View Full Version : Pack features: which are great and which are useless?
I've done a few searches on picking a backpack and haven't really come up with exactly what I should look for, specifically regarding features. I understand that I need to try the pack out for fit, but what about all the extras?
What pack features do you love and can't live without?
Which features were pretty useless? (I noticed someone said something about zippered compartments for sleeping bags being pointless and that's what made me wonder in the first place)
Did you customize your pack at all either before or during your hike?
How big is your pack (cu in)? Do you wish it was bigger/smaller?
Kerosene
10-02-2006, 11:29
As you note, fit and feel with your gear should be your first criteria. After that, here are options that I either have or would really really like to have as long as they add more flexibility than weight to the pack:
Small, secure pocket for valuables (wallet baggie, car key, etc.)
Large mesh back pocket for your wet tent/hammock/clothes
Small hipbelt pockets for snacks, camera, map, et al
Pack strap loops for water bottles
Stretchy side pockets you can stuff things into
A small "zippered" opening to the middle of the pack; not so much for panel-loading as much as easier access to something in the middle of the pack so you don't have to unpack everything
If you tend to establish a base camp and hike from there, then a removable top lid that can be used as a day pack can be handyTake a look at the ULA and Granite Gear bags. ULA has a ton of options, while Granite Gear is a little simpler. The volume you need will be determined by your equipment and the amount of food you'll be carrying. For the AT, a 3200-3500 cube pack would work for most lightweight section hikers. People obviously carry more (5500 cubes!) or less (2000 cubes) depending on how they hike.
Alligator
10-02-2006, 11:29
I've done a few searches on picking a backpack and haven't really come up with exactly what I should look for, specifically regarding features. I understand that I need to try the pack out for fit, but what about all the extras?
What pack features do you love and can't live without?I very much enjoy having a kangaroo pocket. On my Aether 60 and Bora 95, these are solid panel pockets (not mesh, but I'd be happy with mesh). I like this type of pocket for storing my water bladder and other wet items: rainfly or tarp, rain jacket, pack cover. I also like having a belt pocket. Some of the newer packs have integral hip belt pockets, which I would hope to have available next time I buy a pack.
Which features were pretty useless? (I noticed someone said something about zippered compartments for sleeping bags being pointless and that's what made me wonder in the first place)I find the zippered separation in the main body for a sleeping bag to be unnecessary. I use it on my winter pack, only because its there.
Did you customize your pack at all either before or during your hike? I added a hip belt pocket to all my packs.
How big is your pack (cu in)? Do you wish it was bigger/smaller?Arcteryx Bora 95 is 5800 ci, Osprey Aether 60 is 3900 ci, GG Vapor Trail is 3900 ci. No, they all fit the loads as needed.
I don't like slanted water bottle holders. I only bring one water bottle in the winter. The slant makes it harder to put other gear in the pocket, especially tent poles.
I'd recommend a hydration bladder pocket. My favorite feature on my ULA P-2 is the pocket on the hip belt where I can keep my camera, map, alcohol gel, etc. Rainbow
Footslogger
10-02-2006, 12:18
Zippers and excess strappage are the 2 most annoying/useless things on backpacks in my opintion.
The most usefull features are the size of the packbag, shoulder straps/hip belt and exterior mesh pouches.
When I consider a new pack now I look at its functionality and simplicity. Lot of features look cool in the store and give the reps something with which to differentiate their packs but in the end what matters most is comfort and ease of use (packing/unpacking).
'Slogger
Just Jeff
10-02-2006, 14:18
I'm pretty much with Kerosene's list. For me, an outer mesh pocket is a necessity for rain gear and tarp...so I can set it up w/o opening my pack. I like side pockets for snacks or water. Hipbelts are nice, too. I could do w/o everything else as long as it fits well.
-I'm with footslooger here
-I like a bombproof pack with little-to features. A second small pocket for odds and ends (aqua mira, etc.) is nice, but a small ditty bag would work just as well as long as you have a system down for packing your bag and know where to find stuff easily.
-waterproof packs are also nice, but silnylon is far from bombproof.
-external mesh pockets are nice--keep water bottles handy and keep a place for that wet tarp.
