View Full Version : Advice on Pack Choice
I'm fairly new to backpacking and I've done a couple trips before but I need a new pack. The one I'm using now is not mine. I'm planning a SOBO AT thru for 2011. I've tried on a couple packs already. Right now I'm stuck between a Granite Gear Vapor Trail and an Osprey Aura. I've loaded them both with ~25lbs of gear and they feel about the same comfort wise. Could anyone comment on how a pack is supposed to feel when it's fitted right? Suggestions for other packs would be nice too. I'm female, 18, ~115lbs, 5'3". I'm also wondering if I would conceivably have to carry more than 30lbs for short periods of time and if the GG Nimbus Ozone would make a better choice. I'm new here, so hello everyone :)
The Granite Gear Vapor Ki is the female version of the Vapor Trail. I know someone with it and she loves it.
Mountain Wildman
10-22-2010, 22:36
You can easily stay under 30 pounds depending on what you carry and the weights.
One Liter of water weighs 2.2 pounds plus the container weight. If you carry 2 liters you are close to five pounds right there. Food could be as much as 2 pounds per day so depending on how many days you will be out without re-supply will determine food weight. You could be at 15 pounds with food and water alone quite easily.
I use a Mystery Ranch pack so I have no experience with the Osprey or GG but I've heard nothing but good about both packs.
Oh, :welcome
IronGutsTommy
10-22-2010, 23:37
i just got an osprey aether 70 and am impressed with the build and quality what i like about osprey is the make their packs equipped for "add ons" and leave that to the hikers discretion rather than make a pack overloaded with random needless pockets and what not. heard good stuff about both of the companies packs that you mention, may want to delve a bit deeper and finalize your decision on the smaller but still useful differences, ease of loading unloading, weight, etc.
Bags4266
10-23-2010, 12:28
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=23780
A new ULA CDT for $90.00 better hurry!
Bags4266
10-23-2010, 12:52
Ops wrong thread!
burntoutphilosopher
10-23-2010, 21:35
my wife used the osprey aura on the PCT this year (only 700 miles not a thru hike ).
it was FAR too heavy. comfortable, but not worth it. she is now hiking in a flash 65, but after i got my ULA, i think we're going to buy one for her.
the granite ridge frame was not strong enough when i tried the mens version, too easy to have something like a cookpot poking you in the back for 5 hours.
i am not an AT expert, i only know about the PCT.
i really recommend the ULA circuit.
burntoutphilosopher
10-23-2010, 21:41
s o o o sorry, she carried the Luna. not the aura.
There's really no way for me to try on a ULA pack without ordering one offline. I am interested in them though. I'm seriously considering buying a Catalyst because I've heard so many good things about ULA
Or Circuit. It's hard to make a decision like this without trying them on
bigcranky
10-24-2010, 16:11
You can call ULA for some personal advice -- they are very helpful on the phone. I have an Ohm and love it -- very well made and well designed.
WILLIAM HAYES
10-24-2010, 20:20
ULA and Granite gear in that order both are excellent maybe the edge to ULA
burntoutphilosopher
10-24-2010, 20:55
you can also return your ULA if you don't like it. then what are you out? 12$ in shipping?
if i a hip belt doesn't fit you, you can always exchange it etc. seriously that guy cares about his customers. it's a business you can feel good about supporting.
I tried on a Gregory Jade today and found that it was so more comfortable than the osprey and the granite gear. Not what I was expecting. I'm going to try it out and if I happen to change my mind, I'll go ULA. Thanks for the advice. :)
burntoutphilosopher
10-24-2010, 21:05
gregory is a very well respected brand. hope it gives you thousands of happy miles.
skinewmexico
10-24-2010, 22:17
Circuit is a great pack. My Catalyst is so big that I rarely use it.
skinewmexico
10-24-2010, 23:48
I've got pretty light gear too. Tarptents, down quilts, that kind of thing....
My wife and I picked up the ULA circuit packs this summer. While we are very different in size, she is your size and I am 6'5" and 210, we both love the packs.
Our base weights are 12 and 14 lbs.
