Pack Size (or brand) Suggestions?

[leaftye]

Nothing is better than seeing and trying out an item in a store, not to mention the good and knowledgeable advice you can get. I would also buy there. Reminds me of the people who buy motorcycle tires online and then take them to their local dealer and expect him to mount them. Nice that the dealer is there but he won't be there long if people don't buy from him.

That's totally different though. The motorcycle shop actually gets paid for mounting the tires. The salesman showing this guy some packs and how to fit them is being tricked into working for nothing instead of a potential customer.

[10-K]

Nothing is better than seeing and trying out an item in a store, not to mention the good and knowledgeable advice you can get. I would also buy there. Reminds me of the people who buy motorcycle tires online and then take them to their local dealer and expect him to mount them. Nice that the dealer is there but he won't be there long if people don't buy from him.

Ok... perfect timing because I just ran into this exact scenario a few weeks ago.

I bought a 2009 KLR 650 and it needed tires. I researched tires and read reviews for a few days and called my local dealer to see about getting them.

The only brand of tires they stocked (IRC and Dunlop) had gotten lukewarm reviews and I knew I didn't want them. I asked the parts guy if he could order the tires I wanted (Avon Gripsters). He quoted me a price that was $123 higher than I could buy them for online. I told him what I could get them for and asked if he could get close and he said, "No way, I can't even order them for what you're quoting."

So I asked him if I bought the tires (that I wanted, that he did not have and could not get at an even close to competitive price) would the service department mount them.

He said yes, but they charged double the normal rate if I didn't buy the tires from the shop.

I said thanks and took my tires to an independent bike shop and had them mounted for 60% less than the dealer wanted to charge me for mounting them.

Not only did they not get my parts business, they also did not get my service business. I guess they showed me....

I will never understand that kind of business mentality. I could almost get it if I bought tires they stocked online but these were tires they couldn't even get at anywhere near a competitive price and I knew what they sold and didn't want those tires.

(sorry for the thread drift.. this was just fresh on my mind.)

[kayak karl]

buy pack last was best advise..

your gear:
make a tall rectangular cardboard box 12"-12"-36" (or any size if you can do the math)
fill box with gear (add a bag of food to simulate volume and 12-15 lb weight)
measure height of gear in inches and multiply by 144. (this is your cubic inches of gear) ex. 24' deep=3456 cu.in.
weight box (this is your gear weight minus pack weight)
if your gear fills box and you still have more left over, your pack selection is not your immediate problem

measure torso the place WTB post....example. Wanted: 2-3 lb, size large, 3500 cu.in. pack, to carry 30 lbs for about $50.

have fun
kk

[kayak karl]

i bought this pack on sale for $75. carries well and has a padded belt. i only carried 25lb in it so don't know how it carries with more.

[hikerboy57]

That's totally different though. The motorcycle shop actually gets paid for mounting the tires. The salesman showing this guy some packs and how to fit them is being tricked into working for nothing instead of a potential customer.

Not necessarily.he may remember the salesmans help and even if he buys that itemfrom somewhere else hes still a potential customer.this is what i teach my guys at work.that salesman may make a lot of money from that same customer down the road,just because of his help that day

[Wags]

buy the ula circuit or the ohm v2. you'll be very happy with that purchase...

[Bucho]

buy the ula circuit or the ohm v2. you'll be very happy with that purchase...

That's not necessarily true. It really depends on how much junk she wants to bring. I really like Kayak Karls cardboard box advice.

[Bucho]

The salesman showing this guy some packs and how to fit them is being tricked into working for nothing instead of a potential customer.

Do the salespeople at REI get commission?

[skinewmexico]

I'd buy from REI, because they rarely stock anything made in the USA. And the more stuff we can buy from Asia, the better off we are as Americans.

Oh wait, did my "facetious" font not turn on?

[Feral Bill]

Do the salespeople at REI get commission?

No.................................

[Wags]

yeah but the problem w/ kk's idea of buying the pack last is that sometimes people tend to gather more stuff than they need to actually take. does that make sense? i'm advocating buying your pack and then making your gear fit the pack...

[coach lou]

yeah but the problem w/ kk's idea of buying the pack last is that sometimes people tend to gather more stuff than they need to actually take. does that make sense? i'm advocating buying your pack and then making your gear fit the pack...

I can't say either is right or wrong. I have many different packs for many tasks, I have 3 just for packing, and if ALICE had a lighter frame I'd use it all the time in summer. I do think KK is correct in searching for used to start out, a few hundred miles down the trail you may find out you don't like this pastime!

