Pack

[Tonan230]

This has probably been posted somewhere but I cant find it.
How large should a pack be for the AT? I know its different for everyone but is there a general rule of thumb?

[kayak karl]

This has probably been posted somewhere but I cant find it.
How large should a pack be for the AT? I know its different for everyone but is there a general rule of thumb?
i was told to buy all my gear, then buy the pack. take all your gear with you when you look. there is a difference between summer and winter pack sizes

[notorius tic]

I use a Kelty Redcloud 5000 It was heavy with the origanal frame support so I modified it with Tytanium back supports " hand made" and gutted the inside- compartments.. Just got it back last week from the Tailor she sewed some neoprene botttle holders the web desighned ones lasted a hole throu but started ripping later on.. all in all it is a heavy pack to todays standards but it was my HOUSE an HELD EVERYTHING i needed..

[Wise Old Owl]

Tough call - it clearly is a personal preference. On my last week trip I took a Ultralight 45 with 2,746 cubic inches I found it a little small and some stuff was lashed to the outside. But it kept me from taking too much with me. With food it still was under 25 lbs. Others on the same trip had 5000 Ci packs and bought the kitchen sink and were over 60 lbs. Some of the sleeping bags were too big, mine compresses to a softball. This is something you need to check out with a group and form you own opinion on.


This is one of my current packs
http://www.rei.com/product/747515

[Ender]

It really depends on the gear you carry inside the pack... a down sleeping bag will take less space than a synthetic, so less space is needed... Sweetwater drops take up less space than a water filter... etc etc etc. Get all your other gear first and then the pack. If that's not an option for whatever reason, get a larger pack. Generally, thru-hikers seem to carry packs anywhere in the 3500-5500ci range, though some carry smaller, and a few carry larger. Just depends. Right now I'm using a 50 Liter, or about a 3100ci pack. Works very well for me for multiday trips. I've used a 1700ci pack on an early spring overnight, but that was with careful packing. On my AT thru in 1998, my pack was 5500ci. My 2003 PCT hike was with a 4000ci pack.

Like I said, it just depends. Figure out what you'll need after you get the rest of year gear (and don't forget to leave room for food!).