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View Full Version : What size pack for thru-hike with this gear?



Phoenix7
08-08-2004, 18:32
Hoping to thru-hike next year. Carrying: Tarptent (smallest with floor), 20 deg. poly fill bag (compresses well), brasslite alchohol stove with appropriate cookset, several pair socks, shorts, long pants, 2 t-shirts, polypro top and bottom, fleece long-sleeve shirt, lightweight fleece jacket, Buff hat/balaclava, wool cap, lightweight mitts, raingear top and bottom. Ursack or Rat Sack full of food. closed cell foam pad.
Based on what I'm carrying can I get an ultralight rucksack (perhaps using a z-rest for a frame?)? Or should I get a small to medium internal frame?

Thx,

Phoenix

Ramble~On
08-08-2004, 23:37
No one can really answer this for you except yourself.
What gear you begin your hike with will not be the same gear you finish with.
Some of it will be but you will change gear as the seasons change.
There are a few stretches that will require you to carry more food than normal and you need to consider things like that when looking into what cubic inch capacity you want.
I'd risk saying that you might want to stay above 3000 cubic inches for a thru-hike. There is nothing wrong with carrying a pack that is only half full so long as it is balanced and comfortable to carry. It's also nice to have the extra volume when you need it...rather than trying to cram 4500 cubic inches worth of stuff into a 2500 cubic inch pack.
"better to have and not need than to need and not have"

My only real advice to you is to search long and hard before making a decision.
Go to as many retailers as you can and get hands on with as many packs as you can.
As a rule of thumb...the very second you find the perfect pack and buy one....somebody is going to come out with a new pack that is better in some way than the one you just bought:datz

Happy
08-13-2004, 18:10
Good gear list...very well thought out...may not need the ursack on the AT just seam seal a large sil-nylon stuff sack for your food.

I just talked with our member, Scorpian who just completed his thru-hike in 5 months. He used a G-4 pack and he started with a base weight of around 12-14 pounds. He stated the pack was comfortable at first, but further into the hike due to increased food needed (he lost 50 pounds), after resupply his pack was in the 30-32 pound range and lack of load shifting in the G-4 was shifting it to his shoulders and uncomfortable until he ate a couple days food.

http://www.gossamergear.com/ The new Mariposa pack should alleviate these problems and is rated up to 40 pounds, so should be OK from 30-34 lbs. Just weigh your list and try to keep the base weight (everything except food, water and fuel to under 15 pounds). One thing about this pack is you cannot be rought with it since it is made of Sil-nylon, but it is my next purchase.

Kerosene
08-13-2004, 20:15
Internal frame: Take a look at the 32-oz Granite Gear Vapor Trail (http://www.granitegear.com/products/backpacks/ultralight/vapor_trail/index.shtml).

Frameless: Granite Gear Virga (http://www.granitegear.com/products/backpacks/ultralight/virga/index.shtml) (21 oz., up to 25 lbs.) or Six Moon Designs Starlite (http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/store/shopexd.asp?id=23) (25 oz., up to 35 lbs.) or GoLite Jam (http://www.golitestore.com/store/NS_proddetail.asp?number=PA5004) (21 oz. up to 30 lbs.).

neo
08-13-2004, 20:23
as far as tents and tarps go,i am a big fan of the brawny tarp tent and the tacoma solo tarp,you can find these great shelter at her store,dancing light gear:clap

Phoenix7
08-14-2004, 01:14
Thanks for the replies all. I've estimated my stuff (pack included) will probably weigh in the low 30s. Not truly ultralight but approaching ultralight. Thanks for the pack info. Getting the right pack will certainly keep the base weight down.

Thx,

Phoenix

TakeABreak
08-14-2004, 23:17
Phoenix,

In reading your gear list, I have to ask when do you plan to start your thru, and from which direction. Also you may consider a few changes, your cook set is it a set or just one pot, Here is what I used on my 2000 thru hike, start date was 2/12/00. Cook pot w/lid was an evernew 1.3 titanium weight 1.6 oz. My cooking & eating untensil was a lexan spoon. I carried a small serrated kitchen knife, used it for everything, just clean itwith an alochol wipe before using it for food. Sleeping bag Marmot Pinnacle 775 down rated at 15 f, never got cold even at 0 f. Marmot has a new 900 down, rated 15 f, weighs less than 2lb, toothpaste was .76 oz travel tube, had on in each food drop, had 23 food drops. Socks 3 pair, 1 t-shirt, 2 long sleeve pull overs, One fleece pull over, a lighweight vest, rain pants, rain jacket, mens hiking tights (there really warm). Wool hat, booney hat, one bandana (used for everything), purell hand sanitizer 1 oz (always sanitize hands befor eating, cooking or handling water. Lightweight tarp and bivy sack. Line the inside of your pack with a trash compactor bag, it will keep everything dry. Also after you put your sleeping in a stuff sack, put the stuff in a trash compactor bag.

Want any tips, anyone email me at takeabreak78 @ hotmail

Take-A-Break

Kerosene
08-15-2004, 19:11
Cook pot w/lid was an evernew 1.3 titanium weight 1.6 oz. The weight sounded to good to be true, so I did a search and came up with 6 oz. for this pot (or about half an ounce heavier than my MSR 1.5 liter titanium pot).

BookBurner
09-23-2004, 09:15
Phoeniz-

Before you pick your pack, may I make a few gear suggestions to reduce the size of your load (and consequently the size of your needed backpack).

You seem to have a lot of duplicative clothing items. Time for some serious multi-tasking here. Be wary of carrying too many pairs of hiking socks. Most hikers do thinking they will need some dry socks to change into when their first pair gets wet. The quickest way to dry socks is to hike in them. If you stick wet pairs in your pack, they will never dry and they are very heavy and smelly. Plus, your wet boots will quickly wet out your new, dry pair in no time so you haven't really gained any advantage. Save yourself the weight and space and just hike everyday in the same pair. (Also carry one pair that is used only in camp.)

Shorts-plural? Same theory as the socks. The only reason you would change into clean shorts probably is if the first set got wet. Wet shorts in the pack stay wet, heavy, and smelly all day. It's really hard to put wet pants on first thing in the cold morning, but they dry very quickly after you start hiking.

Carrying a poly-pro top, a fleece long-sleeve, fleece jacket, and a raingear top is a lot of upper body insulation for the AT. Ditch the fleece long-sleeve shirt and save weight and considerable bulk. The poly-pro top, fleeze jacket, and raingear will be plenty to keep you warm and dry. If it gets really cold on the rare night, build a fire or just get in your sleeping bag.

Long pants and raingear bottoms? Ditch the long pants and just wear your raingear over your legs. You can wear them hiking, around camp, in town, and at the laundry when the rest of your clothes are washing.

Most beginning thru-hikers carry way to much clothing and it gets mailed home quickly. Unfortunately this leaves them with a half-full pack for the rest of the trip. Save yourself this inevitable hassle and trim the bulk before you get your pack! Good luck!

- BookBurner

www.enlightenedthruhiker.com (http://www.enlightenedthruhiker.com)

chris
09-23-2004, 10:05
You might try the ULA P2 (with a frame), which would certainly be good for volume and the weight. Or, you might persuade Brian to build a P1-X, which is just a P1 with a little extra volume (frameless). I used a P1-X this summer on the GDT and found it to be the best pack I've ever used. Look at www.ula-equipment.com but be aware that Brian is taking off for the AZT very soon (he'll be back in November, I think).


[P2 ~ 4800 ci total space, P1-X ~ 4300 ci total space]