Which Zpacks backpack?

[One Half]

Looking for opinions with REASONS.

I am female, 5'3". Torso 17.5".

Looking at either a 50L/55L pack from zpacks.

In the 50L size there's the Arc Air in DCF or Robic.
In the 55L there's the Arc Blast.

My weight with 4 (or 5?) days food, 1 L water and my poles carried is right about 25lbs so weight is not an issue. I freeze dry my own meals and have not got the packaging down and so while food is uber lite, it's bulky. It would actually be phenomenal to be able to go 10 days without resupply which is why I would lean towards the 55L. The Robic does have better color choices though and I really don't know that I will ever NEED the extra 5L capaacity. The weight of the packs are very close so that's not really a factor.

What am I missing that I should look at while I can't actually get my hands on one without ordering?

[One Half]

83 views and not one opinion offered?

[Coffee]

In the past at least, zPacks has permitted people to order a pack, load it up and see how it feels. So long as you don’t actually use it for a hike, you were return it if it isn’t going to work for your load. I ordered an arc blast years ago and returned it after I didn’t like I how it felt compared to my ULA circuit when I had my Bearikade canister loaded.

zPacks is a lot bigger and seems more corporate these days so I’d double check on return policy. But if they still allow this, I suggest ordering the pack you think is most likely to work and seeing how it loads. Return it unused if it isn’t good for you. Packs are like clothing. Nearly impossible to know until you have it in your hands.

[Maineiac64]

Zpacks pack capacity includes side and front pocket so you may not have as much room as you believed. I have both an arc haul and arc air, I chose 60L arc air robic since the weight penalty was minimal but it gave the extra space option.

[One Half]

In the past at least, zPacks has permitted people to order a pack, load it up and see how it feels. So long as you don’t actually use it for a hike, you were return it if it isn’t going to work for your load. I ordered an arc blast years ago and returned it after I didn’t like I how it felt compared to my ULA circuit when I had my Bearikade canister loaded.

zPacks is a lot bigger and seems more corporate these days so I’d double check on return policy. But if they still allow this, I suggest ordering the pack you think is most likely to work and seeing how it loads. Return it unused if it isn’t good for you. Packs are like clothing. Nearly impossible to know until you have it in your hands.

Thanks. I will check that out!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[One Half]

Zpacks pack capacity includes side and front pocket so you may not have as much room as you believed. I have both an arc haul and arc air, I chose 60L arc air robic since the weight penalty was minimal but it gave the extra space option.

Yep. Thanks. All depends on how one likes to organize their gear.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[HankIV]

Question needs more context; on the PCT perhaps 10 days of food would confer some logistics advantage. On the AT it would mostly just add weight to a lot of ups and downs where logistics are easy.

[One Half]

Question needs more context; on the PCT perhaps 10 days of food would confer some logistics advantage. On the AT it would mostly just add weight to a lot of ups and downs where logistics are easy.

My world isn't limited to just the AT.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[cmoulder]

My world isn't limited to just the AT.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Are your seasons also not limited? If you're doing winter trips a 60L is better.

Are you an experienced UL'er with a really dialed-in kit? This will affect your choice quite a bit.

Hiking in steep, rocky/icy areas with lots of scrambling where durability comes into play? Robic or Spectra gridstop would be a better choice than DCF.

Long carries with lots of water? You might want a non-Zpacks product that carries heavy loads better.

These are just a few of the many factors that come into play. And the reason that most of us end up with more than one pack.... and usually several.

[One Half]

Are your seasons also not limited? If you're doing winter trips a 60L is better.

Are you an experienced UL'er with a really dialed-in kit? This will affect your choice quite a bit.

Hiking in steep, rocky/icy areas with lots of scrambling where durability comes into play? Robic or Spectra gridstop would be a better choice than DCF.

Long carries with lots of water? You might want a non-Zpacks product that carries heavy loads better.

These are just a few of the many factors that come into play. And the reason that most of us end up with more than one pack.... and usually several.

I do NOT winter hike unless I'm in Florida or parts of TX or similar.

I am experienced UL. My 50L pack I currently have is 25 lbs WITH 4 (or 5?)days food and 2L water. I sometimes will carry up to 6L water so I can camp away from water sources. Not far, maybe 2-3 miles down trail. So an extra 4L would be just under 9lbs. Added to my 25lbs puts me right at 34 lbs (zpacks limit is 35lbs).

