View Full Version : What backpack to use for a thru hike.
I would like to find out what backpack most people use on the AT. I am not an ultra light back packer but do wish to cut down on my weight that I carry. I now have a aether 70 by Osprey that I like very much but it weights 5lbs. I have looked at the Osprey Atmos but have seen some bad comments about it. It would be almost the ideal backpack so I am looking for something about the same that some one has used on the AT. People say the Atmos has a frame that cuts into the lower back so that would never do on the AT.
What have you that have hiked or plan to hike the AT use as a backpack? I a worried about the warm clothes that I have to carry in the beginning of the trail and the size backpack it will take.
Can ant one out there provide any suggestions?
Tomman
[email protected]
Big Dawg
07-04-2011, 05:16
I've used an Atmos 65 for a few hundred miles, and have not had any problems. It's a comfortable pack IMHO. I've recently lightened up, and am now using a GG Gorilla. If I were to thru hike, I'd either use a GG, ULA, or Zpacks backpack
. . . .I now have a aether 70 by Osprey that I like very much but it weights 5lbs. . . . Ok, so the pack weighs 5lbs. Heavy, but not horrible. How's the rest of your pack weight? This will be central to what pack you purchase, since some packs with less robust suspensions can't haul a heavier load. Does all your gear fit in the Aether with room to spare or is it packed in like sardines? This will also be a key issue in pack selection. If you pick a pack that doesn't hold all your trash or doesn't carry it comfortably, then you're back to square one before you even set boot to trail. [/QUOTE]
. . . .I have looked at the Osprey Atmos but have seen some bad comments about it. . . .People say the Atmos has a frame that cuts into the lower back so that would never do on the AT. . . . [/EMAIL]The Atmos is a great, comfortable, well regarded pack that you see frequently on many trails, the AT included. Instead of going by "what people have said", give one a try and formulate your own opinion. You might be surprised.
[QUOTE=tomman;1177752] I am worried about the warm clothes that I have to carry in the beginning of the trail and the size backpack it will take. [[EMAIL="
[email protected][/QUOTE"]/QUOTE (
[email protected])]If your insulation system takes up so much space in your pack that it's a big issue, then you should probably take a hard look at said insulation system and give it some serious thought.
I use an Ospery Atmos 50 and have nothing bad to say about it - I often do long trips over 100 miles with it and it has never cut into my lower back. In the winter, oddly enough, I carry an older Aether 70 liter Osprey Pack. I think if you start in the winter, you could use the pack you have and then transition to the 50 liter pack when it warms-up - bounce box it somewhere. Go to an outfitter store and try it on.
The Osprey Aether 70 is great pack and is what I use for 3-4 week section hikes (in June). I find it fits all my crap well and offers great comfort with a fully loaded 40 lb. pack. Only thing I add is a Granite Gear hip pocket for my camera. My two big but non-heavy items are my fleece and my pillow (I started carrying a pillow this year and it is worth the weight and space!).
skinewmexico
07-05-2011, 00:24
ULA Conduit.
ULA Conduit.
Went from an Atmos 50 to a ULA Conduit, and am very happy with the pack's comfort, weight, volume and carry capacity.
chrisjrabe
07-05-2011, 03:23
I did several hundred miles in a Granite Gear Vapor Trail that was very comfortable. I'm actually trying to sell it because I stepped down to a smaller pack size. If interested let me know.
[email protected]
House of Payne
07-06-2011, 21:41
I would like to find out what backpack most people use on the AT. I am not an ultra light back packer but do wish to cut down on my weight that I carry. I now have a aether 70 by Osprey that I like very much but it weights 5lbs. I have looked at the Osprey Atmos but have seen some bad comments about it. It would be almost the ideal backpack so I am looking for something about the same that some one has used on the AT. People say the Atmos has a frame that cuts into the lower back so that would never do on the AT.
What have you that have hiked or plan to hike the AT use as a backpack? I a worried about the warm clothes that I have to carry in the beginning of the trail and the size backpack it will take.
Can ant one out there provide any suggestions?
Tomman
[email protected]
I have the Atmos 50 as well, love the bag, never had any problems with the cutting into the back issue you mentioned. After researching here and on my own I am leaning towards a ULA bag for my upcoming thru in a couple years. For weight and and cubic inches I like the Catalyst.
I have a ULA Circuit a Ariel 65 and MDL Phrophet Love them all
KingKrawler
07-13-2011, 20:53
I carried a ULA Catalyst on my thru hike last year and loved it. It had, however, more capacity than I ever needed so I now carry the ULA Circuit and I love it, too. I still have plenty of room for all my summer gear and believe it would handle my winter gear as well. FYI, my winter pack weight with three days of food and one liter of water is approximately 28 pounds, so YMMV.
Also, be sure to buy the correct size ULA pack for your frame. I am 6' tall and used a large Catalyst. Jeff at Mt Rogers Outfitters in Damascus, VA, worked with me during my hike last year, and informed me that the correct size ULA pack for my frame is a medium. When I purchased my Circuit, I made sure to buy the medium size. The pack fits like a glove!
