Pack covers

[Chaco Taco]

My new pack cover is pretty tight on my full pack. Is it supposed to be tight or have slack? It looks like it fits fine, but just wanna make sure it keeps the frame side dry

[D'Artagnan]

I'm sure you'll get a lot of responses to this -- and probably many from folks more experienced than me -- but make sure you have your sleeping bag inside at least a trash bag or something similar. Build in some redundancies since no system is perfect and the last thing you want is a soggy sleeping bag. Experience can be a harsh teacher. :eek:

As for the pack cover, mine is a little loose on the back side but I cinch it up on the side nearest my back. I usually sweat this side wet anyway in the summer plus the rain running down my neck/back does a pretty good job of wetting it, too. YMMV.

[Dingus Khan]

try a poncho/packa alternative, in my limited experience i have often had a wet bag from back runoff regardless of type of rain etc - the inners were dry having anything wet is annoying to me since i use my pack at my feet (hammock) on cool nights.

[Spock]

Note, both Dingus Khan and D'Artagnan recommend redundant systems. Me, I use a pack cover (which is also a water bag, bath tub, gear hammock, and contains the pack explosion when I unpack) and a poncho over it all. The poncho keeps water from collecting between the pack and your back where it rubs in, and the cover helps when you set the pack down. When the rain is heavy, you need all the help you can get.

[Tipi Walter]

Reminds me of the Bryson book: Uh, $400 for a pack and it isn't waterproof? And I need gear straps for the outside?

Yeah, what pack is waterproof? Is the new Arcteryx Naos waterproof? They claim it is but . . .

I know there's been a long thread on the Packa but I don't think it would cover my fully loaded 5500 cubic inch pack. I guess I've been through a dozen pack covers from trash bags to my latest, a large volume(7000 cubic inch)Gregory beauty with the shock cord perimeter, etc.

I do not want a tight pack cover since I end up stuffing all sorts of gear on the pack and the cover needs to fit around it all, obviously. Like Crocs and a Thermarest and water bottles and an extra food bag, etc.

[dloome]

You want it snug- Not drum tight stretched over everything. If it is, it only has to shift a little bit to leave part of your pack exposed. Not loose, since it will be more likely to blow off or collect water and sag.

Btw, pack covers are just about useless IMO. In sustained rain EVERYTHING in your pack will get wet. Rain will mostly come down the back, but also blow in the sides, or get in when you shift your pack cover to get at your water bottle or something. I also saw another thru hiker lose her pack cover in the Whites when the wind took it right off. (It was cinched on there tight.) Nothing like a soggy bag at the end of a cold, rainy, windy day.

This is why you use a pack LINER. A sturdy Hefty bag that costs 50 cents makes the interior of any pack totally waterproof. If you've got a needlessly excessive pack with a lot of external pockets and such, you'll need to find some way to protect those items.

[Lilred]

I have a Sea to Summit pack cover and love it. Not the lightest, like the silnylon covers, but it has kept my pack dry in the heaviest of downpours. Nothing inside my pack has ever gotten wet in the 500 miles I've hiked. It's on there tight too. Stay away from those silnylon ones. Saw more than one hiker replace theirs at Neel's Gap. They hardly work.

[Chaco Taco]

You want it snug- Not drum tight stretched over everything. If it is, it only has to shift a little bit to leave part of your pack exposed. Not loose, since it will be more likely to blow off or collect water and sag.

Btw, pack covers are just about useless IMO. In sustained rain EVERYTHING in your pack will get wet. Rain will mostly come down the back, but also blow in the sides, or get in when you shift your pack cover to get at your water bottle or something. I also saw another thru hiker lose her pack cover in the Whites when the wind took it right off. (It was cinched on there tight.) Nothing like a soggy bag at the end of a cold, rainy, windy day.

This is why you use a pack LINER. A sturdy Hefty bag that costs 50 cents makes the interior of any pack totally waterproof. If you've got a needlessly excessive pack with a lot of external pockets and such, you'll need to find some way to protect those items.

Yea, I have a 55 gallon Brawny Bag in there now with my sleeping bag wrapped separately. I have a Gregory cover and am pretty happy with it. I also have a huge poncho that would fit over the pack but is really heavy. It can also be used as a ground cloth when you open it up. Just tryingto decide what to ditch. I only have 2 outside pockets

[Nameless]

Tipi-

Don't give up on a packa just yet, especially if you have a bit of money (they arent cheap).

Eddie is an extremely nice guy and modifies the packas at no additional cost. I'm extremely tiny, so he is making one smaller for me. He coud probably extend the pack cover section easily.

The main problem is he is in the middle of moving and cannot sew until the beginning of March, so if you need the pack cover fast he may not be able to do it. He is planning to send me my packa after I start my thru on March 1st, and could probably work with your plans.

Pink

[Tipi Walter]

Tipi-

Don't give up on a packa just yet, especially if you have a bit of money (they arent cheap).

Eddie is an extremely nice guy and modifies the packas at no additional cost. I'm extremely tiny, so he is making one smaller for me. He coud probably extend the pack cover section easily.

The main problem is he is in the middle of moving and cannot sew until the beginning of March, so if you need the pack cover fast he may not be able to do it. He is planning to send me my packa after I start my thru on March 1st, and could probably work with your plans.

Pink

When I first discovered the Packa I thought it would be just right for my needs so I DO NEED to give it more research and even attempt to build up a custom one. The price of course made me squeamish but the idea is cool though I wonder about the ruggedness of the material. A pack cover really gets chewed up and even a stout one generally lasts me only about 3 years.

For some reason I can't wrap my head around using a pack liner, it's hard enough to stuff a full pack without one and it's just one more layer to deal with and one more thing to snag zippers.

[Jim Adams]

Bleach,
use zip locs in the small pockets.
geek