-I'm not a hipbelt user, but that all depends on hiking style
-the ability to customize- can you sew more stuff on or cut stuff off without wrecking the pack? Do you really need an ice-axe loop, a loop so you can hang your pack in your closet, etc? No, but don't count a pack out, you can cut that junk off.
my inflatable sleeping pad popped in Maine, and I couldn't justify replacing it with another expensive one, so I got a ridgerest and sewed some straps onto the pack.
I hate excess padding and find it totally unnessecary.
hikerjohnd
10-02-2006, 15:36
...and everything in its place. I like a large central compartment - no need for a sleeping bag section - but beyond that, I like small external compartments for easy access. I have a GG Ozone and I use two external pouches adding about 400 cu to my pack volume. It is enough to keep my kitchen and waterfilter handy and my raingear close along with a few other essentials. When possible I do not like to open my main pack compartment during the day. I have since added GG's shoulder pouch, but it is so small I question its viability. I may add the hip pouches for camera/maps/snacks but not sure yet. I tried a lid and still use it sometimes, but it can not hold much at all.
One concern I do have is the added weight from all the pouches. It would be nice to have a pack with the pouches integrated.
--the ability to customize- can you sew more stuff on or cut stuff off without wrecking the pack? Do you really need an ice-axe loop, a loop so you can hang your pack in your closet, etc? No, but don't count a pack out, you can cut that junk off.
I know the feeling, do I really need two ice axe loops? Heck no. But the question is can they be either utilized or modified for some other purpose? Sure. For example, I use the upper ice axe strap (the one that opens) to hold my Crocs. Works well for that purpose. The Crocs cinch in tight and don't swing around at all. I can also use the two bottom ice axe loops as a "support" for carrying a CCF pad horizontally. IMHO I suggest that you try to improvise and overcome a pack's shortcomings before cutting off any "dead weight" straps or useless features. Cut once, and possibly regret forever.
headchange4u
10-02-2006, 17:12
I tend to like sleeping bag compartments. I went with my Opsrey Aether 70 over the 60 because of the sleeping bag compartment (and the larger size). The reason I like the compartments is being able to access my pack from the top and the bottom to get to my gear. I removed the flap that seperates the sleeping bag section from the rest of the central compartment.
I find most pockets (other than side pockets) to be mostly useless. If they happen to fit a niche for the gear you carry, that's great, but I certainly would not buy a pack because it had 'another place to put stuff'.
I love the side pockets on my GG pack - large w/stretchy material that accommodates lots of different types of gear, not just water bottles. I have a GG Latitude 3800ci which is a panel loader - I bought it specifically for that feature as I just couldn't stand the black hole effect of top loaders.
One thing I remember looking for was a floating lid so that I could sandwich my tent and/or pad between it and the pack bag. Don't have that ability now, and I don't miss it. Many floating lids convert to fanny packs, but there are other 'bags' you can use as mini-packs which can also be used as stuff sacks in the main bag.
Necessary:
-Straps
-Large Compartment
Nice to have:
-Outside pouch for 'little stuff'
-Mesh side pockets (2) for water and fuel bottles
-Elastic grid for wet tarps/raingear
Luxury:
-Hip Belt
i have a Go-Lite Gust that i've modified by adding mesh side pockets and loops for an elastic band. looks like a bigger version of the GoLite Dawn now.
i have a lot of extra room, but because of it, I don't have to compress anything and there's always room for extra food or water.
i used to have a kelty trekker that had 3 or 4 outside pockets, plus a map pocket in the flap. after a few trips i found it tedious trying to remember where stuff was. had enough of that garbage in the army, using a lowe rucksack or the alice pack (3 outside pockets each). with just one outside pocket like i have now, i know exactly where my things are, pretty much sorted by size... big inside, small outside. and it weighs 3.5 lbs less than my kelty. that's nice too.
mweinstone
10-02-2006, 20:14
my pack is better than your pack. and what ever pack im on, its the best . kinda like the pres on airforce one.