Good luck on your choice and your hike!
Stats 2012
07-13-2011, 21:13
At the rist of being ridiculed, I use an external frame pack. Call me crazy, but I like having easy access to its many zippered pockets. Also, I like being identifiable from half a mile away!
Auntie Mame
07-13-2011, 21:19
I salute you, it takes guts to stand out! There is something appealing about the external frames, its great that you have one that you like.
I used a GG Vapor Trail for the southern 1,000 mi. IMO--any 60 liter pack should work.
k2basecamp
07-13-2011, 23:59
At the rist of being ridiculed, I use an external frame pack. Call me crazy, but I like having easy access to its many zippered pockets. Also, I like being identifiable from half a mile away! Alpenlite external frame of course ! A cool and dry back and a joy to pack and unpack
skinewmexico
07-14-2011, 09:21
Alpenlite made the coolest packs.
Programbo
07-15-2011, 22:34
Don't be fooled by the weight of a pack alone. If pack A weighs twice as much as pack B but has a better suspension system and distributes the load more naturally over your bodies center of gravity then the load you carry will feel lighter and you will conserve more engery so the heavier pack will be the better choice.
CrumbSnatcher
07-15-2011, 23:34
EXTERNAL;):cool:
Thanks for all the replies. I have tried a few of the lighter packs that were pointed out but they just do not feel right to. Thus I would be afraid to use one on a long distant hike.
rocketsocks
11-04-2011, 06:48
Don't bring a Kelty Sante Fe.Not unless your going to remove both aluminum stays and replace with struts from thermarest camp chair which normaly you would'nt bring (to heavy).Also replace top floppy pouch with body of thermarest campchair that you normaly would'nt bring (to heavy),And then pull the stuff'in out of hip belt and shoulder straps,making hip belt into pockets for socks and whatever.Butcher back pad and remove,office on yoke...eeeh 50/50,remember it's (your/my)pack. Almost forgot there's a little bitty lable way down at the bottom(left side facing yoke)don't need that.3lbs. on the money.Or you could just plunk down some change and buy a ULA circuit that's what I'd do.YMMV
hikerboy57
11-04-2011, 08:19
Ive had an atmos 65 for a few hundred miles , and I find it very comfortable, distributes weight well.met a NOBO in ME in august who had the same pack, he said he had to replace the one he started with (which was several yrs old when he started his thru), but he stuck with the exact same pack, which told me a lot.I'm usually betweeen 25-30lbs w/food and water depending on the season.The only criticism i have is that when you put the bladder in the sleeve, it takes up a lot of space due to the curvature of the mesh back. some have put the bladder between the pack and the mesh fram, but I like to carry a 3L bladder and it doesnt fit.In spite of this, I still have enough room for all my gear.
swjohnsey
11-04-2011, 08:41
I saw lotsa ULA Catalyst and Circuit. I carried a Catalyst and it was mostly half empty but very comfortable. I whittled down my gear a bit and am gonna use a ULA Ohm 2.0 this year.
garlic08
11-04-2011, 08:53
Finding your pack is likely going to be trial and error, just like the rest of us, I bet. And it is a moving target as you modify your gear on a long hike. Lots of thru hikers end up with a different pack from what they started with. If there was a perfect pack, there would only be that one available.
One revelation I had, as I hiked the AT with my 9-ounce frameless silnylon pack (the Gossamer Gear G-5, now discontinued) and was carrying 20 pounds comfortably with it, was that I had a nearly 40:1 payload to pack ratio. Try that with a five pound pack. I was able to use an ultra-light pack comfortably and it really made a difference for me. The pack itself was negligible.
My best piece of advice for you is to never commit to a pack until you have tried it on. Preferably for at least an hour with weight comparable to what you intend to carry in it.
I went on a pack hunt last spring, and trying it on is the only way to know if it will work. For every 5 I tried on, only 1 would feel okay even without weight. I probably tried on 20-30 packs until I found "the one." For me it was mountain hardware women's tadita 50. http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Women%27s-Tadita%E2%84%A2-50/OU4066,default,pd.html
(http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Women%27s-Tadita%E2%84%A2-50/OU4066,default,pd.html)
Find something that fits right for you. And although counting pounds on a pack can help reduce your overall weight, don't worry to much about a few oz difference between one that's comfy and one that isn't.
(http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Women%27s-Tadita%E2%84%A2-50/OU4066,default,pd.html)
swjohnsey
11-04-2011, 12:04
One thing to consider is starting with something crappy and pick up a good pack at Neel Gap. They have the best selection of pack I have ever seen and a professional staff to help with your selection.
MuddyWaters
11-04-2011, 20:43
Best pack is the one that is comfortable on YOU and holds YOUR gear.
It is easier to carry ultralight gear in a conventional 6 lb pack, than to carry conventional heavy gear in an ultralight pack.
Without knowing your gear list, it is impossible for anyone to recommend even a starting list of packs to look at.
