View Full Version : a 25L mistake?
Being new to long distance hiking, with only a hundred or so miles under my belt in the last 5 years, my ignorance of proper gear selection shows. I wanted to upgrade from my mammoth jansport calson 90... Ignoring the advice of the sales rep @ backcountry.com and a friend who thru hiked 2 years ago I bought the Deuter aircontact 75... pretty sweet, comfortable pack, lots of cool features i probably will never use or know theyre there. I weighed the pack the other day on my fish scale, sucker weighes almost 7lbs!! My Pack fully loaded minus food/water/fuel is 21lbs.. needless to say there is a ton of extra room in this pack, the straps are sinched all the way up... my question to you, would it be worth buying a new pack thats "just the right size"? I paid way too much money for this pack to just ditch it with only using it for practice hiking.. I really dig the pack and how it rides but it is obviously way too big. It was actually my first piece of gear that I upgraded.. I guess i like to do things backwards. any questions, comments or sugestions are welcomed. My kickoff date for my thru-attempt is March28, so if a move needs to be made, it needs to be made soon.
Thank you.
You can easily shave four pounds off your load by replacing the pack, and the cost for cutting that four pounds is relatively small. I think you should stop using your Deuter while it is still only slightly used, and post it for sale here and elsewhere (maybe without the comments about how much it weighs!). Your fully loaded new backpack will be still be heavy enough that you probably want to avoid the ultralight solutions... but a MAXIMUM 3 pound pack would be perfect. Buy less beer, stay at fewer motels or whatever... but ditch the albatross. Oh... and have a wonderfull hike. It is a great memorial for your dad.
7lbs is a lot of pack to lug around. Is it a HUGE PACK? YES. Is it a couple pounds heavier than you probably need? YES. Will it determine whether your hike is successful or not? NO. if you can return it and get something else I would recommend to do so. however if not, no big deal. if you have the extra cheese hanging around I recommend this pack http://www.golite.com/Jam-50L-Pack-Unisex-P46812.aspx I have the 35 and think it's the Bees Knees. I always remind myself that at the end of the day backpacking has nothing to do with backpacks.
Keep on Keepin on
-Kreate
Snowleopard
03-08-2012, 14:05
I'd call the sales rep back, apologize abjectly and see if you can return it.
Take your gear plus 4 days food plus water bottles, pack it into a box and measure the volume it takes.
Take a look at the golite jam or pinnacle, both 5 lbs less than your current pack.
If you reduce your gear a little, you should be able to get your pack+gear+food to 20lb.
bigcranky
03-08-2012, 14:24
Yeah, sorry, that's kinda big and heavy. See if you can return it or sell it. A good ~2 pound 50-60 liter internal frame pack will cost around $200 depending on what you get, and save you 5 pounds out of your base weight. At $2.50/ounce, that's probably the smallest price per ounce weight reduction that I've seen in a while. (People pay upwards of $300 to save a few ounces on their sleeping bag.)
i knew the answer was to get a new pack but my pride was standing in the way...
Hey...everybody just keeps on buying new gear... Part of the addiction..i mean hobby. I'm on my fourth pack with no remorse!
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Jam50 should be here in 2 days... hows that for impulse control
There is a "tipping point" when going light is too light IMHO. Finding that point for you and your hiking style is the challenge.
I found my comfort level when the floss thin straps of a pack i was testing cut into my shoulders and the fashionably thin waist belt just felt wrong.
Good luck on our quest....
Yes, 7lbs is kind of absurd. It looks like your perfectly willing to buy online, so I would suggest checking out the gear for sale sections here and over at backpackinglight.com for something smaller and lighter. Hell, I just saw this http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?81944-FS-REI-UL-45-Pack and for $30 it just might fit your needs.
Good luck on your hike, I think everyone goes through a perpetual series of "mistakes" until they figure out what works well for them.
Don't feel unique on buying the wrong equipment or tweeking if you will.
I have 5, maybe 6 sleeping bags, 4 maybe 5 tents, 4 stoves, two filters, two types of tabs, a half dozen hiking shorts, couple different mid layers, 2 sets of raingear, 3 packs.. And the beat goes on.
Hawkwind61
03-08-2012, 16:58
Don't feel unique on buying the wrong equipment or tweeking if you will.
I have 5, maybe 6 sleeping bags, 4 maybe 5 tents, 4 stoves, two filters, two types of tabs, a half dozen hiking shorts, couple different mid layers, 2 sets of raingear, 3 packs.. And the beat goes on.
