Hiking Backpack Suggestions please.

dartanyon

dartanyon

Joined
May 10, 2002
Messages
705
My eldest son is doing a lot more hiking in scouts and after buying him a relatively cheap backpack for hiking I have opened my eyes to the multitude of packs now available an now looking for one myself to start including myself in hikes with him and my other son who is another 4 years younger.
My old backpack which faithfully served me for many years is now in archives to be used for short heavy duty hauls only cos its got an alloy frame. The zippers are broken anyway although I haven't ruled out the idea of sewing up a new bag for the frame.
OK ... down to the basics ... I'm thinking 70 to 90 litres (don't know U.S version) with a few external pockets and maybe a detachable section if thats a good idea? I'll read all the posts I can to get direction so would appreciate input.
 
I've always been partial to kelty packs. They are well made and the price is just about right. I've heard Osprey makes some great hiking packs as well. If I was in the market for another I would probably check them out.

Snugpak makes a fine pack as well. And being as they are european based with distributors in AU, I would check them out if I were you. Theres a place over there called PlatypusOutdoors that stocks them.
 
Thankyou rough edges. Some recommended names are a good place to start a search. The packs I've taken a liking to are over $400 and they're out of reach for me not to mention its hard to try out a pack on line.
 
http://www.backpackgeartest.org/ is a great resource for checking out gear. It is a group of volunteer and experienced hikers who test all kinds of hiking gear and write up the results.

The forums at http://www.backpackinglight.com are another good resouce.

The first steps are to fit the pack to the load and the body. 90 liters is a massive pack, particularly for a teenager (my personal pack is about 55 liters). The old school rule of thumb was that you shouldn't carry more than 25% of your body weight. With ultralight gear, that drops considerably. I used to think a 23 kilo (50 pounds) pack was inevitable, but now 10 kilos (22 pounds) is easily achieved. There are some on the fanatic fringe who go into the woods with 2.25 kilo (5 pound) kits -- OR LESS! 10 kilos is just fine for me :)

So get your son's pile of gear together and see what it weighs. The more it weighs, the more suspension and frame you need in the pack, which drives the pack weight (and cost) up. If you want to get the weight down, weigh every item down to the gram. Take out everything that won't actaully be used, other than survival essentials. Keep things like spare socks and underwear down to the minumum-- the absolute stinky mean minimum. All the gadgets and toys stay home. There are all kinds of tricks to shaving weight and bulk; some are more expensive, some surprisingly cheap. Leaving stuff out is REALLY cheap :)

Once you know the bulk and weight and the body size, then look at the complexity of the pack. One technique is to pick the pack up and shake it. If there are straps and buckles swaying all over, try another, simpler pack. A couple mesh pockets are good on the trail. I like one big pocket on the back and a mesh pocket on each side for snacks, bandana, map, etc. My rain gear goes in the big back pocket. Anything more than that costs more and weighs more. I use silnylon stuff sacks inside to organize and protect my gear. A compression stuff sack for the sellping bag can really help. They are expensive and heavy, but they can get a bulky sleeping bag under control. You want a pack that looks sleek and smooth rather than one that looks like a walking webbing store. It will balance better, avoid catching on brush, and will need fewer repairs.
 
ok, I had a lengthy reply written but dalew's was way better. Very good advice there.

Summary: I've got inexpensive outdoor products packs that have seen 30-40 days hard use and are in like new condition. Arc'teryx makes super well built gear if you still want to spend a lot of money. The original bsa frame packs are heavy but last forever! I'd rather have nice boots and an inexpensive pack than vice versa.
 
The prices, and posibilities are endless. I always prefered external frame packs with lots of pockets. Internals hug your body better, but they usually just have one huge bag that you have to dig through to find your stuff.
 
If your on a budget and don't want to sacrifice high quality get an REI Mars. I got mine for less than 150 dollars and for many a year it has served me well. Good luck and listen to DaleW, he knows what he's talking about.
 
