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I bought a GoLite Pinnacle and found that I am not an ultralight hiker. So it's time for a new pack!
Any suggestions for a great 50 L pack (60 at very most) that has decent padding and is comfortable? Thanks!
Sierra Echo
09-01-2011, 20:39
Granite Gear makes some awesome packs. I just bought a Nimbus Trace and I LOVE it.
I've got a Gregory Z55, and its pretty awesome, but I only use a pack that big for winter hiking, I've also got a Z35 and its great for 3 season. I'm not sure in the weight though, I worried about that stuff for long enough. The padding and suspension are great, good amount of features. You can carry alot in a Gregory and it doesn't feel like alot, which is great. they can be pricey, look for a model that's a year old. Check out campmor and reioutlet.
I'm not really worried too much about weight anymore either :) I think I'd rather have comfort. I don't know if all my gear will fit in a 38L pack... but it's worth looking in to. I need a pack that will support at least 5 days of hiking solo.
skinewmexico
09-01-2011, 22:53
ULA Circuit. Help a company in Utah make their payroll.
HockeyGirl
09-02-2011, 05:46
Anything by Osprey. Their packs are maybe a tad on the heavy side but very comfortable to wear.
I have an Ariel 65L and love it.
Rhapsodist
09-19-2011, 00:50
Osprey Aura 50 or 65. I freaking love this bag; it has great ventilation and decent hip padding (I don't tend to need extra padding). I especially like the 65 because of the sleeping bag compartment, but I have heard great things about the 50. CHECK IT OUT!
Nutbrown
09-19-2011, 10:44
+++ for the Osprey. I have the Aura 50 and Love it.
hikergurl
09-19-2011, 10:51
Someone mentioned Gregory earlier. The women's version of the Z55 is the Jade 50. It's a great pack, very comfortable and stable, and holds surprisingly a lot. Another company to check out is Deuter, fairly new to the US market but is lightweight, very adjustable (a selling point for me since I loan out packs often), and has all the same features one would expect from a serious backpacking pack. Plus, the prices are comparable or cheaper to other companies. I have a Deuter ACT 60+10 SL that I'm looking to sell if you're interested.
Serial 07
09-19-2011, 10:56
i just picked up a black diamond infinity and love it! it's got a ball joint in the hip belt that helps the pack move better with the torso...very nice...
hikergurl
09-19-2011, 10:56
Also forgot to mention, depending on body type, men's packs are very similar to women's packs but I have noticed a few differences, such as in the spacing of the shoulder straps (women's are narrower), the hip belts on women's packs are either a little thicker or shaped a little differently to contour hips better, and the torso lengths tend to run smaller. All that to say, +1 on Osprey packs, if they offered more packs with a shorter torso length, I'd be all over 'em.
Fog Horn
09-19-2011, 11:17
Anything by Osprey. Their packs are maybe a tad on the heavy side but very comfortable to wear.
I have an Ariel 65L and love it.
This!
I plan on heading out with a Gossamer Gear bag, but it rates only up to 30lbs. If I had to go with a pack that could handle more, I'd go with Osprey :)
Fog Horn
09-19-2011, 11:19
Also forgot to mention, depending on body type, men's packs are very similar to women's packs but I have noticed a few differences, such as in the spacing of the shoulder straps (women's are narrower), the hip belts on women's packs are either a little thicker or shaped a little differently to contour hips better, and the torso lengths tend to run smaller. All that to say, +1 on Osprey packs, if they offered more packs with a shorter torso length, I'd be all over 'em.
I'm tall and in the Army, so I'm used to using men's equipment instead of females, but IF you find a pack that fits all your needs and it is a men's, do yourself a favor and try it out in a store (filled, of course). That hipbelt is the difference between making it on a hiking trip, and being miserable until you find the next outfitter to buy a new pack.
bigcranky
09-19-2011, 11:48
++++ for the Osprey. My wife went through many packs, from ultralight to big monster packs, and her favorite by far has been the Osprey Ariel 55.
Feral Bill
09-19-2011, 11:59
The best pack ever for one person may be a disaster for you. Go to an outfitter. Try on several packs, with a full load. Walk up and down stairs and all around the store for an hour EACH. Then pick. If can't buy in person, buy from a place with an iron clad satisfaction guaranty (sp) such as REI.
Farr Away
09-19-2011, 15:49
The best pack ever for one person may be a disaster for you. Go to an outfitter. Try on several packs, with a full load. Walk up and down stairs and all around the store for an hour EACH. Then pick. If can't buy in person, buy from a place with an iron clad satisfaction guaranty (sp) such as REI.
+1 on this.
That said, a +1 for Gregory packs - which I found by going to an outfitter and trying several different brands. I have both a Gregory Jade (55L in medium) and a Gregory Tega (48L in medium). Love them both, although I tend to use the Jade more often (for the pockets on the hip belt). They carry weight well.
MuddyWaters
09-22-2011, 21:49
The lighter your pack, the less it will matter. The heavier it is, the more critical it may be for you. Whatever you do, try it out with the weight you intend to carry. If you will carry 40 lbs, put at least enough in the pack to weigh 40 lbs when you test it out, NOT just 15 or 20 lbs. And at least 30 min or so walking around with it is recommended too.
AmandaBroun
09-27-2011, 11:45
Just a quick question from a newbie here - all other things being equal, would you recommend getting a larger pack or smaller and force yourself to pack accordingly?
My husband and I are looking at gear to start doing multi-day hikes. We've only done day hikes before where at most we'd be taking some water and a snack, or car camping where we'd have a hundred yards tops to haul stuff in and didn't have to worry about weight or packing light.
