View Full Version : pack size
Pickleodeon
08-01-2008, 10:24
Hi, I will be solo (well, to start) nobo. I tend to be cold (ie more stuff) and obviously I'll be carrying all of my own food, gear etc. I'm a pretty petite female and sometimes overpack a little bit. Any suggestions on pack size. I was looking into maybe 4500 cu. in. I also found one that was 4750. They say the bigger the pack, the more crap you'll find to put in it, but I don't want to go to small.
I would say something smaller like 3000-3500 cubic inches, but it really all depends on the rest of your gear.
RememberYourZen
08-01-2008, 11:05
I've got about 4300 for mine, and it seems to be the perfect size. Think about this though: you can always make a bigger pack smaller, but you can't make a smaller pack bigger. At the same time though, if you buy a smaller pack you may learn to pack less and that could be prove beneficial.
taildragger
08-01-2008, 11:43
Hi, I will be solo (well, to start) nobo. I tend to be cold (ie more stuff) and obviously I'll be carrying all of my own food, gear etc. I'm a pretty petite female and sometimes overpack a little bit. Any suggestions on pack size. I was looking into maybe 4500 cu. in. I also found one that was 4750. They say the bigger the pack, the more crap you'll find to put in it, but I don't want to go to small.
Buy the gear that you plan to use, if you can steal a pack (or already have one) do some 2-3 night trips and keep a log of what you use. Once you've got your gear down, then buy the smallest pack that will fit 7 days of food and your winter gear (at least thats how I'd do it).
FWIW, I have a 3700 pack that is now ginormous for what I do. I can easily fit all my colder gear in it, or my 8lb mammoth tent if I decide to live in luxury instead of a tarp.
Mine is 3800 and it seems to be about the perfect size for me. A little tight with winter gear but I can smoosh everything in there and I am far from petite. I wear XL and XXL mens clothes so my clothes take up more room
Buy your gear first, then take it to the store.
Load and try on every pack until you find the one that you love.