PDA

View Full Version : My pack of choice is .....



Former Admin
09-27-2002, 03:50
My pack of choice is .....

Peaks
10-05-2002, 07:47
For the many ultra-lightes out there, suggest that you add "ruck-sack" or frame-less packs to the poll selection.

Singletrack
10-11-2002, 18:27
My long distance pack is the Gregory Reality X. I like the suspension system, because I carry the weight on my hips not my shoulders. Used it on my thru Hike. 4350 cu. in. Weighs about 5 lbs. Although my total weight for 5 or 6 days out is 26.5 lbs. I use the Arc Teryx, Khasmin 38 for shorter hikes. Weighs in at 2lbs. 6oz. Carries 2750 cu. in. and also has an adequate suspension system. Total weight with everything including food and water for 3 days, about 19 lbs.

Jack Tarlin
10-25-2002, 15:21
I've been carrying an Osprey for my last 6 thru-hikes, and have been very pleased with the decision to do so. Great company, great people, great products.

stranger
12-05-2002, 18:48
I have being using a Gregory Reality 1996 prototype for the past 6 years. Being a prototype it's lighter and smaller than the current Reality so that's good, at a fine 3700 cu inches it's perfect for my hikes. Every once in a while product testing works out, usually I hate the packs I test.

Lone Wolf
12-05-2002, 19:03
My first thru- hike I carried Kelty Super Tioga. Was o.k. My next 3 thru-hikes I carried a Jansport D-2. Loved it. My SOBO thru I had a Lowe internal 90+15. It sucked. In 2000 I bought a Dana Design K-2 Shortbed. Excellent pack. My current pack is a Gregory Shasta. Love it!

Mike Drinkuth
03-14-2003, 19:44
Wow Jack,

Osprey, hua? Cool!

My hiking partner just got her osprey last year and is planning to take it on our thru next year (51 weeks and counting!!!!!!!!!!). Hers is the Luna 75. We've gone out about 10 or 12 times since she got it but not for more than a few days at a time yet. She'll be encouraged by your endorsement.
Thanks

Presto
03-17-2003, 14:08
Mountainsmith Ghost 2lb, 6oz spent for 3100 cubic inches of storage. Love it. Keep the loads light with this pack or your shoulders will feel it. Pack is designed very durable - never had a problem with it on the thru-hike.

Blue Jay
03-17-2003, 15:12
I have a K2 Longbed external with 5000 miles on it. The upper frame section and pack itself are still brand new because I never used them. I use a kayak bag that is still waterproof due to the lower frame that protects it when it's set down. I never worry about rain as I just throw every thing in dry, except my tent, strap the tent on top and I'm away in a few minutes. I love the way the weight belt transmits the weight to the top of the frame. I can actually run with it, if there is food to be had.

mailman
03-25-2003, 00:08
I use the Arc'teryx Bora 80, I know its a bit on the heavy side but its comfortable as hell and its almost bullet proof. 4800 [cu in] is enough room for a bunch of stuff I rarely need!

The Mailman

B Thrash
07-10-2003, 22:10
During hot weather I use a Kelty external frame and during cold weather hiking I use a Gregory Gravity X.

MedicineMan
07-11-2003, 12:34
Currently using a Mithril, but just mailed it back to Moonbow to have it augmented...Moonbow Gear (Jonathan and Rhia) are awesome for customer support/demand/wishes...if you can dream it they can make it! Have probably 15-18 packs in the collection but love the Mithril, it replaced my GVP-4 because it is almost as light but the Spectra gives it the strength I wanted in an ultralight.....this pack is true to the advertisements-you will forget you have it on.

Kerosene
07-11-2003, 16:17
I purchased a Dana Designs Terraplane X in 1999 to a replace 25-year old Kelty Tioga as I restarted backpacking after an extended absence. Well-built pack that rides great, but the pack weight of 7+ pounds makes me keep eyeing lighter weight solutions like the Mountainsmith Ghost, Moonbow and a few others. I've got the rest of my Fall load down to under 15 pounds without food or water, so the weight of my pack is my last major opportunity. Of course, it needs to be just as comfortable as my Dana or the total weight won't really mean anything.

stranger
07-13-2003, 20:56
Without getting too opinionated (which I often do) I would agree with you that a 7lb pack for AT hiking is overkill and you could definitely get something much lighter with identical quality.

