View Full Version : Ultralight Packs for Thru-Hikes
Minervan12
11-25-2006, 10:06
So, I'm preparing for my AT Thru-hike and thinking about some ultralight packs for myself. Its hard to know which are good for women and all the good deals are online. I'm a diehard REI fan myself...and they don't carry many of the packs I am looking at.
Anyone have a good suggestion for me? What did any of you use on the AT?
Thanks a bunch!
i switched from an osprey aether 75 to a granite gear vapor trail at harper's ferry... best decision i've ever made.
Wolf - 23000
11-25-2006, 15:22
If your into ultra-light backpacking, I use the REI Flash UL. 1050 cb/in. I used mine now for over 500 miles and it is still going strong and for $25 who can beat it.
Wolf
I have that pack now and use it for dayhiking, but for a Thru Hike?? Ain't it kinda small??? :)
If I go dayhiking while backpacking, I just use it as a food bag after turning it inside out. It is just great for that and when I get to camp, all I have to do is turn it back right side out and then I have my day pack. You would have to go full blown Ray Jardine super Light-weight to use it for a thru-hike IMO.:banana
I did the majority of my thru-hike with a 1250 cb/in eagle creek daypak, 10 oz .(one of the straps started to tear) I ended up finishing my hike with a jansport superbreak, 1550 cubic inches. I'm pretty sure, though, that I could cut so much stuff off the superbreak (including the small pocket) that it ended up weighing a few oz. less than the smaller pack.
I liked having the little bit of extra capacity just to make packing easier, and the shoulder straps on the superbreak were much more comfortable.
dragonfly
11-25-2006, 20:18
I've tried on pretty much every lightweight women's pack out there. Tell me a little more about how much gear you plan to carry, and what you have in mind when you say "ultralight." That can mean a lot of different things to different people.
I've tried on pretty much every lightweight women's pack out there. Tell me a little more about how much gear you plan to carry, and what you have in mind when you say "ultralight." That can mean a lot of different things to different people.
True, so true.
I switched from an osprey (which I loved, but it was heavy) to a GG Vapor Ki (women's version of the Vapor Trail.).
Love it.
canoehead
11-26-2006, 08:54
Check out GoLite.com they have some good stuff
SGT Rock
11-26-2006, 09:20
I know I am a guy, but...
Get a Gearskin - they are custom made to your size. You have to outline your torso and send them the paper for them to make your pack. This way it is a "You" pack, not a woman's pack or a man's pack.
The sil-nylon version comes in at a hair over 21 ounces and I have carried up to 50 pounds in mine - but I try to stay under 30 pounds for the most part.
Johnny Swank
11-26-2006, 13:13
I second the Gearskin reccomendation whole-heartedly. Great design, and virtually unlimited range of "sizes" because they are custom made.
http://moonbowgear.com/1trailgear/1Custom%20packs/Gearskins/gearskin.html
Minervan12
11-26-2006, 14:30
Hey...thanks for the feedback. In response to asking what I intend to carry...
My boyfriend and I plan to hike together (unless we're fighting, lol)...and he is slowly coming around to hiking lightweight...he usually has a behemoth pack! (as we're both guides).
However, i'm planning to go minimally but not exactly jardine extreme. I'll probably be trying to keep my weight down to 30-35 pounds if I can...with food and water.
I've been looking at the Golite Gust...which is on sale for 69 bucks right now at backcountrygear.com....and I am oh so tempted....I have the speed bag (but its already torn and too small--rei scratch and dent)...but love the weight. The pack I have weighs freaking 6 pounds now. I'll check out those other packs y'all recommended...
But the Golite Gust? Anyone have an opinion??
Johnny Swank
11-26-2006, 14:42
Your going to want to keep the weight under 30 lbs if possible with the Gust. Good pack though, and fine for a thru-hike as long as you're going a bit lighter than most.
dragonfly
11-26-2006, 16:34
My base weight is about 15-20 pounds (w/o food and water) in warm weather, and about 22 pounds in cold weather. This summer I ditched my Gregory Z-Pack (named "Cujo") for an Osprey Ariel 55. The Z-Pack was fine at under 25 pounds, sheer hell above that, and it was inconvenient to load (really useless outside pockets).
