ButtPack vs. Standard Daypack

I like my Devil Dog for all the reasons already mentioned, and especially when I'm doing a lot of scrambling around. Lumbar and waist bags can be more versatile than daypacks. You can sling them over a shoulder, or wear them in front for easy access (great when I'm fishing in the creek). Being smaller, I'm not tempted to take a bunch of extra stuff I won't use just because there's room leftover. At a certain point a backpack does make more sense but for daytrips I never need more room than my DD provides.
 
LIL COO COO said:
After reading this thread, I took the plunge and ordered County Comm's Sat Com Bag. It is cheap (in cost) enough to give it a test. I unfortunately have collected too many packs to count in the search for a perfect configuration. The only conclusion I can make at this point is that for every activity there is a great pack for the job. It is the pack that can cover many uses that I am after.

http://www.countycomm.com/satcom.htm
Click to expand...

looks alot like the so tech go bag
 
Smaller, lighter, and more manoeuvrability for a start. I don't dig on those big overbuilt pseudo military ones, I'd rather carry my day pack. I use one of those featherweight ripstop ones with just the right amount of padding. It's designed for high activity sports such as fell running not dragging over gravel. Used as designed; with a bottle of water, a few tarzan bars, and perhaps map, compass, headlamp and a pair of gloves there is none of that draggy arse stuff. Admittedly though that's not how I use it and it can sag if get overzealous filling it. But for manoeuvrability in the trees it is much better than any pack as I don't have the snail shell on my back to watch for when going under things. It also works a treat for holding a couple of heat packs over the kidneys under the parker. Best of all is that due to the shape I'm not forced to wear it as designed. Even when brim full, when worn diagonally in the manner of a bandolier, with the load low and to the rear, it is the most unobtrusive forget your wearing it carrier I have.
 
I have an REI type butt pack that I like because I can put a 1 liter Nalgene on each side, and get at them without taking it off. I have trouble doing that with a day pack. It also has a long strap for the shoulders in case you pack a heavy load. It's good for short hikes.

But in general, I do like a day pack better. I just wish that they would have better places for water. And, with 2 little kids, I'm not interested in hydration packs, I prefer a bottle that I can hand to them.
 
I've tried to like waist packs.
I can't.
They loosen up.
They slide of my lack of hips...worse with a coat or winter clothes.
They just don't get along with me.
Oddly enough out of the 4 I own, the one I like the best came from The Gap :eek:
That gets duty as a surf tackle bag with the shoulder strap.

Give me a daypack with a waist belt to carry the weight any day.
I have a small Eddie Bauer pack that rocks.
Daypack sized but with a "seatbelt" sized waist belt.
Almost no weight on the shoulders.
Larger is my Mountainsmith pack with it's padded waist belt.
The water bottle pockets are angled forward for easy access while the pack it on.
pack.jpg
 
Ebbtide said:
I've tried to like waist packs.
I can't.
They loosen up.
They slide of my lack of hips...worse with a coat or winter clothes.
They just don't get along with me.
Oddly enough out of the 4 I own, the one I like the best came from The Gap :eek:
That gets duty as a surf tackle bag with the shoulder strap.

Give me a daypack with a waist belt to carry the weight any day.
I have a small Eddie Bauer pack that rocks.
Daypack sized but with a "seatbelt" sized waist belt.
Almost no weight on the shoulders.
Larger is my Mountainsmith pack with it's padded waist belt.
The water bottle pockets are angled forward for easy access while the pack it on.
pack.jpg
Click to expand...

Ebbtide, which GB is that? Trying to get a size on the pack.:D I like the pack and axe.:thumbup:

I don't mind the one buttpack that I use on occassion. It's holds a nice compliment of gear for a moderate hike, but I really prefer a small daypack for my longer hikes. I picked up a nylon rucksack from the local goodwill for $2.00. It has a patch that reads Sierra Club, so I figure that I can make my way through the woods without offending any wannabe antihunting types.:D
 
i have a tiny buttpack, with waterbottle holders on both sides and about enough room in the main compartment for a folding knife and a sandwich. maybe that's an exaggeration, but it doesn't hold much at all.

i have another larger one that looks like its designed for hunting, its camo and rather large. i got it through the pay it forward thread. i used it on a dayhike once, about six miles or so. plenty of capacity, but like others have said it wouldn't stay put without cinching it up uncomfortably tight and it flopped up and down when i tried doing a bit of a light jog. when full it carries quite a bit, plenty for a dayhike, and i could probably do fine overnight in the summer. but it is bulky and doesn't ride well.

i like to travel light and fast, and i like to do some trail running too, so i like a small pack without anything flopping around inside. i cinch it up tight to my back and i'm good to go. in this pack is a list of bare essentials; water, food, space blanket, and a set of long johns. a couple extra little goodies like fire and a small fixed blade (currently a david farmer).

for a slower paced dayhike i like to have along a poncho and maybe a tarp to practice setting up shelter and an extra layer of clothes since i won't be keeping myself warm by moving as much.

essentially, in my experience if you have a small light lumbar pack you are good to go, if you want to carry more than bare essentials then i think a regular backpack is the way to go.

oh and also a lumbar pack is good to keep the heat off of your back, it is much more comfortable in that regard. i often sling a daypack off of one shoulder to let my back cool for a while.
 
...but it works for me. I was searching for a new daypack for a 24hr SAR pack. After much thinking, researching, and a few trials what I decided on was.........ALICE LC1 buttpack, Y-suspenders and 2 canteens.

I wanted a lumbar pack because of the sweat factor, for mobility, and because I am a gear whore and always carry too much stuff. For similar reasons I prefer the Y-suspenders over the newer H style. For a few reasons, I also prefer bottles/canteens over water bladders. Finally if I need more room, I can attach additional pouches. The only negative, and it is a BIG one is that it really only works in the woods. If I stroll into a town, it attracts a lot of attention.

BTW: I use a seperate M3 "Unit One" bag as my medic bag. This allows me to use the same bag for all my EMS tasks and when on a mission I can get to all the contents without taking it off. My TEMS instructors recommend medic vests for that primary reason but it didn't work for me. As always, YMMV.
 
When I'm using a daypack, I also use the ALICE. It fits my back better than anything I've tried. I don't mind the stares, people need to be tolerant and accepting of diversity...
 
For the simple dayhike, I either use a Camelbak MULE or ALICE Buttpack (though I prefer the H suspenders). I allow the time, place, and who I am with to guide that decision. I've gotten comments about the surplus gear before, I am a little sensitive about it, and I do live in an unusually diverse area where rednecks and hippies mix unawares. But that is beside the point. The MULE is capable of holding three liters and the buttpack setup uses two 1-quart canteens on either side, per instructions. I packs the canteen cups and stove in either setup for a hot brew if need be. The buttpack allows for more storage than the MULE, so you get to weigh yourself down faster.

I'm happy either way, hydration wise. When I bump up to the overnight bag (which I can stretch to the weekend bag), which is a modified EMS snowboard bag, I find I have trouble with the fallen trees and the like. Simply a size issue. It supports a hydration bladder. Beyond that, size wise, and you get to the Med. ALICE.
 
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