I call it tweaking. ;) My backpacking needs/desires/considerations have changed...so some of my gear has changed. I keep the stuff I'm not using for 'just in case'. :sun
BlakeGrice
03-08-2012, 17:06
I totally disagree that "a few pounds" here or there can't affect your hike. If you have a 7 lb pack, you're gonna put too much stuff in it. You're gonna end up with 40 pounds. People thru hike with ultralight packs that weigh only several ounces. less than 20 pounds total. I think if you put someone with 20 pounds next to someone with 40, the one with 20 has a better chance. That won't hold true all the time, but I would imagine most of the time it does. There is no reason to carry a pack that big.
skinewmexico
03-08-2012, 18:23
Hey...everybody just keeps on buying new gear... Part of the addiction..i mean hobby. I'm on my fourth pack with no remorse!
Only 4? That's just embarrassing. Get out that wallet.
skinewmexico
03-08-2012, 18:26
Jam50 should be here in 2 days... hows that for impulse control
You needed a pack and bought one. That has nothing to do with impulse control. I saw a Gossamer Gear sale on factory 2nd Gorillas, and bought a spare. And I have a Miniposa and a couple of Mariposa Plus packs too. That's an impulse control problem.
There is a "tipping point" when going light is too light IMHO. Finding that point for you and your hiking style is the challenge.
I found my comfort level when the floss thin straps of a pack i was testing cut into my shoulders and the fashionably thin waist belt just felt wrong.
Good luck on our quest....
Words of wisdom. I have traded out a lot of gear also over the past year or so. My REI New Star (Which I loved until I climbed Mt. Leconte) was the first thing I replaced, buying a ULA Catalyst. I could have saved another pound or so, but I have 3 kids and often end up carrying gear for more than just me. The sleeping bag comment is telling too. I opted for a Kelty Cosmic Down 20, which weighs 2 1/2 pounds, but only cost $70 and is much warmer than my old 20 degree synthetic bag. The point is, some people buy the lightest because that's what they want, whatever the cost. Others choose gear with other considerations in mind, whether it's cost, or hiking companions, or comfort, or whatever. If you're comfortable and happy, you chose your gear well.
Forgot to mention, in late December, my son and I went on a multi-day hike near Damascus, VA. It was in the teens overnight with snow on the ground. My gear, 2 days and 2 nights of food, and 1.5 liters of water weighed 23 pounds, and my son's was 18 pounds. We stayed warm the whole trip. I figure I could pretty easily keep it under 30 for a thru hike, so I'm happy
My first pack was the Deuter aircontact 65+10 and over 6 lbs and I really like the way you wear it not carry it; awesome suspension system. I agree that it is way too big for a thru hike but when carrying additional winter gear or additional gear from a hiking partner it is hard to beat. It just depends on what your trip demands: hiking to get to camp or camping to hike.
My first pack was the Deuter aircontact 65+10 and over 6 lbs and I really like the way you wear it not carry it; awesome suspension system. I agree that it is way too big for a thru hike but when carrying additional winter gear or additional gear from a hiking partner it is hard to beat. It just depends on what your trip demands: hiking to get to camp or camping to hike.
I'm still a noob at this. I got the air contact 75 too. I was going for the 65, but the 75 was on sale for the same price. I'm not looking to thru hike anything, in fact my longest hike for the next couple of years will probably be a week long. I tried on several packs and yes, the deuter is heavy. I love it though, plenty of room for my stuff (and my wife or daughters stuff on top of my stuff). I've gotten a lot of exercise with it so far. I lost ten pounds out of my personal load so far. If I was going on much longer hikes I might get a new pack, but I've been pleased with the construction, fit and wearability of the air contact.
bamboo bob
03-08-2012, 22:44
i knew the answer was to get a new pack but my pride was standing in the way... You know that is a tough thing to say. Many people seem wedded to their gear simply because it was what they bought firstt and God Dammit They're GOING To Use IT. We all know that there are many gear choices and they all work pretty well. It rarely matters what gear you use, some is just better for you sometimes. What works in GA may not work in NH but many of us just don't want to change gear.
brian039
03-08-2012, 23:34
No worries, you'll find a use for that huge pack someday when you decide to hike a trail and need to carry lots of food. My first pack was way too big also but I've finally used it enough that it's worn out. So in the end you'll justify it hopefully.