However I would strongly discourage you from looking at Mountainsmith products, after 10 years in the industry they easily have the worst track record of any pack I've seen. There are many better options out there to say the least. Keep in mind though that the Dana Arc'Flex suspension is one of the best on earth...and will be hard to beat in terms of comfort and fit.

foodbag
09-19-2003, 11:45
I like the Granite Gear Vapor Trail, at 2 lbs. it has a comfy suspension system and two stretchy water bottle pockets and a nifty way to attach a sleeping pad to the back. It's one step up from complete ultralight which means an extra pound but it was worth it to me to get the whole weight off my shoulders. www.granitegear.com to see what the pack looks like and you can get it at REI or backcountrygear.com. I think it's about $149.00.

Kerosene
09-19-2003, 15:31
I ended up going with the Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone, at 3 lbs., which differs from the Vapor Trail in that it has a sturdier polyethylene frame (used in other Granite Gear packs) and is slightly larger. The Nimbus is supposed to be able to carry 30-40 pounds comfortably, and while I'll be carrying on 25 pounds with 3-4 days of supplies, I'd like to be able to add a few more days of food or more cold-weather gear and not be stretching the limits of the pack. I still saved 4.5 pounds off my Terraplane. I'll be going out for an extended week in central Virginia in late October and will post my results.

illininagel
09-19-2003, 16:01
Kerosene,

I was also looking at the Nimbus Ozone for the reasons that you described. I look forward to hearing your evaluation once you've had a chance to try the pack out in October.

Jaybird
11-21-2003, 07:21
I've been carrying an Osprey for my last 6 thru-hikes, and have been very pleased with the decision to do so. Great company, great people, great products.


Yo Jack!

how much does your Osprey pack weigh?
how much (ci) gear can you carry?

just curious :-?



At the moment...i'm hikin' with a REI MORNINGSTAR 75 (approx5000 ci)
weighs 4lbs 5oz. Internal frame

Alligator
11-21-2003, 08:49
Aether 60 for all but the coldest months, then I bump it up to an Arc'teryx Bora 95 during the winter or week long trips without resupply. Both are excellent packs without having any problems. The Bora 95 is heavy but I bought it a few years ago before I slimmed down. It will, however, become useful again soon as the family size is increasing.

gumball
11-21-2003, 09:42
Osprey Ariel 75 (although I have an Aether 60, too)...great fit, great product, feels like a part of me.

icemanat95
11-21-2003, 12:14
For cold weather or long trips where food, fuel and such are needed I carry a Dana Designs Terraplane. I Also carried the Terraplane on my thru in 1995, but that was long before the ultralight thing took hold, the Terraplane was easily one of the most popular packs on the trail that year. It carried well under any weight (including a couple 100+ pound carries).

Now for anything under 5 days I carry a Dana Designs Bridger. Still a little heavy by many people's reckoning, but I like it and it's sturdy enough to be overloaded in a pinch.

Nightwalker
12-07-2003, 12:17
My first thru- hike I carried Kelty Super Tioga. Was o.k. My next 3 thru-hikes I carried a Jansport D-2. Loved it. My SOBO thru I had a Lowe internal 90+15. It sucked. In 2000 I bought a Dana Design K-2 Shortbed. Excellent pack. My current pack is a Gregory Shasta. Love it!

You're the first person, besides me, that I've seen admit to liking a JanSport. Heavy suckers, but a decent fit.

I'll still use my 5500 CI Rockies II for a full-out winter pack, but I'm drooling on this Gregory Stinger, planning a week-long starting IMMEDIATELY after Christmas! (Yeah, I know, it's winter, but I only need a giganto pack if I'm taking the wife and carrying a bit of her load as well!)

Frank

bailcor
12-07-2003, 16:16
Take a look at the new Gregory G pack. About 2 lbs.. Can hold over 3,000 without webbing. What ever you choose, if you can, take all of your winter gear to the store and see if it fits. Preferably with room to spare.

bigcat2
12-20-2003, 13:55
I use a Kelty Redcloud. It was before they started coming out w/ the numbers on them, but it is equivelant to the recent Redcloud 5400. I love the multiple pockets because of the ease to retrieve my gear when getting into camp. The externals are a life saver.

I also use a Kelty Boomerang when I am on dayhikes and it is a comfortable and spacious little pack.

highway
12-20-2003, 15:35
Mine is American made from a small, custom pack manufacturer in Washington State, McHale & Company. The owner and chief designer is a very knowledgeable Dan Mchale who is a climber and began making quality packs for the climbing crowd. Now us backpackers have found him :jump His web site is:

http://www.mchalepacks.com

Prior to finding him, I owned a couple of Mountainsmiths and a Dana Designs. A shoulder strap came off a mountainsmith on a trip and their customer service department did quickly repair it, but then i no longer trusted it. The Dana was their top of the line and while it carried adequately, I always thought it could do so more comfortably. Then I stumbled onto the above web site.