[kayak karl]

the OP stated he owns his gear. buying a pack for july too small would not help. he is also sharing gear. the logic of buying pack first just forces people to spent too much money upfront for something they may not like. get the gear out of the attic, put it in a giant pack and get out in the woods. you will learn more in 3 days then 3 years behind the keyboard.

ps. ULA packs are not for everybody.

[Ladytrekker]

I had a Osprey and then bought a ULA Circuit wanting to lighten up. Sold the Osprey don't think I would use another pack. However, I have friends with Golites which are light and very reasonable in price and they like them. The Golite website often has them for sale. I also use a Montbell 15 degree super spiral down bag. I have purchased less than adequate equipment and then had to upgrade cost me extra money I did not need to spend. But I tend to get cold at night and I wanted something that packed small and light.

[Turk6177]

I just got a ULA Catalyst. I have taken it on a couple shake down hikes and really like it. I don't think the Circuit would have been big enough in capacity for me. I was switching from a Jansport Tundra 80 which weighed almost as much empty as my Catalyst does now full.

[riverine17]

Well this post kind of trailed off into another subject but I thank everyone for your input. I went to my local REI and the saleswoman I spoke with admitted to not knowing very much about packs, she even had a tough time figuring out how to utilize the “pack sizing measuring thingy” but we figured it out together. I eventually settled on the Osprey Aether 60, because it wasn’t too big yet not too small for what I will need it for.

I was getting “blasted” on here for my decision to buy online as opposed to in store, well the saleswoman certainly didn’t help me any in my decision and other than being polite and informing me that they didn’t have the Aether in any other colors (in store), she didn’t really do much at all to help me or provide any useful information. I wanted the natural colored green as opposed to the “HEY IM RIGHT HERE” orange and since they didn’t have it available in store anyways it furthered my decision to buy from another dealer online, I ended up saving $60 on the pack anyways. So I feel no shame in my decision, thanks again for the input!

[Heyoka]

I think we should ask one of the really poor people in bangladesh that sit at sewing machines and make outdoors stuff what she thinks of the ethics of buying online but shopping locally. Diversity of views and such...Sorry to be a douche but any time I take any time to think about ethics I feel like eating a bullet from despair.

[dornstar]

the OP stated he owns his gear. buying a pack for july too small would not help. he is also sharing gear. the logic of buying pack first just forces people to spent too much money upfront for something they may not like. get the gear out of the attic, put it in a giant pack and get out in the woods. you will learn more in 3 days then 3 years behind the keyboard.

ps. ULA packs are not for everybody.

Just for the sake of discussion, I feel opposite. I prefer to buy the smallest pack that will get the job done and then gear to fit that pack. Tends to force me into making the tough choices that we all struggle with and cuts down on the weight.

And no more blasphemous talk. ULA packs are PERFECT.

[WIAPilot]

Well this post kind of trailed off into another subject but I thank everyone for your input. I went to my local REI and the saleswoman I spoke with admitted to not knowing very much about packs, she even had a tough time figuring out how to utilize the “pack sizing measuring thingy” but we figured it out together. I eventually settled on the Osprey Aether 60, because it wasn’t too big yet not too small for what I will need it for.

I was getting “blasted” on here for my decision to buy online as opposed to in store, well the saleswoman certainly didn’t help me any in my decision and other than being polite and informing me that they didn’t have the Aether in any other colors (in store), she didn’t really do much at all to help me or provide any useful information. I wanted the natural colored green as opposed to the “HEY IM RIGHT HERE” orange and since they didn’t have it available in store anyways it furthered my decision to buy from another dealer online, I ended up saving $60 on the pack anyways. So I feel no shame in my decision, thanks again for the input!

I buy online 95% of the time. It saves me tons in sales tax, gas, and time! Moreover, I am able to scout around online and find exactly what I need at the price I want to pay. If I have a choice and it is the best product, I will buy American.

[Heyoka]

I ended up buying a Golite Jam 70 and a golite jam 35. The total for both including tax and shipping was 146.00 (TWO packs). I bought the Jam 70 first after spending many hours trying on packs and really none of them distinguishing themselves. I tried and liked many different packs. I had even planned on just mail ordering for a ULA circuit based on everyone hypeing it. I am glad I didn't. I tried the circuit in dyneema and cordura at mountains crossing and was completely underwhelmed.

The Circuit is a very nice pack but it is no way three times as nice as my Jam70 and it costs three times the price. You are paying a one percenter to raise one percenter kids and run a business in a one percenter country.

ULA is hype.