I'm partial to the Osprey packs and thru'd last year using the Atmos 65. Loved it! Pretty bombproof except for the mesh hip belt pockets.
skinewmexico
10-25-2010, 10:15
You can call ULA for some personal advice -- they are very helpful on the phone. I have an Ohm and love it -- very well made and well designed.
I emailed ULA with a question about my load lifters, and Casey got my phone number off my order and called me at home. At 8pm. Find that kind of service from your generic, Asian sweat-shop manufacturers. Helping make a payroll in Utah was very important to me, YMMV.
Sassafras Lass
10-26-2010, 11:44
I tried on a Gregory Jade today and found that it was so more comfortable than the osprey and the granite gear. Not what I was expecting. I'm going to try it out and if I happen to change my mind, I'll go ULA. Thanks for the advice. :)
My sentiments exactly - not what I was expecting at all! I bought (sight unseen) the Osprey Aura 50 in medium and it was just too tall for my torso. Made the trip to Chicago to visit outfitters and tried the small - well, the pack was way too small!
So I tried on the Gregory Jade 50 in Small after admitting that it highly resembled my Osprey Aura 50 - and it was perfect, absolutely perfect for my body. It was exceedingly comfortable, the hipbelt is quite adjustable in regards of sizing, and the build was solid. I also love that it has the long side zip to give me access to my sleeping bag at the very bottom.
I don't like buying stuff made in China. I have a hard time boosting their economy over ours and furthermore supporting a country where its citizens have no rights. I had to make an exception here, however - after a dozen backpacks and a handful of brands (Arc'teryx, Osprey, Deuter, Granite Gear, etc.) this was the ONLY thing that fit my body properly. Disappointing, but I know I'll be comfortable on the trail, which is the most important thing.
I justify it to myself by saying I can buy American for the rest of my gear. :o
That's exactly what I was thinking. It was the most comfortable pack I tried on and I tried a lot.
I'm fairly new to backpacking and I've done a couple trips before but I need a new pack. The one I'm using now is not mine. I'm planning a SOBO AT thru for 2011. I've tried on a couple packs already. Right now I'm stuck between a Granite Gear Vapor Trail and an Osprey Aura. I've loaded them both with ~25lbs of gear and they feel about the same comfort wise. Could anyone comment on how a pack is supposed to feel when it's fitted right? Suggestions for other packs would be nice too. I'm female, 18, ~115lbs, 5'3". I'm also wondering if I would conceivably have to carry more than 30lbs for short periods of time and if the GG Nimbus Ozone would make a better choice. I'm new here, so hello everyone :)
STOP! Before we all join in a chorus shouting out what pack is right for you some BASIC Backpack 101 info needs to be communicated/ascertained. Jujube, have you been to a reputable knowledgeable outfitter to be fitted for a backpack? Did they, or were they willing to, spend time with you so you had a properly fitted pack? A reputable knowledgeable outfitter, with a preferably wide backpack selection, and a willingness to fit you right by spending time with you to properly ascertain your needs is what you should seek out! They are the ones who are/should be in the best position to answer the question, "how is a pack supposed to feel when it's fitted right?" If you can't get this question satisfactorily answered at the backpack outfitter you might want to find another reputable knowledgeable outfitter that can/will!
STOP! Have you had your torso length professionally measured? No matter how comfortable a backpack may feel in the store while wearing it for 10-15 mins, even loaded to capacity, it is not the ultimate indicator of comfort or fit. You need to have your torso length measured to accurately have a pack fitted for you!
STOP! Have you bought all/any of your AT thru-hiking gear you will be storing in your pack? You need to know the volume of the pack that's right for handling the volume and wt of the load you will be carrying. That's typically easiest when you know the volume and/or wt of your gear or already have the gear you will be normally carrying. That's why some folks advise to buy your pack last, after you have all/most of the gear you will be placing in it.
You never mentioned what volume or torso length Osprey Aura and Gregory Jade you tried on. They both come in several volume versions. The Aura comes in a 50 Liter(measure of pack volume), hence the name Aura 50, as well as 65 L and 35 L versions. The Jade also comes in 35 L, 50 L, and 65 L versions. Additionally, the carrying volumes and wts of each pack alter slightly depending on your torso length. For example, with the Aura 50 the short torso length size is actually 47 Liters(2800 cubic inches) and the pack weighs 2 lbs 15 oz. The medium length torso length is 50 Liters(3000 cubic inches) and weighs 3 lbs 1 oz. The long torso length is 53 L(3200 cubic inches) and weighs 3 lbs 3 oz.