If we'll be doing 3-day trips most often, and maybe a week-long hike every now and then, will a 40L pack cut it for me, or should I look at a larger one?
If it matters, I've been looking at the Kelty Coyote 75 and Locus 40 at a local shop.
Trailbender
09-27-2011, 12:04
You can have comfort and lightweight. I think my base pack weight is somewhere around 12 lbs, and I am good to about 10 degrees with what I carry.
Farr Away
09-27-2011, 12:22
Just a quick question from a newbie here - all other things being equal, would you recommend getting a larger pack or smaller and force yourself to pack accordingly?
My husband and I are looking at gear to start doing multi-day hikes. We've only done day hikes before where at most we'd be taking some water and a snack, or car camping where we'd have a hundred yards tops to haul stuff in and didn't have to worry about weight or packing light.
If we'll be doing 3-day trips most often, and maybe a week-long hike every now and then, will a 40L pack cut it for me, or should I look at a larger one?
If it matters, I've been looking at the Kelty Coyote 75 and Locus 40 at a local shop.
Personally, I'd go a little bigger so I had the capacity for a week-long hike, then plan to cinch it down if I was doing a shorter hike.
Is the Kelty almost twice the size of the Locus? That sounds like too much, but you need to size your pack to what you will be carrying. I started with a 48L, and it was a squeeze for an overnighter. Then I changed out my sleeping bag, and my gear was a comfortable fit. It was still a squeeze for a week-long hike though, so I got a 55L pack too.
-FA
An 'ultralight' pack is great for anyone with some experience, but not usually a good choice for a newcomer.
The most important thing about a pack is that it is comfortable to carry with the weight and bulk that you will be puttng in it.
You might, if ultralight is not your thing, like to check out the REI Ridgeline 65. It is about 4 lbs but very comfortable because of the perimeter frame. It gets the weight to your hips, which starts being important after about 25 lbs for me. You can exchange the hip and shoulder straps until you get a combination that works for you--the mens belt will fit the women's pack so if you need to, you can have a pack with a men's large belt and a women's small shoulder harness-or the other way round as well. The pack has many well thought out features and I think would be a good choice for thru hiking or overnighters.
The Venturi series and the Flash series would aso be good for beginners but are not adjustable so a perfect fit might require a few returns-which rei is known to be good for.
AmandaBroun
09-27-2011, 13:22
Thanks for the tips!
Yeah - the Coyote is almost double the capacity of the Locus. Ideally, I'd like to have something in the middle, but these were the most comfortable that I tried on (loaded down with a few textbooks for a trial run around the store, lol). I didn't really compare the frames side-by-side, though. If there's not a significant difference in the unpacked frame size, then unused space can just be cinched up and shouldn't contribute to any bulkiness, I would imagine.
Bear Cables
09-29-2011, 21:27
Check out the Go Lite Quest or the larger version, the Odessey. I have both. The quest is good when I am carrying mild weather gear and I use the larger one for winter hiking when my gear increases.
MommaDuck
10-04-2011, 20:38
I also have a GoLite Pinnacle which I love because it is lighter. I also have a Dueter 45+ 10 ACT lite. It has great cushioning, is very comfortable and the torso length can be adjusted by the shoulder straps. That worked for me because Osprey and Gregory sizes just didn't fit me right.
Ladytrekker
10-04-2011, 23:28
I have an Osprey 65 it is pretty comfortable to wear and I like the sleeping bag compartment feature but it is heavy. I also bought a ULA Circuit and have used it the most. I felt like trying my Osprey again on one of my last hikes and it felt so heavy and cumbersome after using the ULA so the circuit is my definite bag of choice. But a pack is a pretty personal selection you have find what is comfortable and works for you.
Plz go to an outfitter with all ur garbage. Stuff the ospreys and greggorys with everything u don't need. And see how it feels. Pay attention to ur hip belt...most of the time on the trail u will have some chaffage from the hip belt. Fitting is a priority! I only say garbage because once ur in PA u will be looking for a smaller pack. You,ll learn first hand what u really need. Don't get caught up with weight. Knowing what u can survive on takes time on the trail. I started at Amicola with NO hiking experience..just what I learned off of whiteblaze. With 55 lbs of garbage..I ended at Mt katahdin with 28 lbs of hiker trash
Agree with others like Feral Bill who've suggested going to the outfitter with all your gear. A pack is like shoes, very personal, and need to fit like a glove, IMO. I am an ultralight backpacker, but the one area on my gear list that stands out as not ul is my pack. Deuter 45+15 it works for me because I have a lumbar issue. The X stays carry the weight to the hipbelt perfectly.I have tried a zillion other packs along the way, hoping to get a lighter one, and finally did, lol, dropped from a larger volume Deuter to a smaller volume Deuter. The first pack I tried was the ULA Circuit, I wanted it to work soooo bad, but it just didn't work for me. From there I headed to the REI 2 hrs away with gear in garbage bag in hand and spent half the day. Tried on everything and ended up with a Deuter. I ended up returning it a week later because it was too much volume, but knew the fit was right, so found one smaller that REI didn't carry online. Used it for a year and loved it, but when they came out with my current one I'd scaled down my weight to a point I could go smaller. All this to say, it's about personal comfort, not what someone else recommends. There are lots of great packs out there, just gotta try them out, and for longer than a few minutes. I always packed them up and did at least two miles and maybe over 2-3 days trial before deciding. Good luck.