Need a good pack recomendation.

[tolkien]

Priorities:
1) external frame
2) cheap
3) light
in that order. all recomendations are welcome.

[bus]

I like my Dueter At Zero pack. It is failry liught. Can't remember how much it was, but, it wasn't too expensive

[NO_Turtle]

I have three Jansport Rainier external backpacks. One for me and a couple for kids and friends. I am following one on Ebay as we speak. It will expire/close this Saturday. See link below or go to Ebay and search for yourself. One of these packs comes up about every six months, so when they do I try to buy them at a fair price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/JANSPORT-RAINIER...item2eb5477a79

You should look for a Jansport "rainier", not a "scout" model. The scout is smaller and might work for a weekend trip, but not for longer.

I would pay, and might pay up to $50 for the pack, plus the $12 shipping. A little heavier pack that distributes the weight better and keeps the pack off your back is worth the money. I have hiked with this pack over 1500 miles. It's sometimes a little squeaky when you walk but that can be fixed in a variety of ways.

Send me a pm if you want any additional information.

Turtle

[Many Walks]

Check the thrift stores. I picked up a nice Camp Trails pack for $15.

[tolkien]

Thanks for the advice. I'm currently looking at two external frame packs:
Kelty Trekker 3900
Kelty Yukon 4800
The Yukon is lighter, cheaper, spacier, and better reviewed, somehow, so that's what I'm going with, I think. But the main issue is that they're both "scout" packs, according to the descriptions. It said they're between a "normal" pack and a childrens pack. That seems rediculous because they're large and 100$, but they accomodate a 21in waist at most.

[Slack-jawed Trog]

Tolkien,
Look for a Jansport "Carson" pack. It is an 80 liter (~4900 ci) external frame pack, and weighs (just) less than 5#.

He had out-grown his "scout" sized pack, and I had come to loath my Jansport D-3 behemoth that just HURT me to carry. I picked up two, a couple of years ago. He used his Carson last year on a 10 day trek at Philmont and loved it. And I've found it to be the most comfortable pack I've owned. I'm wearing a Carson pack in my avatar (under the pack-cover)--it weighed a hair under 65# loaded. It was heavy but carried just fine. :-D

YMMV, and invariably will...

[Slack-jawed Trog]

DOH! "He" being my son...

[Slack-jawed Trog]

Wrong about the avatar.
Moi with Carson: http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/show...php?i=45090&c=

It has been a l-o-n-g couple of days and they ain't getting shorter...

[tolkien]

Tolkien,
Look for a Jansport "Carson" pack. It is an 80 liter (~4900 ci) external frame pack, and weighs (just) less than 5#.

He had out-grown his "scout" sized pack, and I had come to loath my Jansport D-3 behemoth that just HURT me to carry. I picked up two, a couple of years ago. He used his Carson last year on a 10 day trek at Philmont and loved it. And I've found it to be the most comfortable pack I've owned. I'm wearing a Carson pack in my avatar (under the pack-cover)--it weighed a hair under 65# loaded. It was heavy but carried just fine. :-D

YMMV, and invariably will...

I did look at the Carson, actually, but it weight slightly more than the Yukkon, and was not as cheap, either. Plus, the color doesn't appeal to me. I haven't found too many reviews on the either of them, but if the Carson turns out to be better liked, I'll give it more serious consideration.

But a comfortable 65lb pack sounds miraculous. I don't plan on having the base weight higher than ~15-20, along with consumables (food, water, vitamin I, DEET).