Pack recommendation? Camping/BOB

JWheel

JWheel

Joined
Jun 18, 2015
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Rookie question. Can anyone recommend a pack that is good for 2-3 day camping trips and also makes a good bug-out bag? Or are the needs of those two bags too different?

And if the combo bag is a bad idea, then what are some recommendations for a camp pack or the BOB around $70 - $120 each?

Does anyone have any experience with 3V Gear bags? They have one called the Paratus 3-Day Operator's pack that looks interesting. Any thoughts on that one?

Thanks in advance.
 
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It's not so much a rookie question as much as a tricky question to answer without knowing other things.

For 2 or 3 day camping trips my bags could be as small as 50 litres and up to as much as 100 litres depending on the nature of the trip and my whims.

Some people on here have a lot of top tier gear and camp light. Russell and Owen spring to mind. Others have chairs, axes, bottles of bear and who knows what else that so overwhelms their packs they have to lash stuff to the outside [blankets or huge poor quality sleeping bags]. They seem happy too. Without knowing what your camping slant is and the gear you use any specific answer would be an empty gesture.

Likewise, what does bugout mean to you? I know what it means to me here. For some bugout touches zombie apocalypse. It's all range bags and ammo, whether you have the latest write in the rain pad and does it have MOLLE for the Surefire collection. Bugout threats aren't especially tactical in nature to me so I'd probably be cramming an extra cream cake in the top of mine rather than The Anarchists Cookbook.

If I was buying in to a bugout bag exclusively it wouldn't be very different from the regular travel rucksacks that folk inter-rail with. The reason being it would spend much more of its's life as regular luggage being transferred between transport than it ever would being man-portable. Arguably handles and straps to swing it about onto a luggage rack, boot of car, throw onto boat .etc, where there may be a bunch of other people hovering is a priority. For preppers with a 'head to the hills” mentality that would be a terrible choice.

Disposition is a huge factor too. As far as camping trips go I never fill a pack to the limit, and certainly don't carry anything on the outside [unless it is drying socks]. Accordingly my bags could be argued to be a bit big. Similarly, if I had to bugout of here 'cos of flood I can't imagine I would ever pick anything but my biggest pack. As above, it's not like I need to hump it for miles and miles. On that, I'm going to cram it full of all sorts of weighty/bulky things, in addition to the basics, that I like but wouldn't ordinarily take camping. After all it is a sux situation that I'm going going to try to be making as un-sux and pleasurable as possible, so why wouldn't I. There's no need to make it more stressful than it needs to be and just take a few odds in a fanny pack to cringe behind a tree like a refugee.
 
Good points I hadn't considered. Bugout to me is going to be earthquake (when in Cali) or hurricane (when in Texas). Those present different scenarios regarding vehicles. I'm unlikely to drive out of an earhquake scenario in LA.

But I suppose the bigger priority for me is something that works for camping. And that's an activity I'm new to. I don't have much gear yet (maybe that's the problem), but I expect to purchase good/great gear but not top gear.

Perhaps you could point me to some brands you like and I can figure out more going through those brands' lineups?
 
I'm not in the US so hopefully someone that is will take the wheel, but meantime I'll say this:


I've been using one of these as my load hauler for something like 15yrs. I like 'em. It's not light but if I've got to carry weight off the beaten track I'd rather it be with that than anything else.

I see a lot of folks recommending Osprey packs. I'm not surprised by that in the slightest. If price precludes those [or they just plain don't feel right when you try one] I'd suggest sniffing about for solid entry level stuff more on camping / hiking forums than here. It's not that there is anything wrong with here as such, it is more that at any one time the tide could flow in dramatically different directions. Get the right people here and you'll get “look at Osprey 'cos...”. Another thread might see an advocate of “just stick 'pack 40L' in Amazon, and grab the cheapest one 'cos they are all much the same”. And as I type there is a thread running on taking the ALICE pack as a serious contender, a position I can't skate with at all. If someone throws the first punch with Frost River packs are brilliant, and a couple of others that like the retro flavour chime in and coo, it can be amazingly hard to dislodge them. Whilst it may be obvious that those bags are really celebrity Gucci luggage that weighs a lot for little return there won't be much dissent, just apathy or withdrawal in disgust. We could apply that same momentum thing to other packs too. The cross section here is just too wide and you need to read targeted accounts from folks that demonstrably carry load repeatedly.