The Ariel is great--the comfort of the hipbelt and shoulder straps more than makes up for it being a tad heavy. It's the first pack I've ever worn that has narrower contoured shoulder straps. Every truly ultralight pack I've tried (the Granite Gear Vapor Ki, the Six Moons Designs Comet, the Equinox Katahdin, the ULA P2, and packs from Gossamer Gear and GoLite) have wide shoulder straps that rub on my neck and/or armpit, because they're built for men with much broader shoulders than I have (even thought the Vapor Ki is supposedly a women's pack).
I love shopping on-line sales, too, but I think you're really going to need to find somewhere to try on a lot of packs to find the best fit and features for you.
I'd like to 'third' the Gearskin. Its made to fit you-and does it well
Wolf - 23000
11-27-2006, 13:08
I have that pack now and use it for dayhiking, but for a Thru Hike?? Ain't it kinda small??? :)
If I go dayhiking while backpacking, I just use it as a food bag after turning it inside out. It is just great for that and when I get to camp, all I have to do is turn it back right side out and then I have my day pack. You would have to go full blown Ray Jardine super Light-weight to use it for a thru-hike IMO.:banana
Karo,
The REI Flash UL can be small but if your into ultra-light backpacking it is the perfect size. Some hikers I know could use it as a food bag but if you watch what you put inside your backpack, it's not a big issue. When I hiked with Blister Sister and Pack Rat in WY, Blister even took a picture compare Pack Rat's food bag with my pack.
http://gallery.backcountry.net/blister-steamboat_springs-dubois?page=9
Jardine wrote his book on "light-weight" backpacking almost 10 years ago and even then really into ultra-light backpacking. Now, it is all to easy for anyone to travel with less then a 5 pound base weight. Look at all the light weight equipment out there now.
Wolf
A fourth to the Gearskin. The fit is unbelievable, and so is the service....
Brian
Here are some reasons I like the Golite Gust.
--it has plenty of volume
--it can hold a sleeping pad rolled into a tube, so gear can be packed within the tube
--it has a large outside pocket for items you want to find easily (flashlight, first aid, etc.)
--it has a compression strap across the middle this helps keep heavy gear high in your pack
--it had an ice ax loop which helps if you want to carry your hiking poles
--no extra frills, it is basically a big sack
--the shoulder straps are comfortable, but tend to slip off shoulder to one side if the bag is not packed correctly (I also have one shoulder that is lower than the other) it does not have a sternum strap
--it did not come with an opening for a playpus tube, so I opened a seam to make one
--it has vertical webbing along the length of the shoulder straps so a camera pouch or a sternum straap could be added
I have since switched to a Granite Gear Virga. The straps fit me better, and I now use a 3/4 z-rest that fits nicely in the bag. It also has top-loading straps ie. top-lifting adjustment straps to pull the top of the pack closer to your back
The Gearskin has always tempted me, but if I store all my gear in a packliner, is there still an advantage to a Gearskin? Isn't it just as convenient to stuff the pack liner into a conventional pack? A conventional pack adds a layer of tougher, protective material around the gear. Also. if I use a z-rest instead of a foam pad, it does not easily bend up as shown on Sgt. Rock's review, and doesn't the folded up pad get wet and catch water in the rain?
Minervan12
11-27-2006, 21:51
Well...for me the wait is over. I went ahead and got the Gossamer Gear G4...
I'll let you know how I like it! I'm very excited!!!! I'm going to try it out over xmas. We're hiking the loyalsock if anyone is interested....
SGT Rock
11-28-2006, 07:02
The Gearskin has always tempted me, but if I store all my gear in a packliner, is there still an advantage to a Gearskin? Isn't it just as convenient to stuff the pack liner into a conventional pack? A conventional pack adds a layer of tougher, protective material around the gear. Also. if I use a z-rest instead of a foam pad, it does not easily bend up as shown on Sgt. Rock's review, and doesn't the folded up pad get wet and catch water in the rain?
Good questions...