LIhikers
10-03-2006, 07:38
as a section hiker I carry my water in a recycled 2 liter plastic bottle. I like to have an exterior, mesh, pocket that will hold the size and weight of the bottle when it is full. That makes it much easier to get a drink than having to open the pack to get out the bottle.
Buy one smaller in capacity than you think you may need, with few or no pockets. Larger pack and pockets mean more material so more weight. It is easy to keep your stuff separated in 3-4 sylnylon bags. Now you dont need a pack cover.
The larger the pack the more stuff you will be tempted to stuff in. My largest pack is a Mchale custom at 2650 ci, measure by me with foam peanuts since most pack manufacturers exaggerate their dimensions. I once did 10+ days in the Rockys with it, carrying at times 4 liters water, in Platypi hosers strapped to the sides
If you cannot determine the capacity needed, buy a custom Moonbow gearskin, an awesome pack, infinitely adjustable. Search this site for its reviews.
Kerosene
10-03-2006, 11:47
Now you dont need a pack cover.I disagree. I tried this approach, even placing all of my stuff sacks in a big plastic internal bag. All my stuff stayed dry, but I poured out a half cup of water from the bottom of the pack that evening. I'll be sticking to a 2 oz. silnyl pack cover.
If you cannot determine the capacity needed, buy a custom Moonbow gearskin, an awesome pack, infinitely adjustable. Search this site for its reviews.
Note Moonbow will be at the Gathering and it helps to get measure by the expert(s) when getting a Gearskin - that is what I did a few years ago and the pack has worked well for me.
My favorite pack design is basically a stuff sack with a flap over the drawcord, side pockets, and a back pocket with a zipper.
I'm very fond of the zipper! I've had stuff fall out of the side pockets but never the zipped up back pocket.
Padded shoulder straps are a must, as is a padded waistbelt (especially for heavier loads in an internal frame pack).
A pad compartment against the back is a good idea, especially in warm weather. If you make a back pad of ccf, gluing strips of another pad from top to bottom, leaving spaces between, it would probably aid air circulation. (I haven't done this yet, but it's on the drawing board - would make a more comfy torso pad as well, I imagine).
Imo, sleeping bag access zippers and compartments are a useless accessory. I rarely use my bag except at night. If I need to use it due to extreme cold, I don't mind taking out the other items to get at it. (I'll probably brew up something warm to eat or drink in those conditions, anyway).
In a medium to large pack, compression straps should be standard. I've had a floppy GVP (now Gossamer Gear) G4 pack on my back for a couple of days - not fun.
Wow, thanks for all the great info. I'm eyeballing a pack that doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles so I was curious about which features some people love and how I could adapt it.
I've always wondered what I could use the ice-axe attachments for. I mean, if I never in my life have to use an ice-axe, I would die a happy old lady.
SGT Rock
10-03-2006, 13:18
I cut the extra straps like that Ice Axe thing off my packs before I finally got smart and got packs that only had what I wanted in the first place. Another vote for the Gearskin - it has exactly what I want:
1. Good load carrying capability for when I want to add weight. I've taken one up to 50 pounds when loaded right. I normally keep it between 20-25 pounds thought.
2. That includes a real strap system of a padded hip belt and padded, well designed shoulder straps that include load lifters.
3. An outside mesh pocket. Nice to have for a wet tarp and some quick shove-in items.
4. Easy access to ANYTHING in the pack without unloading the whole things. When you pack it right you can get to things in the bottom as easy as you can to stuff in the top.
hopefulhiker
10-03-2006, 17:01
I am inte'rested in looking at the Gearskin again, but I used a Luxury Lite pack last year. I really liked the front pack. Everything was sittling right there. It was sort of like having a feed bag attached to a horse. Plus it helped to pull the camera out fast.. I liked the external frame too for my back. I didn't use the foam seat.
Skidsteer
10-03-2006, 18:02
Note Moonbow will be at the Gathering and it helps to get measure by the expert(s) when getting a Gearskin - that is what I did a few years ago and the pack has worked well for me.
HOI, will you be able to make Springer Sat. night?
I'd love to see a gearskin up close.
HOI, will you be able to make Springer Sat. night?
I'd love to see a gearskin up close.
I'm planning on being there and baring disaster I will be there.