What Size Backpack Do I Need?

[MikeV]

Hey everyone!
I'm planning on spending 2-3 months on the trail, and I'm uncertain to what size pack I need. I'm considering the Kelty Coyote 80 (4700 ci)....
Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[leaftye]

Put all your gear in a box to determine how much volume it takes.

[Shonryu]

It really depends on your gear setup. If I was you I would start doing my homework on UL Ultra Light and SUL Super Ultra Light set ups if your new to backpacking.

Kelly makes some pretty heavy packs. I've never been much of a fan of any of theor products. I have several packs that I use depending on what I'm doing that have served me well ULA CDT, Osprey Exos 48, and Granite Gear Crown V.

Things you need to consider. What seasons will you be backpacking in? How often do you plan to resupply? What kind of base weight are you working with? Volume? Volume and weight are going to play huge factors. But Anything over a 50 Liter pack in my opinion is overkill.

I'd recommend using the following if you can keep your base weight around 13lbs or less and a combined weight with consumables of 25lbs or less.

ULA CDT - My go to pack which I use for 3 season. I've never had an issue with carrying a full load including up to 6 days worth of food in it.

Osprey Exos 48 - For its suspension and the extra compartments. I tend to use this more during the winter months because I,m carrying more weight and want better suspension and quicker access to things so the extra pockets come in handy.

Granite Gear Crown V - If you have a lot of volume. I've loaded mine down with a lot of gear and still had plenty of room left over. Not to mention that the suspension is my personal favorite on this pack compared to the others mentioned. The only thing I dont like about it is the lack of Hipbelt pockets but I got some to put on it from Z packs.

Gossamer Gear has some nice packs I'd recommend like the Maripossa and Gorilla. I also know a few people who use the SMD six moon design packs and love them.

If you wanna go really light check out Z Packs cuban Arctic Blast packs. People have nothing but good things to say about those.

Focus on getting you weight down on your big three shelter, sleep system, and pack and you will have a great trip. For 3 season I have no problem keeping my big 3 under 3lbs.

ULA CDT pack size medium w mods 17oz or 1.1lbs
Hammock Gear Top Quilt rated at 30 15.9oz
Shelter Hammock Gear Cuban Tarp with tie outs 5oz and Borah Bivy 6.1oz 11.1oz

Total weight 43.10oz or 2lbs 12oz rounded up

[fredmugs]

A 5+ pound bag is excessive. You need to think more about what size pack do I need to get me between resupply points which is usually 5 - 7 days depending on your MPD. If you buy a huge pack you will find a way to fill it up with things like extra clothes that will make your pack heavier. Personally I use a GoLite 70L Jam that weighs just under 2 pounds and there's a lot of lighter packs out there but they cost a lot more too.

[brancher]

Put all your gear in a box to determine how much volume it takes.

It really depends on your gear setup. If I was you I would start doing my homework on UL Ultra Light and SUL Super Ultra Light set ups if your new to backpacking.

Kelly makes some pretty heavy packs. I've never been much of a fan of any of theor products. I have several packs that I use depending on what I'm doing that have served me well ULA CDT, Osprey Exos 48, and Granite Gear Crown V.

Things you need to consider. What seasons will you be backpacking in? How often do you plan to resupply? What kind of base weight are you working with? Volume? Volume and weight are going to play huge factors. But Anything over a 50 Liter pack in my opinion is overkill.

I'd recommend using the following if you can keep your base weight around 13lbs or less and a combined weight with consumables of 25lbs or less.

ULA CDT - My go to pack which I use for 3 season. I've never had an issue with carrying a full load including up to 6 days worth of food in it.

Osprey Exos 48 - For its suspension and the extra compartments. I tend to use this more during the winter months because I,m carrying more weight and want better suspension and quicker access to things so the extra pockets come in handy.

Granite Gear Crown V - If you have a lot of volume. I've loaded mine down with a lot of gear and still had plenty of room left over. Not to mention that the suspension is my personal favorite on this pack compared to the others mentioned. The only thing I dont like about it is the lack of Hipbelt pockets but I got some to put on it from Z packs.

Gossamer Gear has some nice packs I'd recommend like the Maripossa and Gorilla. I also know a few people who use the SMD six moon design packs and love them.

If you wanna go really light check out Z Packs cuban Arctic Blast packs. People have nothing but good things to say about those.

Focus on getting you weight down on your big three shelter, sleep system, and pack and you will have a great trip. For 3 season I have no problem keeping my big 3 under 3lbs.

ULA CDT pack size medium w mods 17oz or 1.1lbs
Hammock Gear Top Quilt rated at 30 15.9oz
Shelter Hammock Gear Cuban Tarp with tie outs 5oz and Borah Bivy 6.1oz 11.1oz

Total weight 43.10oz or 2lbs 12oz rounded up

Both are correct. Also look seriously at dual-use items and be serious about 'filling the box and measuring' - good advice. I am also a hammocker/tarper/topquilter and that's a good option for someone familiar with the process, but if you don't like that option there are great UL tents out there at several price breaks, including Big Agnes and on to the cottage folks (Lightheart Gear, Zpacks, etc).