IT depends on how you pack to begin with. I have found that the Gearskin allows me to carry up to 50 pounds comfortably in it because of how I pack it. And with the way it is adjustible as to size - you can snug that sucker down to the size you need it. That is the advantage to me. So I can take off on a short summer hike or a long winter hike with the same 22.5 ounce pack that fits great. As to the G4 - well I tried a GG pack (not that exact model) and was not that comfortable with it even though it was a lot lighter than my Gearskin.
As to the packing. I am a beliver that you need more than one layer of rain protection anyway. I use a pack liner in it, but I also have my clothing, my quilts, and my other stuff all in sil-nylon stuff sacks. I also use a Packa for my rain top. But back to the part about the pad - I don't know the Z-Rest that well, but closed cell foam pads are cheap - so if you wanted to go to a Gearskin you could change to a Ridgerest which is the same thing basically - it just folds different. My pad gets a little wet on the edges if I don''t cover it, but that is not much moisture and it can be shaken off. Closed cell foam (at least the stuff I use) is waterproof - open cell foam would be like a sponge. So you shake the pad off and you can still use it.
The Gearskin has always tempted me, but if I store all my gear in a packliner, is there still an advantage to a Gearskin? Isn't it just as convenient to stuff the pack liner into a conventional pack? A conventional pack adds a layer of tougher, protective material around the gear. Also. if I use a z-rest instead of a foam pad, it does not easily bend up as shown on Sgt. Rock's review, and doesn't the folded up pad get wet and catch water in the rain?
There are many different variations of how folks adapt the gearskin to their particular uses-perhaps thats why its such a versatle pack. \
I could never use the 'stuffing' packing approach, gear wrapped inside open mat, from the Moodbow website and I dont use a liner. I prefer a much simpler, more organized approach and have adapted to 'my way' using it:
All my gear is carried in ultra-thin silnylon bags. One (double-bagged, reversed) for sleeping bag, one single bag for clothes, one single bag for food, one single bag for 'possibles'. These three (sometimes four) bags are stored vertically inside bag, drawstring side up (drawstring side down/sleeping bags). When pack is pulled tight, real tight, parts of the thin silnylon bags protrudes through the webbing, yet i have yet to tear or wear a hole through any of the bags. And nothing gets wet. The bags are seam-sealed, though, and they are the same original bags I purchased about 2003.
For sleeping mat I prefer the thermarest 3/4 ultralight because it packs up small & weighs a pound. It stores, closed, tightly rolled, into the 'possibles' bag-just so I know where it is.
I dont use pack cover-ever. being open on three sides, the gearskin drains nicely-even after day upon day of walking in the blowing rain, which I have done with it more than just a few times. All my gear is kept dry in above silnylon bags and, so far, works quite nicely. Just shake off the droplets of water sticking to the outside of the silnylon bags before opening them.
I own 4 backpacks. But after purchasing the Gearskin in 2004 its the only one I use now. Its as big-or small-as I want it to be. Its quite an amazing pack, really. Mine is spectre cloth. The blue outside still looks great but the white inside is stained, worn some, with character.
Once you have one, you'll change your mindset and adapt it 'your way';)
I forgot two points.
First, the stretchy webbed kangaroo pouch on the back. At first i thought it was simply not needed, especially since anything can be stuffed inside the sides or top of the gearskin without opening (much) of it. But i have come to love its usefulness. I cant imagine being without it.
I keep rain gear stuffed inside the gearskin on left side since I always throw the pack down on its right side. I unbuckle one buckle and pull it out.
the same for maps. But I cannot keep them dry in baggies alone, so I have gone to the BPL plastic (heavier) 'baggies'.
SGT Rock
11-28-2006, 08:56
Good point highway. There is more than one way to pack a Gearskin. HOI has one too and packs his bear cannister on the outside. As i was looking at it, I realized there is a good way to do that and have a lounge chair for hiking. But for me, I am happy with my method. And like you, it has become my pack for everything - except testing other packs. I always end up back with my Gearskin and my oldest son has one too.
