Newbie - pack question

[CivilAir Rugger]

I'm new to the AT and haven't done any extended hikes so I haven't had need of a big pack. So my question is what kind of pack should I buy for a section hike??

[Croft]

I bring pretty much the same stuff whether it's a 6-day or a 6-month hike. Only get it large enough to fit your gear inside and make sure the pack fits YOU well, too. Try to keep your pack weight including food and water under 30 pounds. When I bought my pack, I literally brought all my gear to the store to see what size pack I needed to fit all my stuff. I bought a Deuter 60+10 but then I bought some lighter weight, more compressable gear and a 50+10 would have been plenty large. (The +10 is extra space using the expansion collar which I only used when I had bulkier winter gear.) There are many excellent packs on the market. Check out the gear tabs of last year's and this year's hikers at http://trailjournals.com to get an idea of what others have used. Good luck!

[EastCoastFeastCoast]

I just got a Deuter and i LOVE it... but Croft is right, get what fit's you best. Go to the gear shop and try em all on. They usually have some spare stuff sacks with dead weight in them, that way you can get a feel for how it fits weighted down.

[crazystick]

You don't need too big a pack actually, 3000(+\-) cubic inches or 60 liters is the norm.

[CivilAir Rugger]

What do you mean by "gear shop"? Where are these located? The only things I keep finding are online shops

[Hikes in Rain]

You're in South Carolina?

Map (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=south+carolina+outfitter&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl)

[Mongoose2]

I use a 50L pack similar to the REI Flash 50 on my section hikes, plenty of space for week long hikes. Depending where you are in SC, there is an REI in Buford Ga you could visit on a day trip.

[tirebiter]

Just got the Black Diamond Infinity 60 a few months back and I love it. The same weight in this pack feels half as heavy as in my old one.

[mountain squid]

A 'big pack' is not necessary on the AT, unless you plan to focus on the 'camping' aspect more than the 'hiking' one. In which case you might find yourself carrying superfluous camp niceties. Which are probably bulky, heavy and might require a larger pack.

How long of a section are you planning? A long distance hike is not an expedition. Resupply is typically every 3-5 days with a daily hike of anywhere between 10 - 20 miles (after acquiring hiking legs of course).

Check out ULA packs (http://www.ula-equipment.com/). Very good and very popular on the AT.

See you on the trail,
mt squid

some observations (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14493)

[CivilAir Rugger]

A 'big pack' is not necessary on the AT, unless you plan to focus on the 'camping' aspect more than the 'hiking' one. In which case you might find yourself carrying superfluous camp niceties. Which are probably bulky, heavy and might require a larger pack.

How long of a section are you planning? A long distance hike is not an expedition. Resupply is typically every 3-5 days with a daily hike of anywhere between 10 - 20 miles (after acquiring hiking legs of course).

Check out ULA packs (http://www.ula-equipment.com/). Very good and very popular on the AT.

See you on the trail,
mt squid

some observations (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14493)


I was planning on going for probably 2 weeks sometime in June. Me and of a couple of my friends wanted to start in GA and just go from there. I want to hike so I can see as much as I can with our window.

[Kia Kaha]

I would recomend renting some gear from a local school or shop or borrow from some friends, as well as the rest of your gear, until you find out what you are looking for, most of us have went through multiple gear upgrades until we find what works for us. With a pack as mentioned, the most important thing is fit, you need to have someone show how the hip belts should ride, where the straps should be on your shoulders, etc to avoid problems on the trail. Another big factor is budget, my budget was way different at 25 than it is now at 40.

I do agree there is no need for a large pack for a through hike, but everyone is different. I love my GG Nimbus Ozone and I also love my big gear haulers like my Dana Design Terraplane, sometimes a heavier pack can actually feel lighter, just from engineering, so focus on fit. One last thing, make sure you get your other gear first so you know it will fit in the pack! Good Luck and enjoy getting it dirty!

[JaxHiker]

I just got a Deuter and i LOVE it... but Croft is right, get what fit's you best. Go to the gear shop and try em all on. They usually have some spare stuff sacks with dead weight in them, that way you can get a feel for how it fits weighted down.

Good advice. I spent 2 hours in the store swapping weight between packs until I settled on my Deuter ACT 65. It's a great pack and fit better than the Gregory Z65 (also a fine pack). Make sure you measure your torso (http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/backpacks+torso+hip+size.html) to get a good fit and try several models/manufacturers out.

[EastCoastFeastCoast]

Also if you are still deciding on what to take, I posted some pics of my basic pack setup. Click on images just to under my name. This is probably a little much for what a lot of people take, but I like comfort! (not pictured is my Crazy creek chair, maps, camera, and some misc food.) Also all this crap weighs in under 30 pounds easily, fully loaded.