Dan Mchale sent me a couple of his loaner packs to try and I took out what i last carried in the Terraplane X and then put the same items into the McHale. The difference was startling, like night and day. I promptly ordered my McHale, sent his loaners back and sold the Terraplane X on E-bay (I still feel pangs of guilt for having done that to someone else)

Later, as my pack weight and volume kept reducing I had him make me a smaller one, precisely 3025 ci weighing slightly less than 3 pounds. And, he doesn't have a customer service department-because he doesn't need one-his packs are made that well :clap

oyvay
12-20-2003, 15:53
I now carry a gregory whitney, I love it! It's got plenty of room for essentials and the occasional "luxury" items that cause green-eyed leering from the "goliters." The position of the hipbelt and shoulder straps are much more comfortable than my old alpinelowe and much steadier on my back than the EMS external I had before the lowe.

rumbler
12-20-2003, 17:19
I have a Granite Gear Vapor Trail for summer, but I need to keep the weight under 25 pounds for it to wear comfortably. For loads over that I used the Reality, but then switched to a Gregory Wind River for loads over 35 pounds. It's a tank (at 7 pounds) but wears so much more comfortably than even my Reality (which oddly enough kept breaking on me during my hike) that the extra weight was a fair trade for the enhanced suspension, even with moderate loads.

As far as the G-pack goes, it may be a great pack but it sure seemed to fall apart this past year on the trail for almost eveybody. The Gregory rep was seemingly under seige at Traildays by hikers wanting to repair their pack. My advice: Don't overload it.

hungryhowie
12-21-2003, 20:05
I haven't used a pack with a frame in over 3 years. That will change shortly as I invest "heavily" in photography equipment. I love frameless packs - they're light (my pack-o-choice is 12oz!), versitile (I use it for day hikes - long distance hikes), and durable (spectra gridstop - the same material that gregory and other pack manufacturers use). I have comfortably and lightly carried my load many a mile with these packs.

2nd choice would be internal frame. I used one on the AT in 2000, and it looks like I'll be going that route again in the future...5 pounds of DSLR and lenses changes the game.

-Howie

pixpusher
12-21-2003, 21:24
I ended up going with the Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone, at 3 lbs., which differs from the Vapor Trail in that it has a sturdier polyethylene frame (used in other Granite Gear packs) and is slightly larger. The Nimbus is supposed to be able to carry 30-40 pounds comfortably, and while I'll be carrying on 25 pounds with 3-4 days of supplies, I'd like to be able to add a few more days of food or more cold-weather gear and not be stretching the limits of the pack. I still saved 4.5 pounds off my Terraplane. I'll be going out for an extended week in central Virginia in late October and will post my results.

kerosene:

what "size" ozone do you have? i'm thinking about a purchase, and being tall, i thought i should probably go with the "long" model.

my granite gear virga (size = m) hipbelt rides sorta high.

ltz.

Desperado
03-31-2004, 21:06
I love my Lowe Alpine Contour 4! Nothing has fit me better.

rpettit
11-23-2004, 13:12
Gregory Lassen 6lbs. 10oz. My base pack weight, pack included, 27lbs. then add food and water (not an ultra lighter, enjoy comfort). Carries up to 40lbs. very well. Have owned it for 3 years, bulletproof, no problems. I had 50 lbs. in it once and it still carried fine, shifted all the weight to my hips, but my legs did not fair as well as my back. Won't do that again.

Mushroom 96
11-23-2004, 13:52
My pack is an Osprey, picked it up in Damacus VA in 96 after taking a few painful falls with an old external frame. It has 4300 ci and weighs 4 lbs with plenty of adjustments. Never had the slightest bit of trouble with it and I talked my friend into buying one two years ago and she loves them also.

Footslogger
11-23-2004, 14:37
Hard to narrow it down to a single pack. What can I say ...I'm a gear junkie.

I was right there with Rumbler last year carrying the Granite Gear Vapor Trail (in fact we bought them on the same day near Pearsisburg, VA). I carried it all the way to Katahdin and managed to keep my packweight at 24 pounds or less. Like Rumbler, I wouldn't try and put more than 25 pounds in it though.