That said, I can tell you that in January this year a mate of mine bought a Vango Sherpa and it is proving to be pretty good. Not so long ago he was the guy depicted below, all Tilley hat and no clue. His gormlessness didn't matter so much in fine weather, it gave us something to laugh at. I told him flat out that he wouldn't be coming in other weather though 'cos he'd be a liability and a pest. I also told him that nobody was expecting him to shell out on high end stuff, just stuff that brought him a bit more up to speed with everyone else. Since then he's grabbed himself a Gore-Tex bivy and a tarp, Alpkit sleeping bag, a huge Exped SynMat 9, new stove and pots...blah. Finally, with his gear amassed he needed to find something fairly sensible to fit it all in. I suggested he look at the Vango Sherpa not because I think it is a fantastic pack as such, but more because it is a good pack at the price. True, they are a bit high street but they are also exactly the kinds of pack that are used for Scouting and the The Duke of Edinburgh's Award's stuff. The amount of them that must be in circulation is huge, and with that amount of them doing stuff from gentle sponsored walks to being dragged up Everest if there was something fundamentally crap about them we'd know. They are the entry level camping store stalwart for a reason. I certainly found it hard to find obvious fault in his. Anyway, that's exactly the same approach I'd suggest over there too. I don't know if you have those there. If you don't I'd be sniffing about for an equivalent among those same sorts of people.

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Bear in mind that you'll likely get what you pay for, but if it's used a couple of times a year, inexpensive will do just fine.
Cheap packs are rarely if ever comfortable, though they may look cool, you'll wonder who you can pawn it on when you get home.
I am not a "Hiker" but do camp a few times a year and know what I like in gear for ME, your mileage will vary. Lots of Bells and Whistles is not my cup-a-tea and comfort is. What I found(and looked for forever) is Granite Gear's "Crown 60", a few bucks more than you posted as your price range, but you won't need to replace it for a very long time. Just my opinion.;)

Kent
 
Thanks, guys! Good recommends and considerations I wouldn't have thought of myself. I'll check into all of these.
 
earthquake bag, something big enough to hold a small first aid kit, meds, spare glasses and gloves, and Id copies, and probably some water. If it comes to having to leave the house because its unstable, you just want grab and go, weight will be the killer. Hurricane, well, you aren't bugging out during, so its more aftermath sort of stuff, and that is better suited in my mind to enough supplies to ride out the first week, or keeping the tank full, and having enough time to hit the highway. Reality suggests that walking any distance will be really hard. Which means your hiking/camping pack is in fact perfect. Because if you have to hit the trail on foot, best to know exactly how much weight you can hack, and how far you might get.
 
Also if you really are worried about the big one hitting the east coast you are not thinking big enough. You are looking at a catastrophic failure in food delivery systems, tens of thousands dead, no working sanitation/refrigeration, and about a million people displaced or otherwise in need of emergency support systems. A backpack full of stuff does not even begin to cover the food or water logistics required in that situation. Let alone anything else.

Here is some specultion on the fallout from a big quake running the length of the fault line.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big-one

FEMA recommends 3 weeks of food and water on hand. I'd want that AND a pre-approved place to bug out to somewhere outside the area that gets hit. That's a long way to walk.
 
sideways said:
Kelty redwing 50. Line it with a large trash bag to keep your stuff dry.
For hauling it around an urban environment toss it in a wheeled suitcase.

If you are planning on doing serious miles every ounce of weight counts. Here is a guy who learned the hard way and documented some of the gear evolution. http://andrewskurka.com/2012/learning-to-backpack-the-hard-way/
Click to expand...

I have the Kelty Redwing 50
It is easily big enough for a good couple of days
A quality pack that will last
Does not look military
Get it in green or dark tan for hiking

It does not cost more than $125 which is a great price
 
At 1.5 kg with an internal frame it is an acceptable compromise between load bearing ability and lightness. You can get away with a lighter/less supportive pack if/when you get the weight down on your other gear. It will take two large soda bottles in the side pockets for hydration on the cheap though you won't be able to completely shut the zippers.
 
