Backpacks

Liveitloud

Liveitloud

Joined
Jul 1, 2006
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I am gearing up for a weekend camping trip and wanted to pick up a backpack. I have never bought one specifically for outdoor treks so wondering if anyone had any recommendations. I would like one with an internal frame and need it to hold enough for 3 days.

I'm trying to keep the price under $100 since this is not a regular thing so I don't know how much use it will get. Just need something that will hold clothes, survival kit, khukuri, sleeping bag and some misc. items. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Wow! A lot of variables there! Do you know what your filled pack will weigh including food and water? Shelter? Would water be available (reliably) where you intend to hike?

Whatever backpack you get, make sure it fits properly. They are sized to torso length. A poor fit will be a miserable carry unless you keep the weight down to 25# or less. Water itself weighs 8# per gallon +/-. The weight should be carried on your hips, not on your shoulders.

Generally speaking, it is best to assemble your kit and get a pack to fit your kit's volume and weight. Any decent outdoor store will let you load your kit in one of their packs and let you walk around the store with it on. They can also help you measure yourself for torso length. Don't be surprised though if they steer you to a higher priced pack. Best case is if you can find a hiker who is going to upgrade his pack and will sell you his more expensive one at a steep discount.
 
Codger_64 said:
Wow! A lot of variables there! Do you know what your filled pack will weigh including food and water? Shelter? Would water be available (reliably) where you intend to hike?

Whatever backpack you get, make sure it fits properly. They are sized to torso length. A poor fit will be a miserable carry unless you keep the weight down to 25# or less. Water itself weighs 8# per gallon +/-. The weight should be carried on your hips, not on your shoulders.

Generally speaking, it is best to assemble your kit and get a pack to fit your kit's volume and weight. Any decent outdoor store will let you load your kit in one of their packs and let you walk around the store with it on. They can also help you measure yourself for torso length. Don't be surprised though if they steer you to a higher priced pack. Best case is if you can find a hiker who is going to upgrade his pack and will sell you his more expensive one at a steep discount.
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Well your questions make me understand that I need to research this further. :) I figure about 30 pounds. We are going to have a tented area and then just do some day hikes so I don't need to haul everything around all the time. I had no idea about torso sizing so that is really good to know.

I had been looking at packs on line but it sounds like something you really have to go see in person and try on. May have to rethink my strategy some. Thanks for the tips!
 
Liveitloud said:
...I had been looking at packs on line but it sounds like something you really have to go see in person and try on. May have to rethink my strategy some. Thanks for the tips!
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You don't have to buy the pack where you try though, or even the one you try. You can measure your own torso length. I think Kristin Hostetter, the "gear chick" from Backpacker magazine did a video on how to do it.

http://www.backpacker.com/videos_pick_the_perfect_pack_measure_your_torso_length/videos/10

I bought a 65 liter pack (4000 CI.) for myself that is adjustable to fit different torso lengths. I am sure it isn't as durable as some of the higher dollar name brand packs (Osprey, Kifaru, Mountainsmith, Gregory, Granitegear), but it has done well for me so far. It has plenty of features (too many?) and includes an internal pouch to hold a hydration (water) bladder. It came with an included rain cover. As I said, I consider it adequate for my needs and it was budget priced, about $75. It isn't a "crap" pack, but not top of the line either.
 
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I got a Kelty Redwing 3100 for under a hundred - i haven't really used it much so i don't know how tough it really is but it's a good middle-of-the-road pack. I think it'll hold up okay.

On the other hand I have a Gregory Shasta that's been on more trips than i can remember and used as luggage just as much - and hasn't had a single stitch fail on it. But Gregory is more than you want to pay.
 
Thanks for all the advice guys. That video was very interesting so now I can measure and see what works best. Codger do you know what the brand of backpack was that you got? I have seen some of the higher ends ones and they look awesome but I just don't see investment verses use so I will stay at 100 max if possible.

I am more interested in ones that are compartment oriented. I hate to have to pull everything out just to get to one thing. Dividers or extra external ( on the unit) pouches I think would take care of that issue.
 
Funny you should use the term "MAX". The pack I bought is a Coleman MAX65L. From Wal-Mart. If it fails in a reasonable time, I can get a refund.

Not all of the stores carry them, so it is catch-as-catch-can. I have four superWal-Marts within driving distance here. Two stores have this pack in either red/black or orange/black, one store has a newer updated model and the other store has none. All of them were still the same $75 as the one I bought.

I just weighed mine loaded with food and water for three days, plus my kit and a few luxury items. It weighed 36# including the pack, shelter, sleeping bag, BA air mattress etc. and three liters of spring water ( will have to tank up on the second day).

