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  1. #1

    Default Sleeping bag/pad Pack-Mounting

    I have an Osprey Exos 48 that I have been training with for months and was planning on using for my upcoming 2017 NOBO thru-hike, but once I got all my gear together, I began to realize my minimalist pack-size mentality could be a problem. My sleeping pad is a ThermaRest ProLite Plus, and rolls up shorter than 12", so it cannot be held to the bottom of the pack with the given cords. My question then, is what is the best way of externally mounting my sleeping bag, a Kelty Tuck 22, to the bottom of my pack? Bungees? Accessory straps? How? Onto what? Thanks for your input, and happy trails!

  2. #2
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    Couple thoughts:
    - isn't it conventional wisdom that an inflatable pad should be inside the pack anyway?
    - could you fold your sleeping bag into fourths and then roll it up in a groundsheet so that it's a longer, thinner cylinder instead of the more keg-shaped stuff sack it comes with? And then that could be cinched to the underside of your Osprey pack.

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    One option would be to roll up the ProLite Plus without folding it in half first. That would make rolling up the sleeping pad go a lot quicker.
    But of course that might leave you with needing to either find/make a new stuff sack to help protect the sleeping pad, or risk it not being in a protective sack/sleeve.

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    Ok, you're on the AT and you're nnth bound. You get up in the AM, cram all your gear into your pack and you're off.
    When during that hour and a half is our average hiker going to take the time and trouble to neatly pack everything ... not happening.

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    neither should be on the outside of your pack.

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    I would advise you to go to REI and ask them for help.

    My rough advice...get a bigger stuff sack, so when the sleeping bag is in it, it can be squished and reshaped.

    Put sleeping bag on back of back and secure with two straps that are attached diagonally to the loops on this pack. Let these straps "squish" sleeping bag down.

    Don't use bungees...the pack will bounces a lot and bungees tend to let things fall off.

    Put your sleeping pad inside. It is fairly "delicate" and you don't want to puncture it.

  7. #7
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    As HooKooDooKu suggested, rolling your pad without folding it in half first is the obvious solution. I would discourage packing your sleeping bag outside since getting it wet is more of an issue and it won't hold it's shape and pack well that way, whereas your pad should do fine even without a stuff sack. There is great paranoia about packing an inflatable on the outside of your pack, but that's what we all did for years with the original ThermaRest mattresses that rolled up pretty much like your Prolite if you don't fold it in half first.

    Then, if you want to be extra careful to avoid punctures on the outside of your pack, don't put it on the bottom, put it on the top horizontally under the cover flap (or brain if you're using it) or alternatively, run some elastic cord crisscross across the front of the pack (what I call the back of the pack since it is facing behind you) and just tuck the rolled up or folded up pad vertically on the front (back) of the pack.

    Funny thing, I don't have pictures if my packs packed in these various ways, just of a few friends packs that don't have pads strapped to them. So, I stole some images of the internet to help picture what I'm talking about, albeit with zlite pads instead of a wide-rolled prolite.

    Like this
    Floating-lids-are-used-to-attach-gear-between-a-top-pocket-and-the-pack-bag.-Granite-Gear-Leopar.jpg

    or like this
    20130815_074900.jpg
    I'm not lost. I'm exploring.

  8. #8

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    Agreed with the use of bungees for this not being a good idea. Straps are best in my view, providing a very tight bite on your gear and won't release until you want them to even in very wet environments.

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    I must be missing something here. How big is that sleeping bag? I'm fine tuning my Klymit 35L airframe pack for summer use and so far have no problem with the bag(Montbell SuperSpiralDown#3-30degree) and the inflatable sleeping pad(REI Stratus) fitting in the main compartment of the pack. Out of the big three(tent, bag, pad) it is your tent and poles that should go outside your pack, IMHO. Right now I can fit my tent body and fly(FlyCreekUL3!) in the main body as well, if its only a two night trip and I sub my Sawyer for my FirstNeedXLElite. If it were July or August, I'd ditch the Montbell for a 7 ounce liner or a 9 ounce SOL bivy bag and with the Sawyer probably have enough food for 4 days/3nights. Get a Cuben Fibre bag for your tent body and use some 2mm guy line to zig-zag strap the bag to your pack back(IIRC it has the loops...), if you don't have room in that pack...

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    I also have an Exos 48 with a WM megalite and a regular size TAR prolite. I am crammed for real estate when I go out for more than three days. My sleeping bag and pad ride inside the pack body. My shelter (MSR Hubba NX-1) is what's attached to the bottom of the pack. Everything else rides inside or in the pack's brain.

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    Quote Originally Posted by daddytwosticks View Post
    . . . My shelter (MSR Hubba NX-1) is what's attached to the bottom of the pack. . .
    If attaching something as heavy as a tent (even if 3 lbs) to the outside of your bag, your load will likely carry better if you attach it to or under the lid, on the top of your pack to move you center of gravity off your butt and higher onto your back. But then, try it out and see what works best for you.
    I'm not lost. I'm exploring.

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    Isn't 48 a top loader? Ditch stuff sacks for all cloths, bag etc..1 compactor bag utilizes space more efficiently...or as others said put pad under brain as thats how my son carries his bulky syn bag and ccf pad.


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    If I was u I would get a bag that packs smaller.

    Thom

  14. #14

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    Get a bigger pack.
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    NSherry's 2nd(bottom) photo is how I would rig a Cuben stuff sack with your tent/fly body. Poles too if they won't fit in a side pocket. This keeps the pack more stable than loading weight above the shoulder straps, IMHO...YMMV...

  16. #16

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bladnik26 View Post
    I have an Osprey Exos 48 that I have been training with for months and was planning on using for my upcoming 2017 NOBO thru-hike, but once I got all my gear together, I began to realize my minimalist pack-size mentality could be a problem. My sleeping pad is a ThermaRest ProLite Plus, and rolls up shorter than 12", so it cannot be held to the bottom of the pack with the given cords. My question then, is what is the best way of externally mounting my sleeping bag, a Kelty Tuck 22, to the bottom of my pack? Bungees? Accessory straps? How? Onto what? Thanks for your input, and happy trails!
    hahahahaha, this is exactly what I was talking about in another thread. I see people with all kinds of crap hanging outside their bags because they feed into the small-bag dialogue.

    piece of advice - small bags are for experienced user that have their method down to an art. use a bag that can easily carry everything you need and save the small bag until you change something that allows you to use it...

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    No reason why a 48l plus mesh outer pockets isn't enough space...you really need to evaluate what your carrying!


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    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    This. Packs such as the Exos 48 are designed for UL or at least very lightweight kit with 80-90% fitting inside the pack and very little on the outside, and definitely not stuff dangling from the pack. A 3lb synthetic sleeping bag alone will throw the whole scheme out of balance, so the choices are 1) get a bigger pack that fits the gear or 2) get with the program and develop a UL — or at least very lightweight — gear list appropriate for the Exos.

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by saltysack View Post
    No reason why a 48l plus mesh outer pockets isn't enough space...you really need to evaluate what your carrying!


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    there's plenty of reason why someone can't fit everything in a 50L pack, not everyone has been doing this for years or has a budget that makes a shop owner's eyes sparkle...

  20. #20
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    Key word is "everything "= too much CRAP...Less is better.....it's not hard to take less...but agree you learn after you get tired of carrying useless stuff that's not needed!!!!


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