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[mountain squid]

Concur with Kia Kaha. It might be a good idea to try and rent some equipment if possible. Thought I saw another thread you started about a tent? If you purchase a bunch of gear just for a two week trip, you may never use it again. On the other hand, you might become an avid hiker only to find out that the gear you purchased is not what you really wanted. Tough call . . . (let's see . . . I've had 3 backpacks, 5 or 6 tents and a hammock, a bunch of different stoves, etc . . . )

You might consider going to Trail Days (http://www.traildays.us/) in Damascus, VA before your hike. There will be many vendors there, as well as many thru hikers to hear stories from.

See you on the trail,
mt squid

some observations (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=14493)

[CivilAir Rugger]

yeah, i did start one for that. After my hike, I plan to continue to do more and hopefully do a thru-hike someday. If I buy something, I plan to use them to their fullest

[verber]

What sort of pack you need will depending on what you plan to carry. I generally recommend for people to settle most of their other gear and THEN purchase a pack appropriate for what they carry. I have some notes about recommended backpacks (http://www.verber.com/mark/outdoors/gear/pack.html) that you might find useful.

Personally, I would recommend a light weight style. Along the AT it's easy to get resupply so you don't been a huge pack. I would recommend something that would be 50-60l that can comfortably carry 25-35lbs. If you take an ultralight approach you could likely do any section of the AT carrying less than 20lbs which could fit in 40-45l.

--mark

[Walkintom]

What I wound up doing was making a couple of shakedown hikes With a temporary pack to figure out how much of my 'essential gear' was completely unnecessary.

After that I still got an Osprey Atmos 65 just in case I need to hide a mammoth. It is a constant challenge to not put things in the pack since it has so much room but I really like it.

Trying on several packs is what really helped me decide which one I wanted. I could get by with much less space and should have taken the Atmos 50. But this was only 3 oz. heavier (which is how pack bloat starts).

I would advise trying on several packs and not buying one until you know what you are putting in it. And don't overbuy like I did.

[bflorac]

For my 2-3 week section hikes I take an Osprey Aether 70. Since I take these in June, I don't need much in the way of cold weather gear which can take some extra space. I find the 70 more than adequate for my 35-40 lb load (with 7 days food and 3 liters of water)

[CivilAir Rugger]

For the water is it better to take a hydration pack or bottles of water?

[JaxHiker]

For the water is it better to take a hydration pack or bottles of water?

My issue with the bladder is that you really don't know how much you have left and might take your last drink w/o after passing on a resupply opportunity because you didn't realize you were getting low. Trying to put a filled bladder back into a loaded pack can sometimes be a hassle. You can mitigate this with a little technology. Camelbak makes a meter that installs inline with the hose. It's pretty nifty but I didn't find it to be highly accurate. More ballpark than anything but that works too. Never hurts to stop to refill sooner rather than later.

I find I use plain 1L water bottles now. They're much lighter than a Nalgene and they're easy enough to store in the pack's side pockets. Not quite as convenient as a bladder but they work well.

[Sassafras Lass]

So my question is what kind of pack should I buy for a section hike??

Do you have the rest of your gear?

The "norm" is generally between 3,000-4,500 cubic inches (depending on how long you go between resupply and what your personal weight threshold is). What you'll want to decide first is what all you need, at a minimum, for a safe and enjoyable excursion. Make a list of "Necessary" and a list of "Like to Have". It's up to you, but generally the "Like to Have" list will be left behind.

Peruse the websites for Osprey, Granite Gear, Gregory, ULA, Deuter, GoLite, Arc'teryx . . . . . I know I'm forgetting a few, but anyways check to see where they are sold, and then go visit said outfitter for a proper fit. They'll have weights for the bags and usually an incline, so you can get a feel for a full pack and your center of balance. I personally bought (sight unseen) an Osprey that just didn't fit me right - finally drove out to Chicago, tried on everything in the stores, and finally settled on a Gregory. A pack is something you should ALWAYS thoroughly try before you buy.

[Kia Kaha]

For the water is it better to take a hydration pack or bottles of water?

This is a personal thing, I use gatorade bottles, especially in areas where water is ubundant. I just find them easier to deal with, plus I know too many folks who have a had a bladder leak on them. It is nice to have the mouthpiece right there though.

[hikerboy57]

I have a 3L hydration bladder, its vey handy for hauling water to camp. I usually dont fill the bladder unless its unusually dry, but I found I can fit 2L in a 3L baldder but I cant get 3L into a 2L, no matter how hard Ive tried. I used to carry Nalgenes, but Gatorade bottles are a lot lighter, then I found with the bladder and my cup, there was no need for an extra bottle.