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blackwater slim
03-05-2011, 20:00
I am 6'5", 195 lbs. (sorta skinny) and bought this pack last minute before a 4 day outing on the AT back in October. It fits well and seems to be very durable. I have NO complaints with it at all...except it weighs about 5-6 lbs. That's not a real problem but was wondering some good options (for my size) in packs that are roomy but may weigh closer to 3 lbs. Give some suggestions. Counting the pack my total weight has been about 38lbs. I have trimmed that a couple of lbs but thought cutting another 3 from the pack would be a big step. Thanks in advance.

Jersey Tim
03-05-2011, 20:13
Your pack is listed at 5600 cubic inches/92 liters, which is colossal for an AT pack. Most hikers opt for something in the 50-65L range. If you like the extra room, you might consider:

-the Golite Pinnacle: 2lbs., 72L
-the ULA Catalyst: 2lbs. 15oz., 4600 cubic inches
-Any of the larger Osprey packs; the Atmos 65 is particularly popular on the trail

STICK
03-08-2011, 01:07
The Red Cloud 5600 was my first pack as well...

http://sticksblog.com/gear/my-current-gear/backpack/kelty-red-cloud-5600/

After slimming down my other gear both in size and weight I went to a ULA Circuit...

http://sticksblog.com/gear/my-current-gear/backpack/ula-circuit/

I am super happy with the ULA pack. It is a great pack.

At that weight the Circuit may not be what you need and like jersey Tim said, the Catalyst would be a great option. But I would suggest seeing if you can cut a few more pounds and then you could probably go with the Circuit.

Just saying...

skinewmexico
03-08-2011, 11:08
I think I saw where ULA was closing out a few Catalysts and Circuits. You might call them.

Chubbs4U
03-08-2011, 14:22
Hey stick. I see on your right strap you have a "device" to hold your water bottle. What exactly did you do or was it a purchased product?

cowpoke
03-08-2011, 23:37
I had the Red Cloud 5600 for several years...first pack....bought a ULA Catalyst last year....love it....was a great move for me. My first AT section....pack was over 40lbs..last section pack was 28lbs including food and water....still room for improvement. Check out ULA. Cheers.

blackwater slim
03-08-2011, 23:46
Thanks for the responses. I will check on the catalyst? What about the REI flash 65?

blackwater slim
03-09-2011, 00:00
Oh and Stick...from Corinth? Got a lot of family in North Miss...grew up in northwest MS. I liked the video on your site. I'll be checking back when I have more time.

XCskiNYC
03-09-2011, 00:04
I have a Flash 65. I like the design but haven't had it out on the trail yet. Just used it as luggage with a pretty light load. It did fine for that. The layout is a little fussy (the strap that you have to lead under the upper compartment is a little bit of a pain -- really not much trouble).

The main bag compartment is shaped so that you can overload it quite a bit which would be handy if maybe you were going to bring a bunch of days of food at once or something like that. There's a video review of the pack on the Backpacking Magazine site where they also mention that.

It seems like a good pack for somebody like me moving from midweight gear to the upper end of the lightweight spectrum, shooting for around 25 lbs with food and water.

blackwater slim
03-22-2011, 07:07
I got the REI Flash 65. I think I am going to like it. Headed out for a week in a few days ad will let you know. Thanks for the help.

58starter
03-22-2011, 08:25
I am 6'2" 225 and I have the Kelty 4750 and it holds everything I need and I pack my tent inside of my pack. I carry around 32lbs this is 14-15% of my body weight. I purchase it at Gander Mt. on a great sale for $79.00 last Sept.

blackwater slim
04-20-2011, 17:27
Went on the AT in March as mentioned on another post. I really like the REI flash 65. I carried about 41-42 lbs to start with which was food for 6 days in that. I can see with a more compact sleeping bag which will be for warm weather or when I can upgrade later there would be planty of room and with the ultra-light conversion for a lighter pack would be great. Itching to go use it again. I highly recommend for the price.

ScrapIron
04-20-2011, 19:31
I got the REI Flash 65. I think I am going to like it. Headed out for a week in a few days ad will let you know. Thanks for the help.

Yea, let us know about that one. It gets good reviews.