I'll join those that recommend ULA packs. I used Gossamer Gear packs for the PCT and the first half of the AT, but those lasted about one thru-hike each. Switched to a ULA Circuit around half way through the AT and just finished the CDT with the same pack.
ULA packs just seem to me to be a perfect balance of light (while not the lightest options), durable (not the most durable, but durable enough to last, I would say, a couple of thru-hikes each --- plenty), and with the right set of features (stuff I actually care about and use, little that weighs me down for no good reason).
With well over 3000 trail miles on it now, my ULA Circuit is still the pack I'll be using in future for some time, I think; it certainly shows some wear but nothing looks close to "wearing out".
I'd add that customer service is excellent for this small domestic company as well.
stranger
11-15-2011, 02:43
I would agree that ULA probably does 'everything' the best when it comes to long-distance hiking...however, they are far from the best 'all around' pack in my opinion. They do lack a number of things that I've outlined in other threads, but all around, for something like the AT, they are probably the all around best when it comes to features, comfort, fit, durability, suspension and simplicity.
coheterojo
11-15-2011, 11:53
I used an Osprey Atmos 65 on both of my thru-hikes. It remains, for me, the most comfortable pack I've ever used.
Echraide
11-15-2011, 22:06
I used a Golite Gust for my AT thru. I can't imagine carrying a pack that weighs five pounds before you even put anything in it! I wish I could find another Gust; if I had known they were going to stop making them I would have purchased several more.
I saw a lot of thruhikers on the PCT with the ULA packs and not one of them could fit everything inside the pack. They had stuff hanging off every which way. I'm not comfortable hiking like that, I much prefer that everything important be stored securely inside my pack.
I switched to an osprey exos 34 in daleville, va during this years thru hike and absolutely love the pack. the most packed i had it was entering the 100 mile wilderness in me, but it easily fit 6 days of food + all my gear(26lbs at that time, but usually was at 20 max). i would recommend the 46 tho, unless you have are a minimalist. it weighs only a couple ozs more then the 34, and has padded hipbelts, which some people complain about the 34, but they probably have the pack overloaded anyway.
Ula packs are extremely popular for a reason as well. good support, good exterior storage and awesome hipbelt pockets. the circuit and the catalyst are a little overpriced i think though...
Mr Breeze
11-16-2011, 07:18
I would have to agree with others that the pack should be what fits you and feels the most comfortable. I use a Gregory Z65 .
skinewmexico
11-16-2011, 10:32
I used a Golite Gust for my AT thru. I can't imagine carrying a pack that weighs five pounds before you even put anything in it! I wish I could find another Gust; if I had known they were going to stop making them I would have purchased several more.
I saw a lot of thruhikers on the PCT with the ULA packs and not one of them could fit everything inside the pack. They had stuff hanging off every which way. I'm not comfortable hiking like that, I much prefer that everything important be stored securely inside my pack.
That doesn't sound like it's the pack's fault.
Echraide
11-16-2011, 19:54
That doesn't sound like it's the pack's fault.
The ULA sacrifices volume to be lightweight, which is unnecessary. Any pack can be UL if it's small enough.
CaptainNemo
11-16-2011, 20:26
Backpack might be last thing you should buy. It really has to fit your gear and style. I have an MLD prophet and I would recommend going frameless. Ultralighters in the house!
skinewmexico
11-16-2011, 20:27
The ULA sacrifices volume to be lightweight, which is unnecessary. Any pack can be UL if it's small enough.
All I can say is I have a Catalyst, Circuit, and Conduit, and I don't have stuff hanging off. I pick the right size pack for the job. So was the Gust replaced by the Jam2 or Pinnacle?
Echraide
11-16-2011, 21:13
The Gust is irreplaceable. :)
atmilkman
11-16-2011, 21:30
ULA Conduit.
Totally agree on this one. Like I think you said before "thru-hike packs designed and made by thru-hikers". Got the new one in 500 denier. Well worth a couple of ounces.
The ULA sacrifices volume to be lightweight, which is unnecessary. Any pack can be UL if it's small enough.
Really? My Circuit has the same capacity in volume as the Atmos 65, it's capable of carrying the same weight, and weighs 23 ozs less.
Echraide
11-16-2011, 23:15
Yes. I'd like to see them make a pack with a 5000+ capacity for about that weight.
Mismatch
11-25-2011, 22:18
I did my thru-hike with an Osprey Exos 46 and loved it. If I was going to do it again, I might switch to the ULA though. Cannot go wrong with either.
I hiked the length of the trail this year with an Atmos 50. Pack was fantastic although I did encounter the "digging into the back" around mid-VA. It wasnt so much cutting into me as it created these two, rather large welts where the pack would sit on my hip bones. I then used a Z-rest seat as a pad between my back and the pack which alleviated the problem for the most part. In my opinion i think the Aether 70 is too large (and even the Atmos 50 may be too large for some, myself included). I plan on switching to a smaller pack and lighter gear for my next long hikes. However, i do plan on staying with Osprey. Pack is still going strong after my thru.