Good point highway. There is more than one way to pack a Gearskin. HOI has one too and packs his bear cannister on the outside. As i was looking at it, I realized there is a good way to do that and have a lounge chair for hiking. But for me, I am happy with my method. And like you, it has become my pack for everything - except testing other packs. I always end up back with my Gearskin and my oldest son has one too.
It was your review back then, around the time this site was going through its shaky beginnings, that convinced me to abandon my McHale pack and go for the Gearskin. Thanks for good advice!
i once carried as much as 37 pounds, with much water and 9 days food and it still did great; usually, though its low-mid 20's.
Stays arent necessary to keep it up and a soft framesheet is not necessary to protect the back. Pulling it tight eliminates the stays, folding it some to your likeing; wise packing of hard item like pot to the front eliminates need/framesheet.
I have 4 well-used, trusted pieces of gear I never hike without. The Gearskin is one:)
Thanks again for the advice!
SGT Rock
11-28-2006, 10:47
No problem. That is what I try to do.
So what are the other 4?
LW,
Next time I see ya, I'm gonna check out how you do it. I am well below 20 lbs. I don't think I'll ever give up some of my comforts for that lightweight (below 10#) tho.
hammock engineer
12-02-2006, 02:31
Man all this talk of the gearskin is talking me into getting one. I am looking for something a little bigger than my vaper trail. My base weight minus pack is around 20 give or take. My issue with the VT is the bulk. With my underquilt and bag along with everything else I seem to have that thing stuffed full. So I have been using I very heavy internal frame pack. I end up with a 4000 ci pack with a lot of empty space. But I feel like I win when that happens.
Question for you gear skin users. Is it feasible to use the back netting pocket for my water blader, water bottle, and snacks? I am thinking that I could make a noseeum stuff sack for inside the gearskin to hold my tarp and rain gear.
Man all this talk of the gearskin is talking me into getting one...
Question for you gear skin users. Is it feasible to use the back netting pocket for my water blader, water bottle, and snacks? I am thinking that I could make a noseeum stuff sack for inside the gearskin to hold my tarp and rain gear.
Yep & Yep!
I keep a 2L hoser there with hose inlet up and clipped to my right shoulder strap. It saves stopping for so many breaks to hydrate and it Works great. To get all the water out I have to reach behind me and squeeze the bottom to get the last bit out. But there, until I have to squeeze it I always know I still have water left. I have just gotten usewd to the peculiarity
There is plenty of room for anything else you want to put in the webbed pouch. As far as your handmade pouch you dont need one. Thats the beauty of the Gearskin. You can just stuff whatever you want inside the edges, anywhere along the edge-wherever its convenient. Its easy to secure items and easy to get whatever item you want. But if its something big you might have to unclip a buckle or two first; then pull her snug again when finished!
hammock engineer
12-02-2006, 16:30
Thanks highway.
One more set of questions for the gearskin lovers.
Right now I have a clothes bag, sleeing bag compression bag (please don't start with the down compression arguement), food bag, misc bag, and maybe noseeum bag for wet suff (I just like keeping everything together). I will also have a sleeping bag most likely cut to my torso length. Is this a feasible way of packing? Or do I need to try to make the burrito thingy with my pad? I really don't want to use my hammock. If a tare starts in it, it usually doesn't stop until it is all the way across. Another reason for having everything in its own bag is I like having everything organized. I would still pack like this in a normal pack.
All the bags I am using are complety waterproof bags with the exception of my hammock and underquilt being in homemade silnylon snake skins. I am planning on using a packcover overtop the gearskin. Does this setup seem good for waterproofing? My main concern is my underquilt. The only thing I could do is add another waterproof bag/trash compacter bag.
Why a bag for wet stuff?
Keeping your gear in silnylon bags, they are already waterproof (seal the seams though).
Now, put all inside the Gearskin, buckle straps and pull. I dont use anything else-no pack cover, no inside trash bag of any sort and the packed package stays dry, even in an all day rain-day after day. The hammock is dry inside the skins, stuffed anywhere inside the Gearskin, like a long, uncoiled snake.
hammock engineer
12-02-2006, 16:47
Why a bag for wet stuff?
