View Full Version : Question about the backpack
Hey guys, I'm actually preparing for a ThruHike with a friend of mine next year and just want to pick up some basic advice from experienced AT hikers. I have some hiking experience but it has been a couple of years and just want to be sure I'm making the best choices available.
I was thinking of just picking up a medium Army Alice Pack type backpack, but should I? What would you guys recommend?
Lone Wolf
03-20-2009, 04:07
ULA Catalyst
mweinstone
03-20-2009, 06:18
alice b tolkless yes. alice as in tourture pack and forced marches to bad cadence,...no. i will march no more sir. unless asked into a cool black opps group that kills alot of bad men.
mtnkngxt
03-20-2009, 07:37
x2 on the ULA catalyst. Listen to Wolf he knows what he's talking about. If you decide to buy used, try to find a Catalyst with the dual aluminum stays, not single. The single tends to ride weird on the 1 shoulder or pull back. Best thing to do would be to go to your local outfitter with all of your gear and then pick a pack that fits your gear the best. You can't go wrong with anything from ULA though.
garlic08
03-20-2009, 09:25
Another vote for ULA.
ULA Catalyst
What do you carry for shelter and sleeping bag?
Also look into:
http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=103&osCsid=3c7d9e5f15133f22314206aede98feec
http://www.golite.com/Product/proddetail.aspx?p=PA5264&s=1
http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/Mariposa_Plus.html
I just got the first one, the MLD Exodus. It's fantastic.
Ox97GaMe
03-20-2009, 09:49
you definitely dont want to go with a military type backpack. A lot of folks will tell you their preference about brand of pack. Ultimately, try to find something that fits you well and has the features that you want. Here are some things to consider:
a) pack capacity of around 3200-3800 cc. This will give you plenty of space to store all the items you will need for a thu hike, without giving extra space for all the items you might want to take. During summer, you might reduce pack volume to around 2600-2800 cc. Identify whether the pack still rides comfortably if not loaded to barrel capacity.
b) Some like a separate sleeping bag compartment. This is zippered area on bottom of pack with a fabric separater to the main compartment. This allows easy access if you want to pull out your sleeping bag for a nap or to thaw out, without having to unpack the whole pack.
c) Try to avoid too many external pouches. Determine what you will want to have readily excessible to put in pouches. Excess pouches usually leads to excess gear.
d) Consider a pack that allows for hip belt to be swapped out. A lot of male hikers lose a considerable amount of weight on the trail. This sometimes requires downsizing the hip belt on the pack. You wouldnt want to have to buy a new pack if all you need is a smaller hip belt.
e) storage devices (neting, straps, or sleeves) to store your shelter system on the outside of the pack. Since your shelter will be wet most mornings (rain, snow, dew), you will want to keep it away from clothes and food that are inside the pack.
Talk with other hikers about what features they like about their pack, not just the brand. Ask them why they like the pack they are recommending. What works for some may not work for you. This will give you a better idea of what you would look for in your pack.
I also recommend to folks that they take their gear (in a box or another pack) with them when they are shopping for a new pack. A salesperson can talk about all the features; you will see the different advantages/disadvantages when you load the new pack and see how it all comes together.
Good luck and happy hiking.
Glebbber
03-20-2009, 15:00
Do not buy any military gear as it is intended to stand up to the rigors of war and be carried by warriors which is why it is often much, much too heavy for what a hiker on the appalachian trail will need.
Before you start to buy anything read as much as you can.
If you dont have much gear you are in a good place. Many of us have older gear that is obsolete/outdated/too heavy that we want to switch out but we dont have the funds and cant justify spending so much on something we already have.
I would a buy a pack as my very last piece becuase it holds everything else and you need to know exactly what everything else is.
Also it is a good idea to get as much overnight hiking in as possible before your thru so you now what you actually need, and what you are lugging around for no purpose what so ever.
4eyedbuzzard
03-20-2009, 15:08
After you get your sleeping bag, pad, shelter stove/cookware, clothes, etc. together, check out Granite Gear (http://www.granitegear.com/) packs as well.
You should probably search through WB here and read up on all the other gear as well.
Cannibal
03-20-2009, 17:31
Another vote for the Catalyst. Plenty of room for a thru and relatively light for its size! Top notch customer service when he's not out hiking.
beakerman
03-20-2009, 19:32
I like my large alice pack...but I'm far from easy on gear and weight has never been an issue with me--strong back weak mind sort of thing--so that military stuff tends to hold up to my use over the years.
That being said I would not recommend the alice to anyone. If you are just starting out there are much more user friendly packs out there from "comercial" providers. If you want to do the military stuff the CFP-90 is an internal frame pack. I've heard mixed reviews on it. I have actually seen one in person and they look ok but I like external frame packs and metal frames at that so it never garnered much interest from me--same with the molie pack system it's a plastic frame unit.
In short follow Ox97's advice. I would add the obvious go to an outfitter and pack various packs with your kit and see how it rides. You don't have to buy fromt he outfitter but you certainly can get an idea of what you want to look for in a pack.
Sailor (The other one)
03-21-2009, 05:50
I live in Bartow, Florida, not far from you. If you've ever said, "I wish I knew then what I know now" you may want to consider this.
First, a disclaimer. I have not thru-hiked the AT yet. My wife and I plan one and have been practicing and learning for a couple of years now. A lot of hikes in Florida and two AT sections in Georgia.
We started with ALICE packs and a bunch of other military gear bought to save time and money. After extensive modifications it is bearable, but I would not use it on a thru-hike. It is simply not built for it. We have essentially wasted a lot of time and money that could have been much better spent. If I could do it over, I'd save the time and money and do this:
You are about a nine hour drive (doing the speed limit) from what may be the best Appalachian Trail outfitters, Mountain Crossings in Georgia. (See this thread: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=47919&highlight=Mountain+Crossings). Call them (http://www.mountaincrossings.com/), make an appointment for their free consultation service and drive up there. Spend a night in their hostel ($15. Free breakfast). Tell then what you want to do and how much you can spend. Take notes and/or a tape recorder.
You can check out several of the packs mentioned here, including the ULA Catalyst and the Granite Gear packs.
Don't do this until like May or June. Spring is their very busy season.
Read as much as you can, especially on this site. You might start with this exceptional article about saving money on gear.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=206678#post206678
One other thought. As important as gear is, it is less important than knowledge. This is an exceptional site for finding real life information specific to thru-hiking the AT.
If you cannot/will not go to Mountain Crossings, we have had good experince at Bill Jackson's in Pinellas Park. They had at least one person familiar with the AT when we were there two years ago. http://www.billjacksons.com/
Have fun.
bluffhead
05-31-2009, 16:35
i know from experience u will be in alot of pain if u use an alice pack. even the military upgraded to an internal frame pack. not very comfterble either.
Crazy_Al
06-01-2009, 15:47
I have used an Osprey backpack, Ather model for 4 years, and I will continue to use it.
No more solo hiking for me!
I have an Alice Medium Ruck, with upgraded shoulder straps and hip belt, no frame, and it comes in at a shade over 3 lbs., which isn't ultra-light, but is a damn sight lighter than your 6 or 7 lb. "expedition pack" from a lot of outfitters. Same model with a frame weighs over 6 lbs, but will carry a case of .308-belted along with your gear.
My pack is a Gregory Z55, again, at a nudge over 3 lbs., or my old Jansport external frame at 4.5 lbs.
Just sayin', mil-surplus gear and a few well-thought upgrades, and you could conceivably do worse, I should think. Leave the SAW at home tho.
Semper Fi.
Ranc0r
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