Large Pack ideas [Archive]

ChinMusic

03-08-2009, 22:48

jrwiesz

03-08-2009, 23:13

I thinking this might be a good time to get a larger pack for these types of trips.

Ideas please......

External frame?

ChinMusic

03-08-2009, 23:15

External frame?
Never gave that much thought. I don't think I've ever had an external frame on my back.

JAK

03-09-2009, 00:27

One problem is you don't know exactly what you may need to pack, so its hard to figure out how much weight, how much volume, and just as critical, how you might be able to pack it to keep it comfortable. If you know exactly what you need to pack, and its something that can be packed rather uniformly and snugly without alot of excessive strain on the pack, it makes it alot easier. For example, if you wanted a pack to be able to just dump in 60 pounds of potatoes, it would need to be heavier than if you wanted a pack for carrying 60 pounds of furs. Unless you can nail down what you will be carrying, an external frame, or rugged internal frame, might be your best option. Its a moot point really, because even if you did organize and pack your stuff in such a way to make it possible to make a pack lighter, nobody makes a light pack for carrying 60 pounds, unless you are willing to make it yourself.

Commercial External vs Internal depends on what you are packing.

skinewmexico

03-09-2009, 10:24

I needed a larger pack (or so I thought) for cool weather trips, and Boy Scout trips (always end up carrying extra), so I bought a GoLite Pinnacle on closeout. It's probably better for lighter, higher volume loads, but several of their other high volume packs are on closeout (www.spadout.com)

Slo-go'en

03-09-2009, 10:52

I'd look for a strudy external frame pack for a load in the 40-60 pound range. It sort of depends on how far you need to carry the load too. If it's not too far, any pack big enough to fit every thing into (or on) would do.

A friend of mine took a trip to the Artic wilderness area a few years ago. They got dropped off by plane next to a river and set up a base camp there, then day hiked around the area.

ChinMusic

03-09-2009, 11:09

A friend of mine took a trip to the Artic wilderness area a few years ago. They got dropped off by plane next to a river and set up a base camp there, then day hiked around the area.
We are getting dropped off by bush plane and backpacking every day. We have a Sat phone in case we can't make it to the pick-up point. They didn't make it last year. Seems those "little blue lines" on an Alaskan map can be raging rivers.........:D

Our mileage is not that great but the going will be slow.

Tipi Walter

03-09-2009, 11:23

I have a Vapor Trail for most of my backpacking and I find it amazingly comfortable. I also have an Osprey Aether 60 that just seems to be a chore to wear now that I have the VT.

I have a trip to Alaska planned for this August. I will be taking a Bearikade (Weekender). I'll prob be in the 40-60 pound range depending on my share of the group's equipment.

I thinking this might be a good time to get a larger pack for these types of trips.

Ideas please......

I'd like to hear a bit more about your itinerary, days out w/o resupply, total length of trip, etc. When you say between 40-60 pounds, well, that sounds like a wide variant, and as you know many packs can handle 40 pounds comfortably.

When I hear "Alaska backpacking trip", I immediately think of 14 days w/o resupply carrying upwards of 75 pounds, and some packs come to mind. Despite their expense, you could explore the line of Mystery Ranch heavy haulers, and of course check out the old standbys: Arcteryx Boras, Gregory Pros(Denali, etc), Osprey Crescents(do they still make these anymore?), and several more big packs. I'm biased with the Mystery Ranch packs even though they are heavy empty. They have a beefy padded suspension system which makes a 50 pound load seem like a light daypack. Worth researching.

4eyedbuzzard

03-09-2009, 11:58

I'd like to hear a bit more about your itinerary, days out w/o resupply, total length of trip, etc. When you say between 40-60 pounds, well, that sounds like a wide variant, and as you know many packs can handle 40 pounds comfortably.

When I hear "Alaska backpacking trip", I immediately think of 14 days w/o resupply carrying upwards of 75 pounds, and some packs come to mind. Despite their expense, you could explore the line of Mystery Ranch heavy haulers, and of course check out the old standbys: Arcteryx Boras, Gregory Pros(Denali, etc), Osprey Crescents(do they still make these anymore?), and several more big packs. I'm biased with the Mystery Ranch packs even though they are heavy empty. They have a beefy padded suspension system which makes a 50 pound load seem like a light daypack. Worth researching.

I'd add any of the Kelty Super Tioga external frame packs that have been produced over the years to the list that can handle big loads comfortably. You can often pick a used one up at reasonable cost(<$100).

Tipi Walter

03-09-2009, 12:17

I'd add any of the Kelty Super Tioga external frame packs that have been produced over the years to the list that can handle big loads comfortably. You can often pick a used one up at reasonable cost(<$100).

Yes, definitely the Kelty externals, the old standbys. As you say, they are everywhere and let's face it, they are comfy with hardly any complaints. And the older ones are actually very light empty. Remember the old Keltys with the minimal hipbelts and shoulder straps? Just a frame and a lite nylon pack. Couldn't get much lighter than that.