Half Note
03-09-2012, 02:04
This thread talked me into buying a lighter pack...curse you all. I shall be receiving the GoLite Jam in a few days :D
bigcranky
03-09-2012, 09:20
This thread talked me into buying a lighter pack...curse you all. I shall be receiving the GoLite Jam in a few days :D
It's great that you and the OP are looking to lighten your loads. Just be aware that there's a big learning curve in going to a frameless rucksack like the Jam from any sort of internal frame pack. In my experience, having tried way too many packs over the years, a frameless rucksack is comfortable for me with a 10-pound base load and about 20 pounds with everything (food, water, and fuel on top of all the gear.) Above that and it's just not comfortable.
What I would say is, in general, the pack you buy should match the other gear you have. If you have "traditional" gear -- a 6 pound tent and a 4-pound synthetic sleeping bag, a white gas stove and a full set of pots and pans -- then you need a pack that can handle 40+ pounds, like the Deuter or the Gregory Baltoro, or something similar. These packs tend to be large, because the gear is bulky, and they tend to be heavy, because they are built to handle heavy loads. A typical base weight (no food or water) would be 30 pounds or so, with max total weights in the 40-60 pound range.
If your gear is "lightweight" -- a Tarptent, down sleeping bag, alcohol stove, and a single pot/mug, with careful choice given to clothing -- then a very light internal frame pack is a good choice. Something like a ULA Circuit, or an REI Flash 65, the SMD Starlite, or one of the lighter Osprey packs. These are in the 50-60 liter range, and weigh 2-3 pounds empty. A typical base weight would be 15 pounds or so, with a max total weight in the pack between 25 and 30 pounds.
When you gear is truly ultralight -- a Cuben tarp, quilt, no stove, very minimal clothing -- that's when the frameless pack makes sense. The Jam, and many packs from cottage gearmakers like SMD, Mountain Laurel Designs, ULA, and Zpacks would work. These are under 50 liters and weigh from 8-20 ounces empty. A typical base weight would be 8 pounds or so, with 15-20 pound max weight coming out of a resupply in town.
Now, can you make a frameless ruck work with a lightweight load? Yes - my hiking partner used a Jam for several years. But he has since switched to a ULA Circuit, which is a ~2 pound pack with a simple frame. The small weight penalty is worth the extra comfort in his case. Me, I'm firmly in the Lightweight camp, happy with a Circuit and a ~14 pound base weight.
There are tricks to using the Jam. Use a closed cell foam sleeping pad, like a 3/4 Ridgerest, inside the pack as a virtual frame (let it unroll inside the pack and put your gear inside the open center of the pad.) Make sure you have used the entire volume of the pack - frameless packs don't do well half-full. Make sure any compression straps are tight - you want to create a stiff load that will transfer some of the weight to your hip belt.
Good luck in the move to lighten up.
Anything over 3 pounds $150 is absurd.
For your load you should be looking at 2 pounds $100.
You should not have bought another Jansport. Their packs are obviously too heavy and expensive, and as long as people like you, and myself 15 years ago, keep buying packs that are too heavy and too expensive they will keep making them, and outfitters will keep selling them.
Half Note
03-09-2012, 20:00
It's great that you and the OP are looking....
Thanks for your words of wisdom. I actually decided to change my order, mostly of the very things you mentioned. I'm afraid the Jam will be too small for my needs. I'm looking at the GoLite Quest or Pinnacle. Can't decide on which one to go with. The Quest is heavier, but seems like it will carry a heftier load. The Pinnacle is lighter, which is nice, but I just don't know about my stuff in it. (anyone with knowledge on the 2 feel free to chime in)
I haven't really weighed everything I've got but I wouldn't consider myself an UL hiker but I know switching to a lighter pack will be nice. I really do enjoy my heavy pack because it has so many pockets and stuff I like but I'm trying to take to heart all the info I've learned here on WB and try new things. My biggest issue is cost - I just felt like splurging on myself I suppose.
Firefighter503
03-09-2012, 22:46
I'll just add that I started with a Deuter ACT Lite 65 + 10 when I started getting more serious into backpacking. We all do it.. go to REI or the like, and pick a pack out that looks cool to us, seems to have all the bells and whistles, and plenty of room for all the stuff we 'need'. I had 2 sets of thermals, an insulating jacket, full set of rain gear, big heavy gloves and hat, etc. Take what you have now, and just go out in the woods for 4-5 nights. You will figure out exactly what you do and do not need. I did, and it saved me about 70% of my normal pack wait for a couple night trip.
Sarcasm the elf
03-09-2012, 23:32
i knew the answer was to get a new pack but my pride was standing in the way...
The money you already paid for the pack is a sunk cost. The only question you need to think about is: Personally, is it worth the cost of a new pack to save 4-5lbs of weight in the trail? IMHO By the second week, spending $100-$200 to save at much weight will seem like a bargain.