Best type of back pack

[Stir Fry]

I’ll be retiring in Oct, 2010. I plane on doing a thro hike the following spring. I am looking for the best pack for the hike. I have four packs now, all seem to have various fault’s . To small, not comfortable on long hikes, not set up very good. I have been looking at McHale packed for some time and believe I’m going to order one. Will I be better off ordering one designed to carry 50 to 60 lb. event though I usually carry 35-40 lb. for a 7 day trip.

[JAK]

If you are serious abour a McHale pack then how much weight it is designed for should not be an issue. From what I understand anything he makes will be more than strong enough and comfortable enough, so just make sure it has enough volume. Personally I think they are overbuilt.

[stranger]

McHales are known far and wide as decent all around packs, although i question their pricetag considering what else is around. They used to be custom built but not sure what they are doing nowdays. I don't know how well they carry, but some people love them to death.

Check out Osprey and Gregory if you are going to be carrying 35+ pounds, I can vouch for much of what Gregory has done over the years, although a bit heavy in their larger models, they can easily handle heavy loads, and handle they better than anything i've ever seen. Osprey doesn't carry heavy loads as well in my view but they make great all around packs and the best compression on the market.

But keep in mind whatever you get your knees will have to carry that weight, so starting out around 6-7lbs with a empty pack might not be the best choice, but both companies offer packs around the 50-60 litre mark that only weigh just over 3lbs.

[Tipi Walter]

Before you make the plunge for a McHale, check out the G5000 Mystery Ranch pack. I just got back from an arse-cold backpacking trip up the Bald River and kept ruminating on how comfy and how much I like my MR G6000 pack. It's a load-hauler but even with 60 pounds(or 80)it feels snug and comfortable. The G5000 is smaller, more like the old Dana Terraplane, etc.

[Bulldawg]

Gosh, I just love my Vapor Trail, but maybe not big enough for a thru??

[JAK]

Gosh, I just love my Vapor Trail, but maybe not big enough for a thru??

What do I know, but that's about the size and weight of pack I would use.

[Pacific Tortuga]

Buy ULA of USA and not only love the pack, fit, load carrier, quality and guarantee but know its made by the greatest country.

[Bulldawg]

What do I know, but that's about the size and weight of pack I would use.

I guess it would work for a thru for an experienced hiker. I just couldn't see myself going out for weeks at a time with it. And I know that if you say it will work, you should know!! I think my limit would a 5 or 6 days with it. And my 5 or 6 days would amount to like-------35-40 miles. I don't go very fast!!

[JAK]

I think it depends more on your style and gear. Some of my stuff is bulk but some is not. For a thru-hike it would be nice to have a little more volume without the weight, so you woundn't have to jam stuff too tight, and you would have room for an extra long section or maybe just some bread and cheese and fresh fruits and veggies now and then if you come across a nice market or something like that.

[fredmugs]

I do mostly 7 day section hikes so I don't know if you need or want something bigger for a thru hike but on my last trip I broke out my old military backpack and will continue to use it for future trips. I pinched a nerve in the middle of my back several years ago and my lighter pack always aggravates it. On my last trip I was doing 18 - 20 miles a day carrying 35 - 40 pounds and had no problems. Here's a link to my pack:

http://www.uscav.com/Productinfo.asp...ID=1&CatID=451

[quasarr]

Gosh, I just love my Vapor Trail, but maybe not big enough for a thru??

Granite Gear's website claims that 40% of thrus who finish are using the Vapor Trail. Of course that's a biased source but it's at least something to think about!

And if it's big enough for a week-long section, it should be big enough for a thru, right? Most towns are less than a week apart! For my thru I am planning to use the Vapor Trail or a similar pack.

[MOWGLI]

There are few places along the trail where a 7 day trip between resupply is necessary. Of course, you might choose that option to stay in the woods longer, but usually 3-5 days is the average time between resupply stops. YMMV.

There is simply no answer to your question about what is the best backpack. I hiked the trail in 2000 with a Dana Design Glacier. It's a great pack, and served me well, but I recently downsized to a pack almost half the size, and it served me well on a recent 6 day hike.

It's all about choices, and what kinds of gear you're going to be carrying. For me, I needed to get a down sleeping bag and smaller tent and pad in order to move to a smaller pack. My synthetic bag is simply too bulky to fit in a smaller pack.

Good luck.

[Johnny Swank]

Granite Gear's website claims that 40% of thrus who finish are using the Vapor Trail. Of course that's a biased source but it's at least something to think about!

And if it's big enough for a week-long section, it should be big enough for a thru, right? Most towns are less than a week apart! For my thru I am planning to use the Vapor Trail or a similar pack.

I'll have the 2006-07 data available "soon" (meaning - if I can pretend to be working but actually playing with this thru-hiker study), but I can tell you that that size of pack is coming up an awfully lot from just eyeballing things.

FWIW - I used a stripped down Kelty Moraine that was about 3200 cu inch on my thru-hike.

[Hooch]

I’ll be retiring in Oct, 2010. I plane on doing a thro hike the following spring. I am looking for the best pack for the hike.......