4eyedbuzzard

03-09-2009, 12:42

Yes, definitely the Kelty externals, the old standbys. As you say, they are everywhere and let's face it, they are comfy with hardly any complaints. And the older ones are actually very light empty. Remember the old Keltys with the minimal hipbelts and shoulder straps? Just a frame and a lite nylon pack. Couldn't get much lighter than that.

I sold a Super Tioga here on WB that I had used only a few times on trips with the kids when they were little-when I had to carry their stuff as well as my own. It wasn't all that light (6 lbs empty), but could carry seriously heavy loads with reasonable control and comfort. I still have an old Camp Trails Horizon(my first pack) that even though pretty big(3000+ cu in) can't weigh more than 2 to 3 lbs, padded hipbelt and all. Did the job for many years. Just can't bring myself to sell it, sentimental value and it likely isn't worth the shipping cost.

Tipi Walter

03-09-2009, 13:06

I sold a Super Tioga here on WB that I had used only a few times on trips with the kids when they were little-when I had to carry their stuff as well as my own. It wasn't all that light (6 lbs empty), but could carry seriously heavy loads with reasonable control and comfort. I still have an old Camp Trails Horizon(my first pack) that even though pretty big(3000+ cu in) can't weigh more than 2 to 3 lbs, padded hipbelt and all. Did the job for many years. Just can't bring myself to sell it, sentimental value and it likely isn't worth the shipping cost.

This is the kind of old Kelty I'm talking about. Check out the hipbelt:

JAK

03-09-2009, 13:28

That's a great photo tipi. Worth 1000 words for sure.

Feral Bill

03-09-2009, 14:51

If you want to spend some money an older Dana Terraplane would work well, especially in tricky bushwhacking. They come up often on Ebay.

slow

03-09-2009, 20:25

ChinMusic

03-09-2009, 21:58

Thanks for the offer.

Any comments on the Arc'Teryx Bora 80? I assume the Bearikade would either fit in the bag or between the main compartment and lid.

SmokeHouse

03-10-2009, 13:08

I have a MysteryRanch Grizzly which works great for large loads, also www.Kifaru.net has large packs.

sbennett

03-10-2009, 13:37

Look at an Osprey Argon or seach for one of the old Dana Design Terraplanes (or an Astralplane if you're really ambitious)

Summit

03-10-2009, 14:28

The Gregory Baltoro comes to mind. I don't have one but I have close to it in the Whitney model.

http://www.rei.com/product/757777

Read the high marks customer reviews - especially about carrying heavy loads comfortably! :)

Alligator

03-10-2009, 14:54

I have a Vapor Trail for most of my backpacking and I find it amazingly comfortable. I also have an Osprey Aether 60 that just seems to be a chore to wear now that I have the VT.

I have a trip to Alaska planned for this August. I will be taking a Bearikade (Weekender). I'll prob be in the 40-60 pound range depending on my share of the group's equipment.

I thinking this might be a good time to get a larger pack for these types of trips.

Ideas please......What someone once noted to me is that the back panels on the VT and the Aether 60 are of different types. The VT has the split vertical and the Aether has a bend on the horizontal (lower back). Might be why you find the VT comfortable and the Aether not. I found my Aether to be more comfortable, but everyone is different.

If you decide on as large as an Arc'teryx Bora 95, it hauls nicely. It's heavy empty though and the back panel bends like an Aether 60.

ChinMusic

03-10-2009, 15:15

What someone once noted to me is that the back panels on the VT and the Aether 60 are of different types. The VT has the split vertical and the Aether has a bend on the horizontal (lower back). Might be why you find the VT comfortable and the Aether not. I found my Aether to be more comfortable, but everyone is different.

If you decide on as large as an Arc'teryx Bora 95, it hauls nicely. It's heavy empty though and the back panel bends like an Aether 60.
It's like shoes/boots......everyone is different.

My prob is I am stuck in Central Illinois and don't have access to an outfitter. I gotta kinda guess on stuff like this.

My issue with the Osprey is more in the hips than the back. I also will be carrying a Syncpack to Alaska so the forces will be different, more on the belt. I need the Syncpack for my camera equipment.

Alligator

03-10-2009, 15:34

The hipbelt is very well padded on the Bora '95. It's not the same model for the 80 but the 80 looks similar. Arcteryx makes nice hip pads IMO.

I was reading about the 80 and something that is similar is that they put a "New, injection-molded external occipital cavity creates a permanent 3D space for full head mobility" which I assume is a head pocket. I have that on my 95. A bear canister might be harder to get in that uppermost space if placed horizontally, as the space curves inward. I need to keep my food bag loose to fit it there on my 95. Just something to think about, I haven't used a bear canister in mine.