versatile daypacks

[Durtydan]

Hey gang, I'm looking for a semi big daypack that I could fit the bare essentials into if I want to do an ultralight weekend trip. I use an atmos 65 for my normal multi day trips but once I started looking into cutting my gears weight down, it has cut down the size of the bulk of it as well. now that I see my pack having more and more free space, I'd like to keep it for my thru hike next year but in the meantime I'd like to find a mid size daypack that can hold what I'd need for a couple of days. is 30L too small for bag, tent, pad, camp clothes, stove, and dirty bag with toiletries and such?

please give me your thoughts. I will include some names of the gear I have to show sizes of it all.

marmot atom 40

thermarest neoair xlite

tarptent moment

halulite minimalist with Emberlit mini wood burner stove

normal camp clothing

I'd be willing to ditch camelbak for platypus bottles only for the daypack


...the more I think about cutting down as a secondary setup, the more I would like to pinpoint that perfect pack to just
get by with. one that struck my eye that I thought was just too small is the marmot ultra kompressor
thanks all who reply

[100MileBill]

Dan, I have a Gossamer Gear Murmur that only weighs a little over 10 ounces. It is comfortable for me. It is about 36 liters in capacity counting the outside pocket. Good enough for carrying 15-20 pounds.

http://gossamergear.com/packs/backpacks/murmur-hyperlight-backpack-464.html

[daddytwosticks]

I also use a Murmur for summer overnighters, but my gear is very low volume. It's a nice pack. :)

[1azarus]

another murmur fan for summer use.

great little pack.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

[Durtydan]

is the murmur fragile in any way? it seems like they are very cautious about how much you should pack in it and that it's only made for extremely light weights of 15# and below but I figure food and water alone could be 1/3 to 1/2 that weight. is there anything in between the murmur and gorilla?

[Trebor66]

I use the REI Lookout 40. It may be a little heavier than some of those already mentioned but it tough as hell and has straps across the bottom for lashing on a small tent or pad.

[dtougas]

I have had my eye on the Gossamer Gear Kumo Superlight lately. Similar in volume to the Murmur, but supposedly quite a bit tougher.

[Swordpen]

REI Stoke 19, weighs 1#4 oz (mine comes in at 1#), fell in love with this as a daypack.

It can do an overnight easy with a Lightheart Solo, titanium stakes, down jacket, food, 2 L water, 1.5# sleeping bag, ditty bag, & a golite umbrella (I'm in AZ & your brain will fry from the sun without it).

its a mini full pack, Really. Good ventilation on the back, hip belt with 2 zip hip belt pockets. Has front shovel pocket, 2 side mesh pockets, compression straps, water bladder pocket, a pocket in front for keys, wallet, GPS, etc.

a tip for some, REI also sells these fluorescent twist ties, that are lighter than a bungee, & I use those to tie things on, even use it to tie my umbrella to my shoulderstrap, so I have my hands free to use my hiking poles.

did I say I love this pack?

[Two Speed]

. . . is 30L too small for bag, tent, pad, camp clothes, stove, and dirty bag with toiletries and such?I currently use a 32 L pack for 3 day trips in mild weather, and am working up a new rig using a 34 L bag for 5 - 7 day winter trips so yes, a 30 L pack will work just fine if you're careful about what you put in the pack.

One exercise I found very helpful was making notes in a journal about what I used and what really wasn't essential. After a couple of trips a theme developed and I eliminated a lot of useless crap that I rarely used or needed, which in turn made using a smaller and lighter bag possible.

[mak1277]

Interesting post...I'm an atmos 65 owner who just recently decided to make a similar purchase. I went with the ULA CDT. Just over a pound in weight, price was right and it's higher volume than some of the stuff listed above, so in my mind its more flexible.

[mak1277]

Also, CDT comes with a removable water bladder pouch, which it sounds like you'd prefer.