8 lbs and packs up smaller than my old synthetic sleeping bag did. I still teach classes and work with people to find the gear that works for them. There are some fabulous packs out there. I think there are many reasons Granite Gear packs are so popular. Granite Gear packs are simple, uncomplicated..they have extra room when you need it..they fit most people well and the price is right. They look good and they look DURABLE. I am very careful with gear and educated about the strength of silnylon and such but even I get a little nervous with the "look" of some of the other packs out there. Your perspective changes when you intend to walk all the way to Maine with something.
L. Wolf...did you have the Jansport pack with all those bells and whistles and special pockets..the one with the metal supports in the hipbelt or were you the basic Jansport kinda of dude?? :)
Lone Wolf
02-04-2006, 10:48
Jansport D-2.
Spirit Walker
02-04-2006, 11:27
Programbo - I carried an external on my first AT hike, an internal on my second. I would never go back to the external. For the kind of rock climbing you have on the AT in New England, an internal works much better. I find that with an external I can't swing my arms the same (they hit the frame) and I am more likely to hit my head when ducking under blowdowns. The internal was much more comfortable. I can sit on it at rest breaks without fear of breaking anything. An external is noisier too - lots of squeaks and moans. No - it's not just marketing. Internals really are better.
This thread has been hijacked. :(
Programbo
02-04-2006, 15:52
>>>I am a short small female and internal frame packs just fit me better.<<<
Well that always was a problem..Actually a few companies came out with external frames designed specifically for females right before the big internal crush..Basically what made them "female" packs is that..1)The frame had less curve to it since a womans hips tended to til the pack forward..2) The shoulder straps and hip belt had an extra layer of padding and were shaped for a womans form...3) The pack bag was moved to the bottom of the frame to account for the change in center of gravity caused by a woman hips tilting the frame...4) The frame length was shorter...5) They came in pretty colors :p ...I saw someone selling one on Ebay recently
Programbo
02-04-2006, 15:59
For the kind of rock climbing you have on the AT in New England, an internal works much better. I find that with an external I can't swing my arms the same (they hit the frame) and I am more likely to hit my head when ducking under blowdowns. The internal was much more comfortable.
Well those are some of the areas where I said internals were superior..Balance..Freedom of movement..For the one who said they crawled thru areas on the trial where they couldn`t have with an external..For decades externals were all that were used and no one ever had a problem passing thru those same areas..I think Kelty and Jan Sport accounted for 90% of the packs I saw on thru hikers up untill the late 80`s..But with a lighter weight (I still need to see where all the weights gone..40+ pounds was considered the norm back when) I might consider an internal just for the comfort
Hana_Hanger
02-04-2006, 16:12
the link for those LuxuryLite packs..wonderful idea...but wow apxo $405 for a pack...but its basically custom made to you.
http://www.luxurylite.com/packindex.html
mweinstone
02-04-2006, 17:00
3lbs 12ozs of pure hiking pleasure.one pound packs are snacks for my packs lid.silly lightweight people. blow away now,...blow away silly people. i hope a big wind comes. then youll wish you had my stuff.
the link for those LuxuryLite packs..wonderful idea...but wow apxo $405 for a pack...but its basically custom made to you.
http://www.luxurylite.com/packindex.html
UGLY
Panzer
MrSparex
02-04-2006, 23:16
Be 100% certain what your torso size is. Buy the correct size and don't overtighten the sternum strap. :sun
mweinstone
02-05-2006, 00:36
am blob. walking blob of ever changing blubber configurations. cannot buy right size. am outcast of sociaty.must die soon. too ugly to bare,....shield children,...........am hidious.
purchased an ULA last year,,,,no matter what I could never get the weight to distribute at all to my hips and all was in shoulder straps. I like top loaders,,,kept weight low but when fully reloaded with food/H2O pack approached 30 lbs and too much on the shoulders,,,,but I really liked the attention to details with waterbottle zip tie on strap and pouch for camera on belt.
I will be buying a more supportive pack in lieu of above and decision to not skimp on comfy bedding next time. not sure which pack at this time,,,,really like having easy access to water bottles:banana
I'll be humpin' a spanking new Granite Gear Vapor Trail WITH lid. If you want a GG VT with the old Olive Drab accents better ACT FAST. As GG has informed me that they are changing the color to BABY (light) BLUE (aka Infantry Blue). GG informes me that they got this color choice by asking AT hikers at Trail Days. (I remain suspicious.)
I chose the VT over the lighter one because I use a hammock and the lighter one requires a sleeping pad to provide back rigidity to the pac.
UberPest
02-13-2006, 12:43
I haver the GG Vapor Trail and GG Nimbus Latitude Ki. I traded my GG Ozone for the VT since I didn't need two packs with similar weight ranges and capacities...
I also had at one time a Jansport Carson that I liked. I was an external frame, but I rarely carry over 35# so I just didn't need it any more. It had a lot of the same features as an internal, but with the load capacity of an external.
I do not know about others, but I find packs much like footwear. Each has
it's place and will be the ideal pack for that person at that time and place.
I would recommend any pack that came in under 3 lbs, fit you correctly,
carried what you wanted it to, had features suited to your personality and
looked good to YOU !!
I second raeba's comment and would add that most gear is a matter of fitting your needs and preferences. Threads like this help narrow the choices and will give some pros and cons from people who have used a particular model.
As for my choice, I bought a Mountain Smith from a Backpacker magazine recommendation. I know, silly me, but it is half the weight of my old external frame pack and works quite well for me. I will probably only consider a new pack if and when I plan to do sections of longer than a week.