Gear hounds will pooh-poo this pack more for the Coleman name than for any other reason. Coleman has been known in the past to make some junk gear. This pack, IMHO, is not junk. It just isn't super-highend with a flashy name.
 
I'll second the Kelty Redwing 3100. You can find it on the internet on sale for around $69 if you look.
 
The best advice I could give anyone about backpacks, would be to try on as many as possible with weight in them. What is comfortable for one person may be terribly painful for another.

That being said, the most comfortable pack that I have found for me, just happens to be one of the most reasonably priced packs out there. Look into Deuter brand backpacks! If money is a big concern, try looking for the pack you found to be the most comfortable at the store online. Usually you can find last years model on sale for pretty reasonable, and it is likely to fit the same as this years model that you tried on at the store.

As has already been stated, get your gear together first, including food water, etc. then buy a pack that is the size you need.

You also need to consider the weight of what you are taking. You may be surprised at how much everything weighs so weigh it first before you buy a pack. Packs are rated by how much they were built to carry, and I highly suggest that you do not put the maximum amount of weight into a bag. Try to find a pack that is rated 10-20lbs. more than what you are going to put in it. This will GREATLY effect how comfortable your pack is.

Unless you are just taking stuff for day hikes, or have a lot of lightweight backpacking specific gear, I can almost guarantee you will be carrying more that 30lbs.

Oh yeah, and make sure you get a pack that fits your back properly. You may be tall but have a smaller torso or high hip bones, or you may be short but have a long torso. One thing that is nice about Deuter, is some (all?) of there packs come with adjustable harnesses, in essence they are one size fits all.
 
Those Coleman packs at Walmart look really nice. My old room mate had one on a recent campout and it seemed to be really well built for the price. I've been recommending them for a while now.

Check out the shops in your area. There is a place called Out-N-Back in Provo, UT that is having a sale on all their summer stuff and rentals. You might be able to find a deal like that somewhere by you.

This Spring I bought a Blackhawk Ruck Pack ($380 new) used off the exchange. The Main compartment is 3220 Cubic inches and with pouches it's 5825 cubic inches. If I lost or broke my Ruck, I'd have no problem going to a Medium Alice pack or a Coleman Pack from Walmart. Best thing to do is find something that will hold what you need, is comfortable and in your price range.

Heber
 
Backpacks are a though one buddy. I've gone through several, thinking each time that I found the perfect pack. My funds are also limited so I started off on Ebay and picked up a Guide Gear internal frame pack. It was in new shape and I think I got it for $30. When I received it in the mail, it was way too big for my needs. It would be great for someone needing to hold clothes, gear, shelter, and sleeping bag. But that's not what I needed.

I won't bore you with details but I ended up with a Camelbak Motherlode in coyote brown. I am very happy with it. Right now its my bug-out-bag, but it's got room to spare. It expands nicely when loaded and can be tightened up when not filled. It has several compartments so organizing things is easy. (I'm not a fan of the stuff sacks, inevitably whatever I need is too much trouble to get too)

My recommendation is if you find something online that you like, see if you can find a review on Youtube for it. Many people have reviewed packs and you get a much better idea of the size and features.
 
I went and tried a bunch on at the store and actually felt most comfortable in one of the cheapest brands, Jansport. Most hardcore hikers wouldn't be caught dead in one, but I really just have it for my mobile emergency kit. It seems to be pretty tough, however, and I'm sure it would hold up okay for many hiking trips. But I'm sure the ospreys and more expensive brands are lighter and will hold up better over time.

It is a big 75 liter one. I snagged it on ebay for something like $70 shipped.

The surplus molle packs with a frame (I think they are something like 60 liters?) can be had for $60 or $70 I think.
 
Codger_64 said:
Whatever backpack you get, make sure it fits properly. They are sized to torso length. A poor fit will be a miserable carry... .
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+1 on this. I'm 6'2" with a long torso and never knew about torso fitting a pack until late in life.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
Thanks to everyone. I will check out the ones you all listed. Just got back from REI and all I can say is that they sure are proud of their stuff. I looked at Kelty, Osprey and Gregory Baltoro. They were in the price range of 150.00-300.00. They had absolutely nothing that was reasonably priced so it's back to researching.
 
I noticed that several people have mentioned torso length. I have also noticed on line that a lot of these packs are adjustable from xx-xx. Is that a solid assessment to follow that they will adjust to the frame?
 
For an internal framed pack, I use an Osprey Aether. It can carry 5 days of gear with food easily. With a pack like that, you really need to go somewhere and be fitted. I went to an REI store. I was two hours from my home, but worth the trip just to be fitted, as they also heat mold the waist band to your body. I had excellent service. They put about 35 pounds in it and let me walk around the store for an hour before I decided to buy. Good luck with whatever you decide to get.
 
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