The best pack, in my experience is the pack that works for you. Want me to name a brand? I can't and won't, because it's not a "one-size-fits-all" answer. The best pack for you is one that carries your load as comfortably as possible, is well fitted and fits in your budget. Since you live in Concord, my advice unto thee would be to go to a good outiftter (I like Great Outdoor Provision Company at Park Road Shopping Center, but REI or Jesse Brown's will do) and talk to them about packs. Tell them what you need a pack for and get suggestions from their staff. Listen to what they say closely, because they know what they're talking about. The folks at GOPC and REI both have staff who have thru-hiked and are very knowledgeable. The folks at either place can definitely point you in the right direction. Good luck!

[JAK]

Bear in mind however that they may want to sell you a pack big enough for everything they want to sell you, rather than just big enough for what you need. I don't mind the extra volume. Volume is good. I would keep the weight of the empty pack under 2 pounds though, 3 pounds max, even if you want to carry alot. A good pack should be plenty strong and comfortable and still be well under 3 pounds. Most packs sold by outfitters do not fall into this category.

[Bearpaw]

Will I be better off ordering one designed to carry 50 to 60 lb. event though I usually carry 35-40 lb. for a 7 day trip.

Why in heaven's name would you want to carry 50-60 lbs when you normally only carry 35-40? Many folks have this concept that the AT is a great expedition. In terms of sheer length, I suppose you could make that case. But the reality is that it is backpacking on a steep, but well-maintained trail, stringing together a few dozen 3-5 day backpacking trips. That's all.

You honestly will probably never HAVE to carry more than 7 days of food, unless you intend to hike only 8-mile days, in which case you'll have to walk for about 9 months to complete a thru-hike (and Katahdin will be long closed). If you hike typical 12-15 mile days (once you've gotten into trail shape after the first few weeks), you'll find you DON'T need or even want a big pack.

Take a good look at your other gear. If you have a big sleeping bag or tent you can probably save both weight and space by looking at smaller, lighter options. Six Moon Designs and Shire's Tarptent offer fantastic, compact very light options.

As for what pack? Look at the ULA Catalyst with the extra two aluminum stays option. I have it, and in winter, it does great with loads up to 40 pounds. http://ula-equipment.com/catalyst.htm. Brian Frankle, the owner, is great to work with.

[Hooch]

A good pack should be plenty strong and comfortable and still be well under 3 pounds.......

Gonna have to respectfulky disagree with you on that one, JAK. My pack is an REI UL Cruise 60. It weighs in at a whopping 3.2 lbs and is not only light, but comfortable and carries everything I need it to. I would never even consider a pack over 4 lbs, but a pack needn't weight next to nothing to give good support to your load. And if homeboy goes to one of the outfitters I suggested that actually have former thru-hikers on staff, they'll sell him exactly what he needs, not what they want to sell him to make a buck. JMHO.

[rafe]

There's no "best pack." That said, I have some experience with two Granite Gear packs and like them both. The Vapor Trail for short trips and lighter loads, the Nimbus Ozone for longer trips and/or heavier loads. The difference between them is mostly the frame sheet. The VT has a flimsy, light one, and the NO has a more substantial one. The VT pack weighs 32 oz, the NO weighs 48 oz.

[Cindy from Indy]

Gregory if you are going to be carrying 35+ pounds, I can vouch for much of what Gregory has done over the years, although a bit heavy in their larger models, they can easily handle heavy loads, and handle they better than anything i've ever seen.

I've only done two, 4 night hikes with my Gregory Baltoro pack, but I love it!! It has several body adjustment points that make the pack feel like a part of your body! It is awesome! I had 35lbs of gear and I was wearing all my winter hiking clothes at the time. Still, it fit wonderfully.

[highway]

I’ll be retiring in Oct, 2010. I plane on doing a thro hike the following spring. I am looking for the best pack for the hike. I have four packs now, all seem to have various fault’s . To small, not comfortable on long hikes, not set up very good. I have been looking at McHale packed for some time and believe I’m going to order one. Will I be better off ordering one designed to carry 50 to 60 lb. event though I usually carry 35-40 lb. for a 7 day trip.

Dan McHales's custom packs are still handmade in his shop, to each customer's dimensions and they are arguably the finest made packs ever built. They were first built for climbers and each pack's haul loop were so strong that a climber could actually stand on the pack with it suspended on a rope tied to the loop. Some hikers don't feel they need that quality or, more likely, they don't feel the need to pay for it.

Some years ago Dan McHale was not so keen on lightening his pack designs to go lightweight but he finally succumbed to the mounting pressure. For instance, I owned a SARC at 5.25 pounds that I once used for section hiking the CDT with far too much weight. The caliber of that pack was so well known that I sold it on eBay for almost what I paid for it, even after about 4 or 5 years of use. Then I had him make me one similar, smaller, without most frills, with smallish lid of my design that weighed 3 pounds, holding ~2700 ci. which I now use for the CDT sections.

It is extremely well built, yet simple. It's unique double-buckle hip belt does not slip, even loaded with 40+ pounds. If you can afford it, go for it. Since you are even considering it you already recognize quality. I guess it is like one's automobile tires in that the cheapest set, by the mile, is often most expensive in the long run, whereas the most expensive ones are often cheapest-in the same long run! Buying a Mchale is a one-time purchase, one you will not regret.