After the AT, my wife took a liking to my Vapor Trail and somehow mysteriously it became hers ????? Anyhew, that sent me in search of a reasonable replacment. I landed on the "Fusion" from ULA. Have carried it ever since and really like the design. My total packweight is still around 24 - 25 pounds and the Fusion carries it well.

If I was starting all over from scratch I'd be comfortable with either the Vapor Trail or the Fusion. They both weigh around 2 pounds empty and carry up to 25 pounds very comforably.

'Slogger
AT 2003

Bloodroot
11-23-2004, 15:41
For my '05 thru I'm taking a Osprey Aether 75. For short trips and weekenders I take my North Face Badlands 75.

neo
11-23-2004, 16:39
i currently have 2 packs i use,on my last section hike on the appalachian trail
from delaware water gap to dalton mass i used an equinox katahdin,i love this
pack,wieghs 1 lb 8 oz,has a real fully padded hip belt.it is 3350 ci,retailed $110.00,i paid $79.99 for mine,i also love my fanatic fringe thompson peak pack.
9.2 oz $79.99 3600 total capacity,great pack:banana :bse :jump :D :sun :dance

Palmer
11-23-2004, 19:36
Jansport D-3. I'm afraid to weigh it. I know it's really heavy, but it's also really comfortable and holds everything you could possibly imagine. Still six years till my thu hike, I'll probably get something else before then.

swamp dawg
11-23-2004, 23:31
I have used all type of packs over the years. The external pack is great for comfort and heavy loads. The internal pack can be lighter and give you a more stable load. I use external during summer because it is cooler and less sweat gets into your pack. The framless packs that use a sleep pad are super light but they force you to pack light, which can be a plus. Remember the folks that hiked the trail long ago they made it with packs that were primitive by todays standard so find one and hike your own hike.

SGT Rock
11-24-2004, 09:25
Try a gearskin - I carried 50 pounds in it just as a comfortable as I have in an internal frame pack. Of course 50 pounds is still 50 pounds and I don't see much of a need to do that again unless I am winter camping or crossing the desert and need a lot of water. It carries my 20-30 pounds (depending on water, climate and food) like a pillow on my back.

fishinfred
11-24-2004, 22:45
I just recieved my new ULA P-2 backpack and this thing is really nice .Only weighs 47 oz. with 4900 cu in ,zippered pouches on the padded hip belt and feels great with 20lbs,has anybody else used one of these ,Im curious about durability in the long haul.I got it from MRO in Damascus Va.on a trade for some of my "Hiker stuff",I just looked and they run about $210(not bad compared to some )check em out at http://ula-equipment.com I can't wait to try it out!!!
Happy Trails!!!:jump
FF

highway
11-27-2004, 11:29
Gearskin made with Spectra cloth has become my pack of choice. I'm not so fond of the blue color they had at the time but most of it is covered with a big black net pocket, anyway. It only weighs 1.55 pounds and I really do like that a lot. Plus it carries extremely well-once with as much as 34 pounds with 8 days food and 2 liters water, but usually sees weight only in the 20's. It's only drawback is that it's slightly harder to pack in the morning but quickly overcomes it during the day when its so easy to pull things from it-like food, rain gear or whatever. I keep my stuff stored in silnylon bags, packed sideways and anything is easy to get to quickly. It's small, carries low so I can see behind me and infinitely expandable if the need arises. I'm amazed more dont use them. Or. perhaps they do and I just dont know it. :-?

SGT Rock
11-28-2004, 14:56
I totally agree highway

grrickar
11-29-2004, 17:04
For those with Gearskins: Do you worry about the fact that your shelter is essentailly sticking out of the pack? Not that you should have this problem much on the AT, but if you were in a situation where you had to crawl through brush and briers, are you not concerned about the wear on your shelter (no protection on the sides)? I checked out the website. It looks extremely easy to pack.

grrickar
11-29-2004, 17:12
I just recieved my new ULA P-2 backpack and this thing is really nice .Only weighs 47 oz. with 4900 cu in ,zippered pouches on the padded hip belt and feels great with 20lbs,has anybody else used one of these ,Im curious about durability in the long haul.I got it from MRO in Damascus Va.on a trade for some of my "Hiker stuff",I just looked and they run about $210(not bad compared to some )check em out at http://ula-equipment.com (http://ula-equipment.com/) I can't wait to try it out!!!
Happy Trails!!!:jump
FF
Fishin Fred, I went to the website and did not see the zipped pouches as being an option for the P-2, do you know if they are standard or do you have to specify them when you order?