The woman's version of the Granite Gear Vapor Trail is the Vapor Ki. It comes in short and reg length torso versions, weighs 2 lbs 5 oz, and is 59 L (3600 cubic inches).
I know some of this info might be new to you but it really helps so you can get your backpack fit and volume size right.
I'll give you some other thoughts you might consider. Considering you are a newbie thru-hiker and you are going SOBO on the AT it's my guess, that as you progress in your thru-hike, as you gain more experience and the weather warms, you will downsize the volume and wt of the gear you carry. As that happens, you will probably have the option of also downsizing the volume, and hopefully the wt of your backpack. It's my best guess that at the beginning of your hike in Maine you will need/want a larger volumed pack and you will progress to a smaller volumed pack.
Let us know how your pack finding mission progresses!
Welcome to WB.
skinewmexico
10-26-2010, 22:16
I justify it to myself by saying I can buy American for the rest of my gear. :o
Why would you think you would do that? Most of the other gear won't be convenient to find either........
I did spend some time with an outfitter and i got measured, etc. i bought some, wore them around the house for a while and returned them. they were fitted, just not comfortable on me. they were all 50 L packs. I have some gear and I wanted a pack so i could test it on a couple of trips this fall. I'm not looking for the perfect pack, just something that i can be happy with.
Blue Wolf
10-27-2010, 00:31
Juju being a smaller female I'm sure you would just love the CDT by ULA it is rather small though and don't have adjustible shoulder straps. On my thru in 2009 I swapped a Osprey Aether 60 for the ULA Circuit it has plenty of room, great suspension, and will compress really small when your not carrying much I highly recommend them. I also now own the CDT which i use on light overnights and i will say that if you plan on using one on a thru you had better have your gear weight right because they don't hold much gear but carry like a day pack with 14-18lbs I hope this helps and good luck in 2011
A 50 L backpack is about 2800-3200 cubic inches. Is that going to be big (volumous) enough for your gear at the start of an AT thru-hike for you Jujube?
I'm not looking for the perfect pack, just something that i can be happy with. Jujube
Ok I get you. I'm not trying to turn this into brain surgery or make it more complicated than it needs to be, but do realize your pack will be your home for several months with ALL the things you need/want in it to make yourself happy for those months. I would try to get it right.
I'm laughing right now because I have a closet and an attic full of gear that I rarely or never use but I bought because I too once thought it would all make me happy.
haha, maybe I should have said "something i can be content with". I'm planning on making it work. Because I'm small, I don't want to carry a whole lot anyway. I know it's gonna take some practice to get it right.
With a 50 L AT thru-hiking backpack you will have to pack light, meaning less volumous(more compressible) gear.
I have heard nothing but good things about the Jade 50 from those women I have met on the trail with this pack. I will tell you that all of them using this pack on long treks were seasoned backpackers who knew how to pack light, as defined above.
If you really like Osprey packs, have you also checked out the Exos? They are lighter in wt than the Aura 50 but larger in volume - 55 L(3300 cubic inches), 58 L(3500 cubic inches), and 61 L(3700 cubic inches). Hmm, more volume, less pack wt! Seems like a trend you might consider!
I used an Osprey Aura 65 on part of my PCT hike in 2008. It carried heavy weight nicely. Before I got it I was using a frameless pack. It was so uncomfortable because it couldn't handle all the water weight I was carrying. The Osprey felt so much better. The zippers on the mesh hip pockets jammed nearly immediately and caused tears in the mesh. Eventually when I lightened my load, the pack turned out to be simply too large volume-wise. I'm not sure what I should do with the pack now. It just gathers dust.
Sassafras Lass
10-28-2010, 11:09
Why would you think you would do that? Most of the other gear won't be convenient to find either........
It won't be easy and I know I'll have to compromise myself many more times before this hike is done :rolleyes: C'est la vie!