I'll echo the Snugpak recommendation. I have a Rocketpak and it's served me better than anything I've used in the past. I like that you can zip off the side 'rockets' and attach them to a PLCE yoke if you need to leave the larger bag at camp but carry some supplies with you. It's aso got 2 built in rain covers, one black and one camo, that work great. I pulled one of the covers over one side and then the other around the front and left the bag out during a down-pour (not the intended purpose of the rain covers) and the bag was bone-dry by the end of it. The whole pack is relatively lightweight though not as light as the old External tubular frame packs due to the extra padding etc. that you really appreciate after a few hours of bushwacking. I tink with both side packs attached, it has a 70 litre capacity, the main section holding 40 litres. It's not the cheapest pack available but it's the best I've had so far.
 
tknife said:
The prices, and posibilities are endless. I always prefered external frame packs with lots of pockets. Internals hug your body better, but they usually just have one huge bag that you have to dig through to find your stuff.
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I put the goodies I need at the top. With UL loads, weight distibution in the pack is much less significant. My sleeping bag goes at the bottom, spare clothing next, then food and cooking, and emergency stuff on top. Snacks, navigation gear, and a spare clothing layer are the last items-- if they can't be managed in a pocket or stuffed under a strap. I do use a little pouch on my shoulder strap for compass, glasses, sunscreen, bug repellent, etc-- a hiking "glovebox."

I have a couple frame packs I hold onto for trips with bulky items like bear cans. I have a Jansport that is quite light for its size-- about 4.5 pounds for as large a pack and frame as you would ever want to carry. You know, when you get to larger capacity packs, the frame packs really hold their own for the weight of the pack itself and the weight carrying abilty. If you want a real surprise, take ultralight gear and throw it in a frame pack-- feels like nothing!

Anyone who is interested in going ultralight and has a pack should buy the UL gear first and the pack last. True UL packs are mostly useless above 30 pounds and 25 is more like it, some even less.

There are what hikers call the Big 3: pack, shelter, and sleeping bag. These are the items that can knock down weight the fastest. I diverge from that a little and list the Big 4, adding clothing. Getting a clothing kit together took more research, cost and change in attitude than any other part of getting hiking gear together. Clothing can add a lot of bulk too, and bulk get to be more of a challenge as eveything gets lighter and smaller.

On the survival side of things, UL techniques really shine as they use minimal gear like tarps and a less is more philosophy. You can get enough stuff in a day pack to keep you cozy if stuck overnight and/or bad weather catches you out. I've said before, if I get hurt and can't hike out, I want SAR to find me warm and dry with a toothpick in my lips :) "Hi guys! Ready to take a 200 mountain ape down the hill on a stretcher?" :D
 
As usual the feedback I get here is very helpful and there's always the extra info that I didn't even think of. As far as ultra-light goes I'm used to that for myself (i love roughing it) although what ends up happening is I will carry my girlfriends extra gear, the kids extras and most of the cooking/eating stuff, tent and navigation/survival gear. I'm 6'2 120kg and reasonably fit so an 80 litre pack is not out of the question taking into account that I carry from 2 to 6 litres of water, 3 days food (not just my own) and a tarpaulin for cover. 80 litres includes lightweight bulky items not forgetting a thermal mat and sleeping bag. The other side of all this is the cost of combined UL gear. I'm about to check out the links and suggestions. Thanks again.
 
If you are going to hike mostly groomed trails, especially if you yourself are going to end up carrying most of the gear, consider an ADJUSTABLE frame pack. Kelty is a good brand to start your search from for external packs too. Do NOT pack your large pack full. Especially if you think you are in good shape. If you are hiking with two boys, especially a young one, you might end up carrying some of their stuff, and the extra space in your pack will be nice to throw their sleeping bags or tent in, should the need arise. The opposite might happen too, and this is where it is nice to have an adjustable frame external pack. If you get injured slightly, or tired and your scout is up to it, you can adjust your pack to his size, and he can shoulder the load for a while. Eventually he will grow into the pack, or if the scouts go winter camping he will have access to a pack that can hold a little more bulk.
 
I've found some excellent references and quality gear ... soo many options. The additional advice is appreciated also, thanks again!
 
One more bit of advice that I haven't seen mentioned yet. . . Once you've decided on a style and size of pack that you like the looks of, get yourself to an outdoors store and try on several packs by different manufacturers if you can. Some stores have weights that they can put in the pack so you can see how it feels when loaded, but they will also often let you bring in your own gear in a duffel and load it into the pack to try it out. Wear the pack for a while in the store, walk around and look at all of the displays in the place, get a good feel for how the pack rides and how it moves with you. Two packs that look very similar and have similar features can feel very different.
 
Yep thats whats its going to come down to. Unfortunately I don't think the packs already recommended are in the shops I'm going to tomorrow. The store attendants are a little tooo keen to make a sale and when I went in last week they avoided telling me faults I have since learned about. Other packs are sold seperately from the harness. I sort of want to avoit an external frame as the width of my old one caused some awkward moments while traversing small cliffs and had a habbit of grabbing trees and rocks.
I am really aware of my back these days and have not damaged it yet although know quite a few that have. Advice regarding spinal impact would also be gratefully appreciated.
 
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