I use and enjoy a couple of the Gearslinger bags from Maxpedition.
If you search thoroughly you can fiND a few of them for under $120.
Copsplus has'em pretty cheap.
 
I'm in a similar position in terms of knowledge on back packs. I don't have the experience to even choose intelligently. Owen's stuff has impressed me here in the Outdoor Forum and when I buy I will go with something he uses (Osprey, I believe).

I have a number of day packs that I use and have sufficient knowledge to choose in that area, but something I am going to carry for days.... no experience at all. His hiking is is similar to what I would step up to if I shifted to over night hiking. I have no desire to hike the AT or anything beyond a night or two in a tent along a trail.
 
I'm partially into Kifaru. Expensive, yes. But you'll only cry once. Have the molle express as my 3 day and the scout as my daily or light overnighter. Anything from them will Excell for your needs. Also recommend Eberlestock. Cheaper than kifaru, every bit as durable, but without the custom price tag in most cases.

Of course, they are somewhat modular so they would both go along with if needed. I'm more of a military geared type of folks. I lean towards a heavy duty pack with lightweight gear to offset the additional weight of a military pack. I know from experience over lots of years in very harsh conditions that the kifaru will hold up. I'm sure others will too, but kifaru is what got me through the trouble. The additional molle on my packs gives me the option to lash down or attach random objects I come across to the pack via 550 cord or whatever. I like the option. Lightweight osprey packs don't offer that option. Lightweight? Yes. Adaptable? Not really. I've owned some osprey stuff and it excels at backpacking and camping.....that's what it's for. In a million years I would never carry an ultralight weight fabric pack in any type of harsh environment. You're just asking for a tear. Kifaru\eberlestock would take alot to rip, tear or fail. Just my two cents.
 
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tiogatires said:
I'm partially into Kifaru. Expensive, yes. But you'll only cry once. Have the molle express as my 3 day and the scout as my daily or light overnighter. Anything from them will Excell for your needs. Also recommend Eberlestock. Cheaper than kifaru, every bit as durable, but without the custom price tag in most cases.

Of course, they are somewhat modular so they would both go along with if needed. I'm more of a military geared type of folks. I lean towards a heavy duty pack with lightweight gear to offset the additional weight of a military pack. I know from experience over lots of years in very harsh conditions that the kifaru will hold up. I'm sure others will too, but kifaru is what got me through the trouble. The additional molle on my packs gives me the option to lash down or attach random objects I come across to the pack via 550 cord or whatever. I like the option. Lightweight osprey packs don't offer that option. Lightweight? Yes. Adaptable? Not really. I've owned some osprey stuff and it excels at backpacking and camping.....that's what it's for. In a million years I would never carry an ultralight weight fabric pack in any type of harsh environment. You're just asking for a tear. Kifaru\eberlestock would take alot to rip, tear or fail. Just my two cents.
Click to expand...

Great-looking stuff. Something for down the road, once I know what I'm doing.

Raymond1000, I'm slowly making my way through your thread on the educated bug out. Fascinating read. Very educational.
 
JWheel said:
Great-looking stuff. Something for down the road, once I know what I'm doing.

Raymond1000, I'm slowly making my way through your thread on the educated bug out. Fascinating read. Very educational.
Click to expand...

Jwheel,

I’m glad you enjoy it.
 
Sounds to me as though your looking for a 2-3 day backpacking and 72 hour emergency pack. Something to use when out in the bush for 2-3 days and in case of emergencies. My backpacking pack is kept loaded and ready for emergencies because most of what I use for a 3 day trip is what I'd use for an emergency. I switch out gear depending on the seasons.

I've been partial to External frame packs for the last few years. Alps Mountaineering and Kelty both offer External frame packs in your price range. The Outdoor Products Dragonfly is another external frame pack to consider. If you're into External frame packs, those are the ones I'd consider.

There are lots of good Internal frame packs also. My 3 day pack is ~70liters. Sometimes I wish it was bigger, then again my sleeping bag is rather large and I carry lots of food. 50l to 75l will do most people for a 2-3 day backpacking/Emergency pack. Kelty and Alps have packs in your price range, so does REI. You might be able to find Vuade, Deuter and Osprey packs for sale in that price range.
 
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