The reason I would consider the 60L primarily is that I freeze dry my own food. Super light. 1lb of cooked food becomes about 4 oz when freeze dried. My packaging is bulky. I could go extra days without resupply and still be within the load limit for the 60L (which is still 35lbs). Or I could add some extra "cold weather" gear.

[k2basecamp]

Go with a Six Moons Designs pack instead

[One Half]

Go with a Six Moons Designs pack instead

Why?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Venchka]

ULA CATALYST. I had one briefly and loved it until my eldest granddaughter talked me out of it.
6 liters of water? No problem. The two side pockets will each hold a 3 liter Nalgene collapsible water carrier.
I am old and slow. I used the Catalyst in nowhere near UL mode in southwest Colorado between 10,000’ and 12,000’ without difficulty.
I am currently working on getting the money for another ULA Catalyst and return to the San Juan and or Wind River mountains.
Good luck!
Wayne

[One Half]

Go with a Six Moons Designs pack instead

ULA CATALYST. I had one briefly and loved it until my eldest granddaughter talked me out of it.
6 liters of water? No problem. The two side pockets will each hold a 3 liter Nalgene collapsible water carrier.
I am old and slow. I used the Catalyst in nowhere near UL mode in southwest Colorado between 10,000’ and 12,000’ without difficulty.
I am currently working on getting the money for another ULA Catalyst and return to the San Juan and or Wind River mountains.
Good luck!
Wayne

So I looked at both these suggestions. These packs are 35oz and up and most of them are rated for 35-40 pounds load carrying. Honestly if I wanted a pack that heavy I would buy an REI Flash 55. The new versions are pretty sweet actually. I own a much older Flash 50. The new Flash 55 weighs 40oz and is selling for $200 (at least it was 2 weeks ago). Like I said, I am usually no heavier than 25lbs with food and water.

So please, tell me why I should consider these packs over a zPacks. Cause they run about the same price wise and at 25lbs fully loaded.... I don't know why I should add an extra pound to the pack itself.

[Venchka]

I spoke of the Catalyst because I had real world experience with it and you mentioned 6 liters of water (13.2 pounds) and staying out for awhile.
ULA makes 3 other packs that could be used for your gear requirements.
Like it or not, Bear cans are creeping in to the gear requirements.
Fortunately, Ursacks are allowed in many really nice places.
Have fun!
Wayne

[cmoulder]

As a long-time Zpacks fanboy — owning a Zero, 2 old-style Arc Blasts (55L), Arc Haul and Arc Air 50 Robic — if the Flash 50 is adequate for your current loads/volume, I'd say go with the Arc Air 50, Robic or DCF. Ever since the hip belt re-design with the Arc Haul, the weight-carrying ability improved for all subsequent models.

However, I'll add one caveat: about half the people who use the current hip belt design need to use the supplemental lumbar pad.... I am one of those who needs it. Without it I have discomfort, which eventually becomes outright pain, in the lumbar area of my back. With it, no problem at all after many miles with these packs.

[Venchka]

Does Zpacks make lady specific hip belts and shoulder straps that are comfortable and work?
What does Dixie say? I know that she got a new ZPacks somewhere around Mt. Shasta on her PCT hike.
Wayne

[cmoulder]

Not a criticism, but Dixie is all over the map with regards to her 'flavor of the season' pack... and tent, stove, clothing, trekking poles, and... choices, and I don't know if I've ever seen her using a female-specific design. Maybe early on with the Osprey?

She had no problem with the Arc Haul but has moved on the the Ohm 2.0...

Of course, I watch her videos for all the gear advice.

[Venchka]

Same here 👍
Back to packs: Dixie’s recap of her call to a pack company in Maine was interesting.
Wayne

[rockever2016]

In 2016 I used the arc haul on my AT thru hike of which 1871 miles were completed. I've read that some issues with the pack have been addressed in the newer models, so I'll focus on the problems I had other than the improvements that have been made. My base weight was 12.5 lbs. I found that after a resupply and carrying extra water for a dry camp, my weight was pushing 30 lbs. This did not work well for me. When the pack is fully loaded like that, the vertical rods would spread apart enough to separate the horizontal bar out of it's sleaves. This required me to tape the bar in place, which kind of worked. The cure was not to load it to 30 lbs. Also the integrity of the hipbelt's ability to stay properly on my hips was lost, and the pack tended to sag which put more on my shoulders making it uncomfortable. Also there were times due to lightning storms that I felt the need to hustle off an exposed stretch. Running with this pack definitely exceeds it's intended use as I would be having to worry that it was about give out somewhere. I would say that anything over 25 lbs is pushing the limit for both wear and comfort on this pack.