Footslogger
11-29-2004, 17:33
Fishin Fred, I went to the website and did not see the zipped pouches as being an option for the P-2, do you know if they are standard or do you have to specify them when you order?=========================================
Well ...I have the "Fusion" (a little smaller than the P2) and they are standard so something tells me they are standard on the PW also.

'Slogger
AT 2003

Lilred
11-29-2004, 18:30
Fishin Fred, I went to the website and did not see the zipped pouches as being an option for the P-2, do you know if they are standard or do you have to specify them when you order?

They are standard as of this year. scroll down and you'll see the 'new' standard items.

http://www.ula-equipment.com/p2.htm

SGT Rock
11-30-2004, 23:27
For those with Gearskins: Do you worry about the fact that your shelter is essentailly sticking out of the pack? Not that you should have this problem much on the AT, but if you were in a situation where you had to crawl through brush and briers, are you not concerned about the wear on your shelter (no protection on the sides)? I checked out the website. It looks extremely easy to pack.

I don't pack mine that way at all. The Gearskin can be packed in a variety of ways. Here is a link to my system:http://hikinghq.net/gear/moonbow_gearskin.html

ScottP
01-28-2005, 00:24
Lowe Alpine 90+15: Heavy sucker, weighs over 7 lbs, I believe, but it carries 7000 ci and handles heavy loads pretty well.

Osprey Aether 30: I run with 15 pounds in this thing without a problem. Backpacking with 25 pounds in it would be a cinch.

I'm looking at getting a middle-sized pack, probably the GoLite gust.

Stuart
01-28-2005, 00:54
I've got the extremes --- Bora 80 and GoLite Breeze

I'll take the Breeze any day and will never go back to carrying a big pack like that. Once you get your equipment set right for the Breeze it works nicely for about 5 days.

Seeker
08-24-2005, 00:00
my favorite is my golite gust. carries all i need, plus room for about a week's worth of food. hipbelt doesn't get much use unless i'm loaded way up with food and water, but it's nice to have 'just in case'. my base weight is about 13-15 lbs, and the pack works fine to about 25 lbs. it's not as 'bombproof' as my older kelty trekker, but since i'm pretty gentle with eqp't anyway and don't generally bushwack (if i can hlep it), its lighter weight material isn't a problem. i got it used for about $70 on ebay. i think it retails for $100. the other thing is that it makes me think before i carry something. ''do i really NEED to carry this, or do i just want it?'' so it sort of helps me keep my lightweight philosophy in mind all the time.

sleepwalker
01-31-2006, 17:34
I use an Osprey Atmos 50. It has an extremely unique frame and I swear this pack feels better the more I put in it(up to about 35 lbs). Space is a problem sometimes though but I've learned to get ten pounds of crap in five pound sack. But the pack rides like a dream and next to my Osprey Ceres 50 it's the most comfy pack I've ever owned.

1234
02-03-2006, 23:12
This thread is hopping through time but it is always entirely relevant. I have used 3 internal packs of which one was an ultralight and I have used about 4 external frame packs. Hands down the external type are always better. Why? 1. odor is first the internal type soak up sweat all day and what it does not soak up just runs down your back side adding to heat rash in tender areas. The external bag does not touch you back, only the mesh band does so you sweat a bit less and the pack does not gain weight. Now lets talk trail weight vs store wt. the internals trail weight are always heavy as they are full of sweat. I always here so much about how heavy the externals are. I just do not see compare weight vs cubic inch and I bet there is not much differance. I use a Jansport scout and I think it is a big pack, 3,850 cu in. at 3.4 lbs Now just how many internals can match that?
The 2006 campmor catolog list the pack for only $59. Oh yea it is panal loading and I love it, I can see everything in my pack at once and I do not have to unload the entire pack to find what I am looking for. I see a lot of folks get to a shelter and start pulling stuff out of there pack digging to the bottom to find something. I see so many folks complaining about there back and shoulders with internals, yea they load it properly all there weight is right in the bottom. With an external I have ZERO weight on my shoulders it is all on my waist the shoulder pads merely balance the pack. It amazes me to hear cracks about by pack by newbys "man isn't that pack heavy" "why do you use an external frame" My pack is so comfortably say you got any bengay my shoulders are so sore. You know hiking the AT is 99.9% walking and .01% climbing so that old I am better balanced is not to relevent. But hey they all work and to each his own. Good thing they make all types to make us all feel great about our choice. Oh I did put the pack on an old boy scout magneseum frame and that lowered the weight to just 3 lbs for 3,850 cubic inches.