[Tom Murphy]

Put all your gear in a box to determine how much volume it takes.

+1

You're a genius.

[leaftye]

I'm only sharing what others here have taught me.

[slbirdnerd]

I think if you need an 80 you have way too much gear. Get your gear together, take it to an outfitter, find a pack that fits you and your gear properly.

[swjohnsey]

Put all your gear in a box to determine how much volume it takes.

Put all your gear in a box, throw half of it away, get a pack to hold the rest. I used a ULA Ohm 2.0 and always had plenty of room. Most folks had bigger packs. Lots of ULA Circuits on the trail.

[moldy]

For me, 2 things to consider when picking a backpack. What does it weigh? (I want less than 3 lbs). Can my 20degree sleeping bag fit inside?

[4eyedbuzzard]

The old adage about hiking the AT or other trail for any amount of time is:

Put all of your gear in one pile.
Put all of your money in another pile.
Now take half of the gear, and twice the money.

The Coyote is advertised as an expedition pack, and at 80 liters is overkill (and heavier than needed) for most three season hiking (winter is a different subject altogether). Think twice about every item you are going to carry ten (plus) miles and thousands of feet up and down mountains every day, and especially if it requires more than a 50 liter pack and/or weighs more than 20 lbs before food and water. If it might be merely "nice to have", you should probably leave it behind. The only "extra" or duplicate thing you really need is socks. Pay attention to the ounces and it will add up to pounds. Given today's materials technology, packs that can comfortably handle 30 lb loads typically weigh no more than 3 1/2 lbs empty, and many weigh much less - in the 2 lb range. That said, the pack itself is the very last place I would look to save weight, as carrying comfort trumps an extra pound or so in this case.

[Shonryu]

You will spend more time with that pack on you while on the trail then anything else. Not to mention if your carrying heavy loads you will need to carry more food to compensate for the energy/ calories your burning which equates to even more weight.

My last trip I saw this couple who were carrying 50lbs each. They were up and out of camp 3 hours be for me. I tend to sle err p in Within an hour into my hike I had already passed them. I can't tell you how many times I see this common mistake. For me backpacking is about having fun and putting my miles in while still having time to enjoy my day. Take this into consideration when acquiring your gear.

Most of what you think you need you probably dont. As mentioned above put everything in a pile and ask yourself do I really want to be carrying this 10+ hours a day 20-30+ miles a day for several months. Once you've done that and you have your pile of what you want do it again several more times. Most of your days will consist of walking, eating, and sleeping. If what your bringing doesn't fit into those categories you probably dont need it.

[Malto]

Put all your gear in a box to determine how much volume it takes.

Leaftye is right in concept but missing one very important piece - food. Depending on your setup, 5-7 days of food can occupy more volume than one's entire gear set. It is unlikely that someone asking this question has a clue of the volume of 5-7 days of food but it still should factored into the "box size"

[jdc5294]

Just as a data point I had a gg blaze 60 and it was more then big enough, probably could've gotten away with a 40-50L pack. My base weight hovered around 13 pounds to give you an idea of how much stuff I had.

[StubbleJumper]

I currently hike with a GoLite Jam 70, which weighs about 2 pounds and currently costs $130 and ships for free:

http://www.golite.com/Jam-70L-Pack-Unisex-P46813.aspx


While 70 litres is more than I typically need, the Jam has a "roll-top" which allows you to fill your pack, pull the draw-string top, roll up the slack material and then close the sinch-strap. Mostly, I've been filling it with 45 or 50 litres of gear, but there were a couple of occasions when I was on the Arizona Trail that I actually used all of its 70 litres of capacity and had to lash an item or two to the exterior.

It is this kind of flexibility that I like because on a long hike, there will be days that you'll carry 4 pounds of food, but you might also have days where you carry 15 or 18 pounds of food. There are times when you'll carry a 32-degree bag, but there are also times when you'll carry a much bulkier 0-degree bag. And there are times when you'll carry just a litre of water, but other times you'll end up hauling 5 litres of water (plus a litre of bourbon .)

The downside of the GoLite Jam is that it has no frame, so you really need to keep it below 30 or 35 pounds if at all possible. Secondly, in my opinion, it could use a few more pockets to better manage miscellaneous gear...it has only a single principal pocket and it's so large that it can be a pain to locate your sunscreen, or your Purell, or whatever. While it does have ice-ax loops, it doesn't have a crampon pad...so, you can lash your crampons to the outside of your pack, but it causes a bit of damage and wear.

Anyway, for the money, the Jam 70 gives you a great deal of flexibility and still remains pretty light weight.