Given a pack... should i bother?

[SpartanKen]

I was given a Teton Hiker 3700. I believe the specs say its 4lbs. Do I build my gear around it or return it to the owner? The original owner said he used it 4 times, but was in an accident and will never hike again.

I know there is a ultra light movement going on right now and i get that even though 4lbs is light compaired to many... its not under the 2lb range.

I have yet to actually hike a mile... but plan to start this spring with weekends with my 9yo daughter, then on to week long trips. And maybe... just maybe... a thru hike before i find myself 6 feet underground.

Thoughts?

Only other gear i have is a big agness gunn creek 30 bag and a pocket rocket knock off stove. Oh, and a sawyer mini.

[Hikingjim]

If it feels comfortable, try it for a weekend. Unless you have money to burn, that will do to start if it's a good fit
You can upgrade later when you've hiked more and have dialed in your other gear

But if it's a bad fit or is uncomfortable, don't hesitate to ditch it. A bad fitting pack can make backpacking seem a lot harder than it's supposed to be.

[ScareBear]

I was given a Teton Hiker 3700. I believe the specs say its 4lbs. Do I build my gear around it or return it to the owner? The original owner said he used it 4 times, but was in an accident and will never hike again.

I know there is a ultra light movement going on right now and i get that even though 4lbs is light compaired to many... its not under the 2lb range.

I have yet to actually hike a mile... but plan to start this spring with weekends with my 9yo daughter, then on to week long trips. And maybe... just maybe... a thru hike before i find myself 6 feet underground.

Thoughts?

Only other gear i have is a big agness gunn creek 30 bag and a pocket rocket knock off stove. Oh, and a sawyer mini.

Its free. You seem to be on a budget. Its not too heavy to start with. You will learn whether wilderness backpacking is or is not for you.

The most important thing is that it fits. If it fits, I say use it.

However, pick a better filter than the Mini. I would only use the Mini as an emergency back up to a reliable primary filter. Again, if money is tight, it is certainly better than nothing. Backflush after every 2 litres...

Start off slow and realistic for your hikes. Try to borrow a tent before buying one. If you've never tented, stick with a free-standing tent. WB is full of cheap hiking hacks. Everything from soup to nuts. Literally.

Good luck! Happy Trails!

[MuddyWaters]

No
Everyone will laugh at you
Its not what the cool kids are using

Just kidding
There is some snobbery sometimes
More to do with most cheap gear being really poorly made, than just heavier or cheap
Cheap is good in hiking world. Gear that fails on trail is bad. Very very bad.

So carrying poorly made gear can be a badge of perceived newbiness unfortunately. 95% of time you get what you pay for with gear. Or rather you dont get what you dont pay for.

Dont let that bother you
Go use it till YOU decide you need something different
It will probably work fine for shorter hikes for years
And you will learn what you like, dont like, whats wrong with it, and make a good purchase when buy another, instead of copying what someone else said to buy.

[rickb]

When you put it on, can you cinch the hill belt around you hips - as opposed to around your waist?

If the reason for that is anyway confusing, get un confused.

So long as that basic fit requirement is met, I would probably give it a shot while you sort things out.

[rickb]

Hip belt -- not hill belt.

[Ercoupe]

IF the pack fits and feels comfortable with weight use it. You may be able to shed some of the unneeded items and drop some of the weight. The under two pound packs will most likely not carry the weight, you will have, as you will be carrying half your daughters weight.

Ludington wilderness area is a great place to explore.

[garlic08]

I'll add my voice to the chorus. Try it out at least, it might be fine for what you plan on, or end up, doing.

I like to think of the payload ratio. If a four pound pack carries 40 pounds of gear, that's 10:1. (On the AT, I used a half-pound silnylon wisp of a pack, comfortably carried 20 pounds at times, for a payload ratio of 40:1.) If that 4 pound pack only carries 16 pounds of gear, that's 4:1 and probably a waste of the pack.

Of course, the numbers don't tell the whole story. It has to fit well, for one thing.

[SpartanKen]

Thanks for the advise/replies. The pack feels ok... but that is just around my house. So, like some had said, try it, I'll see if it works for me. I am and I am not on a budget, mostly I'm cheap... lol. Which I'm learning by watching youtube, is not what you want on a long trail trip.

I know I'm typically hard on things, so the pack will get tested early and often.

Thanks for the advice on the mini, I bought it a year ago when we had a boil water alert in my town. never used it.

[Dogwood]

You take it as a gracious gift a blessing bestowed upon you. You try it out. It gets you out, off the computer, and doing something healthier for yourself than tapping away as we are. If the pack is not agreeable to you over the long term you pass it on bestowing it as gift to one less fortunate than yourself as the current owner has done for you. If there are no strings or agreed upon expectations attached in the giving of it to you sell it. Roll the do re mi into a different pack.

Think of it as bridge loan - a often temporary loan that takes a biz from one transition to another. This is a bridge backpack. Seems like a great thing to consider for the situation you describe you're in.

The idea that gear needs to be new, the itsy bitsiest lighter wt, cuben fiber, UL approved by the UL or any other hiking community, mainstream accepted....blah blah blah is pure ridiculousness.

And if you're weirdo enough like Garlic and his wife they prove backpacking can be safely and joyfully experienced without cookware too. Or, hauling every thing but the kitchen sink with 3 wks of avocados as Tipi Walter enjoys. You might even find joy and reliability from an old Army surplus liner coat as Mags does. Or, if you prefer you can sip away until your heart's content fueling your body on a backpacking trip with maltodextrin as Malto does.

You'll fit right in with the rest of us non conformists.

[gpburdelljr]

Considering that you have done no hiking so far, definitely give this pack a try. It's better to find out if you like hiking before spending a lot on gear.

[Slo-go'en]

It looks like a decent pack for the money, which in your case is free. 4 pounds is a little heavy for a 60L pack, but not by much. 3 pounds is typical and 2 pounds starts to cost real money. It will suit you fine until it's time to upgrade to the next level.

[cliffordbarnabus]

pack heavy...it'll make ya stronger!

[RockDoc]

trade offs... the heavier packs are more comfortable and have better suspension systems, usually. 4 lbs is not very heavy. 8 lbs is heavy.

You could always get a 2 lb pack for $200 and it won't be as comfortable but hey you saved 2 lbs!

[Starchild]

What is your gear weight? One can only go comfortably into the sub 2 lb pack if you have gotten the weight down of everything else. I would not consider a frameless pack at all for total pack weight (including pack, food,fuel and water weight) of no more than 15 lbs, so a base weight of perhaps 10 or less.

If you have over that number a pack with a sturdy internal frame can take it up to 30 lbs, and the extra weight will be more than made up with extra comfort. Beyond that I like to switch to my external frame.

A pack with a weak internal frame may get you to 20 lbs total carried.

The pack you are gifted is not expensive (apx $70), but worth trying out, may be a good starter pack, get use to how packs fits and what you like about it or don't like before buying a better one. And 4 lbs for a internal frame is not bad, if it's a stiff frame.

[nsherry61]

Dude. You're dialed! You've got almost everything you need. Time to go play!!

- Go buy an 8x10, $10 blue plastic tarp and some paracord, and some aluminum gutter spikes (to use as stakes) from your local hardware store.
- Grab whatever pots and plastic spoons and bowls you need from your kitchen or the local thrift store.
- Make sure you have cloths appropriate for the season.
- You do still need a sleeping pad.
- Then, head out to your back yard or the local park and dial in your skill set with your daughter and have fun!!