I like the idea of having one bag that I store my tarp and rain gear in. The netting should help it dry off during the day when it isn't raining while packed up, or if I get it out of the pack at breaks.
The hammock is dry inside the skins, stuffed anywhere inside the Gearskin, like a long, uncoiled snake.
Sorry I forgot to add that hammock snake skins are open on each end. They are basically 2 long tubes that you pull over the hammock and underquilt to hold them together. They will be open at 2 ends and just be overlapped at the middle.
My longest trip is only about 8 days. So on day 9 of my hike all this could change.
I pretty much sold myself on the gearskin. I just want to justify it a little more before I order. I know he says he will take them back. But I would feel bad returning a custom made piece of gear.
Wet stuff...put it in outside webbed kangaroo pouch. Its huge-room for too much, actually and easy to overcram.
i also sometimes use the same H Hammock arrangement, stuffed inside Gearskin around the other silnylon bags. One silnylon bag has clothes, one sylnylon bag has my sleeping pag (then that bag reversed and put inside another silnylon bag-its my last layer of defense), one silnylon bag holds food, pot, stove, fuel, one silnylon bag is a 'possibles' with thermarest 3/4 pad, first aid, toiletries in a spice container, gerber LED light w/single AA batt, assorted other junque. organize to your liking, buckle side straps and pull tight, tighter the better. its a pain learning the procedure at the beginning but after a while you can do it blindfolded.
If there is a disadvantage to a Gearskin, it would be that, tricky to pack at first, but its far overcome with a little practice. Everybody, it seems does it a little different, just as you will evolve your way, with your own gear. For me, I like the organized approach of everything in its place and since everything is in its own bag, not only do I know where evrerything but I can get to it easily as well.
Minervan, I started 05 with a Golight Gust. It was okay for a while. But when I stated having numbness in my left arm, and chest pain, I thought I was having a heart attack. It was from carrying the Gust and not having proper support. Miss Janet drove me to the nearest outfitter where I was fitted and purchased an Osprey Atmos. No more problems!
Now they have a female version of the Atmos too.
Nameless
12-07-2006, 20:55
I would like to throw another dollar in for the gearskin. Its an amazing pack.
I'm an extremely tiny person (5'1" 100lbs) with two major backsugeries. I needed a lighter weight pack but couldn't lose the support. With the gearskin I didnt have to give up the support, and found an amazing pack. I've led to a couple others in my life to buying this pack too.
I pack my gearskin a little differently than most people. I deflate some of the air out of my thermarest. Enough to keep the pack sturdy, less when the pack if fuller, sometimes nearly full if the pack is empty. I find the gearskin carries a lot better when its fuller, and air is pretty light. I then wrap the thermarest in my floor (2 mil plastic for a tarptent) so that it is waterproof and lay it on my gearskin. When the thermarest is folded in half hot dog (the long way) wise then it is the same width as the gearskin. I match the top of the pad to the top of the back of the pack. I then lay my four silnylon stuff sacks (one for sleeping bag, food, misc, clothing, in that order from bottom to top). This keeps my heaviest items at the ideal place on my back. I fold over the gearskin, the thermarest will not be long enough to cover the whole front side of the pack, but you don't need it too. This leaves you with a super padded frame that evens out the weight of the pack, and helps create a stronger weight transfer, in my opinion. I am buying a packa soon so I have another layer of protection. I also put a thin trash bag inside my clothes and sleeping bag sil nylon sack. It doesnt get a whole lot of wear inside the bag, so a thin one works fine.
I can personally comfortably carry about 30 lbs with this system. I am smaller than most, and with a bad back, so healthy, bigger people should be able to carry more easily. Once you get a light pack though its easy to cut down. I carry about 12 lbs, and don't knowtice the pack all day.
Pink
Minervan12
12-11-2006, 14:07
Alas...so I looked at the G4 from Goassamer Gear and just hated it! No back support and no hip padding...I tried carrying it two miles and had to take it off because my back was hurting so badly.
I'm really getting tempted into this whole gearskin thing...but am scared that it doesn't provide enough back support. Also, what is the max weight load?
