Survival Kit Looking for hiking backpack

corwise

corwise

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Nov 10, 2006
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I live in SW Arizona and would like to get a new backpack to keep in the trunk of my car. Not really a bug out bag, but more of a "random hiking/camping stuff in case I get stuck somewhere" bag. I can find lots of day bags, but I want one that has a small detachable bag that I can pop off and take on the minor day hikes I do with my kids. My problem is all of the bags I can find with a detachable small bag are the big three day hiking bags, which is more then I need at this point in my life. My google searching has been unhelpful, and thoughts would be appreciated.
 
You might check into the convertible 2 piece suitcases. My son has one that converts to fairly comfortable backpack and a detachable day pack. By Eagle Industries I think. I bought it for him to bum around Europe with when he graduated and he's still using it 7 years later.--KV
 
If you're looking for attachable/detachable options I think something with molle is good. I have a few from 5.11 tactical which is fairly generic stuff but decent enough.

If you're interested in premium, kriega has some interesting stuff that can be built into kits and I think one of them can be detached into a waist belt. Pretty pricey stuff and designed for motorcycle use so a lot of work goes into the harness rather than some of the other features but it does have a ton of features too.

I also think some haversacks or sling packs may be close but it's more that they're easy to move around for different things and be accessible for shorter trips where you may be stopping and getting into the bag a lot more than a more dedicated hike with lots of travel. I think the separation of gear is really what you're looking for and that's where I think the molle situation gets nice as I've been doing something similar and have the short trip thing figured out with a haversack and big vertical pouch, now I want the bigger pack to use the same gear in a "get home bag" using the same things in the big vertical molle pouch.
 
The removable day-pack things are really only good for a granola bar and a camera. You are better off with one of the smaller Osprey packs for your walking, and a cheap duffel for the extra "car" gear. Maxped packs are great if you are using them all day every day, but they are heavy for what you get, and most of them are not great for all-day carry. I'd go for about a 30L pack, like the stratos 36, so you have room for the extra kid stuff. Torso height is a big factor, and depending on the day, I can see your pack weight being pretty high with water. A bigger pack cinched down will always be better than a small overloaded pack. I'm also judging this based on my gear weights, if you really only need a couple pounds, sea to summit do make a pack that folds down to about the size of a baseball and they are decent, but as I said, a couple pounds max before life becomes hateful.
 
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Dogdrawz said:
I've got one of their packs. Very durable & almost too many options to choose from. I say "almost".
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My multi day pack these days is a 10 liter silnylon, wide shoulder strap from a luggage bag I had from the 90's, and a short shank of paracord to complete the shoulder harness. For me, it outperforms all the high end bags like Gossamear Gear, ZPacks and all the leading contenders. Too UL for most for multi day, but OP could rig similar for under $20.
 
I like 5.11 bags I've got a moab6 with some attachments I keep in the truck and can use for short hikes and keep lots of handy stuff in it. I have a moab10 that is more comfortable to carry and gets me more time and space. I also have the rush 72 which I keep setup to do overnights or real nice meals
 
A Camelbak Mule or similar with a water bladder compartment will handle reasonable day hikes with light loads. Then add a real backpack for heavier items or loads or things that poke you in the back. You can always put the "Mule" on backwards if you think you need the capacity of both bags/packs.
 
Also, I should note that I lived in Tucson for ~15 years. I always had a backpack with a good hip belt with me. I know you don't think you will load it that heavy but, you will always add stuff until it is full unless you are that rare person who can also downsize their life to what they really need as opposed to what they want.

I had a big Osprey pack (35L~45L) that had compression straps on the sides which would squeeze it down to a really thin package. The heavy plastic 'board sheet' allowed me to put heavy or hard-edged things (boxed beer bottles and similar as on example) in it without poking me. The good hip belt and compression straps meant I could comfortably carry a heavier than expected load and the side compression straps meant nothing moved once cinched down and put on my back.

I even put an AK-47 clone in it once when I was riding my motorcycle (dual-sport) back forth from work. Made an interesting ride home (~25 miles) after work with the muzzle brake, barrel and, fore-arm sticking out the top!
 
I use the 5.11 ... not sure of the model, but it is the middle size (Rush 24 I think) the most for your use. It is what I take with me when I'm out tromping around in the woods and carry it sometimes and sometimes I just add a couple bottles of water to my camera bag. Have the larger one (I find it too large for this application-for me), a small one, and a messenger bag too made by them. These are tough packs and I like that I can easily attach things on the outside if I want to.

This is the pack (Rush 24) I place things inside to carry in my vehicle to the woods whether I use it as a pack or not. I have it with me if I feel I want to carry more stuff on a longer hike. They are a little heavy in general due to the type of material they use to construct them.

The next pack will probably be an Osprey of some sort as I have heard very good things about them. I don't over night much on the trail, so I debate what size to get or to get anything at all at this point.
 
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corwise said:
I live in SW Arizona and would like to get a new backpack to keep in the trunk of my car. Not really a bug out bag, but more of a "random hiking/camping stuff in case I get stuck somewhere" bag. I can find lots of day bags, but I want one that has a small detachable bag that I can pop off and take on the minor day hikes I do with my kids. My problem is all of the bags I can find with a detachable small bag are the big three day hiking bags, which is more then I need at this point in my life. My google searching has been unhelpful, and thoughts would be appreciated.
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I would recommend against a zip-on/off option and instead, take a bag in a bag approach.

I recommend that you look for a small pack made of very light material. Use it as a organizer for your "10 essentials" that you always want to have with you when you're with your kids like 1st aid kit , flash light, fire starter, sun screen... stuff like that. For small mini-walks in parks and other front country or near country venues, you can use the small bag essentially like a dad purse.

When its time to go out on a longer trip, just drop the super lightweight dad purse bag into a larger day pack. That way, you don't have to transfer all the stuff from one bag to another. IME, you should go bigger than you think for your day pack because, as a dad, you'll end up carrying the food, water and jackets.

I have 2 packs that I use for my lighter, organizer dad purse bags. For front-country use, I use a Mountainsmith Daylight Tour lumbar pack. It's discontinued but still available. I find the shoulder bag style (combined with the lumbar waist strap) easier to manage in and out of cars and in buildings and crowded areas. The regular Tour is heavier but worth looking at if you can't find a Daylight Tour.


For backpacking where we hike in, set up camp and then do day trips, I use an EMS packable day pack.
https://www.ems.com/ems-packable-pack/1306595.html

Two that I've tried and rejected... I ran a sling bag for several years. As with messenger bags, I find a single shoulder strap to give me neck pain after a bit. The Mountainsmith Tour solves this. I get the convenience of a shoulder strap for in and out of a car and the comfort of a real weigh bearing hip belt for longer walks.

I also tried a very small climbing pack, the Black Diamond Bullet. I found the shoulder straps too small for big manly shoulders (I'm skinny and they still hurt) so I much prefer the bigger and shaped straps of the EMS bag.
 
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