I carry a EMS 4500 pack now. It's heavy! But I have grown to love its support, durability, and padding. It was my first real pack and I have been carrying for four years...
Anyway...so...the gearskin...supportive for someone with back problems?
So, I'm preparing for my AT Thru-hike and thinking about some ultralight packs for myself. Its hard to know which are good for women and all the good deals are online. ......
try GRANITE GEAR (http://www.granitegear.com/products/backpacks/ultralight/navpage/index.html)...they have some WOMEN SPECIFIC designed packs
hammock engineer
12-11-2006, 15:00
Alas...so I looked at the G4 from Goassamer Gear and just hated it! No back support and no hip padding...I tried carrying it two miles and had to take it off because my back was hurting so badly.
I'm really getting tempted into this whole gearskin thing...but am scared that it doesn't provide enough back support. Also, what is the max weight load?
I carry a EMS 4500 pack now. It's heavy! But I have grown to love its support, durability, and padding. It was my first real pack and I have been carrying for four years...
Anyway...so...the gearskin...supportive for someone with back problems?
Well I hope it is for someone with back problems. I had surgery on mine a couple years ago. From looking at it I think it would. At least for me. The heavier internal frame packs work pretty good for me. I put a couple weeks worth of hiking using my 5 lbs pack. It feels good, but it is pretty heavy for a pack. The gearskin as I am going to order it should only weigh on the order of 20 oz.
As I understand it, the way it works is by compressing everything in the pack. This forms one tight mess that functions as the frame. This is supposed to support the weight of the pack. From what I understand the loading of the gearskin may take a few times to get right. You also use your sleeping pad as a back support.
I have been emailing back and forth with the maker of the gearskin packs. He said that he has had up to 60 lbs in his, and that 5000 ci of bulk is not a problem.
One more thing to consider on ordering the gearskin is the time involved in making. I was told that if I order it now it is going to be around the end of January before I get it in the mail.
hammock engineer
12-11-2006, 15:05
try GRANITE GEAR (http://www.granitegear.com/products/backpacks/ultralight/navpage/index.html)...they have some WOMEN SPECIFIC designed packs
I have the vaper trail. It works ok for me. But I would not recommend it for someone with back problems. The frame is not very sturdy. It does not transfer the weight to my hips as well as a pack with a better frame does. There other packs may work better.
As I understand it, the way it works is by compressing everything in the pack. This forms one tight mess that functions as the frame. This is supposed to support the weight of the pack.
THIS IS TRUE
From what I understand the loading of the gearskin may take a few times to get right.
THIS IS PARTLY TRUE
You also use your sleeping pad as a back support.
THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY TRUE
I have been emailing back and forth with the maker of the gearskin packs. He said that he has had up to 60 lbs in his, and that 5000 ci of bulk is not a problem.
I AGREE, ALTHOUGH I HAVE HAD NO MORE THAN 40 IN MINE
One more thing to consider on ordering the gearskin is the time involved in making. I was told that if I order it now it is going to be around the end of January before I get it in the mail.
I guess others want one too.
I also have a bad back and have tried a variety of packs. One thing that has made a HUGE difference for me is sleeping on a Down Filled Air Mattress. I actually use the Pacific Outdoor Insul Mat with Primaloft. Yes it weighs more than a thin closed cell pad but less than most thermarests and it gives you 2.5 inches of comfort to sleep on. I can justify the weight because it does double duty as my pack framesheet. I fold mine to fit the pack and inflate it to work with the weight and the volumne of the load. Works great for me. The only down side is that now I cannot sleep on anything else :)
whykickamoocow
05-06-2007, 02:50
My partner and i have narrowed down our search for a pack for her 2008 thru to 2 packs. The osprey Aura 50 in a small which is 47 litres and an Aerial 55 in a small which is 52 litres. The Aerial is 12 0z heavier and slightly more expensive. The Aerial looks to have a greater carrying weight capacity which would allow a few more options if we do longer hikes. Looking to keep her pack weight down below 25lbs. Is the extra strength of the Aerial and possible comfort worth the extra 12 oz? Anyone got any ideas as regards to the best choice?