Recommendations for backpack in the 1100cc size range

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matthew rapaport

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Jun 23, 1999
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<a href="http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=211386" target="_blank">This backpack thread</a> got me thinking about something better for my urban-oriented EDC use. A pack like the Blackhawk 3 day assault is 2200cc's, way to big for city use on an every day basis. What I'm looking for is something that is built like the Blackhawk or Eagle Industries packs - well designed, strong/reliable materials, good craftsmanship, etc -- but is about half the size, 1100cc, or 1200cc or something like that... Any ideas?
 
matthew,
I think you mean CI,1100 cc's is really small.I think the small eagle becker PP is under 1500,and some of the blackhawk hydrastorm packs are in that range or smaller(I think they start at 240CI for the tsunami)hope that helps.just checked and the predator model is 840CI and 1SKS has it listed under hydrastorm,not blackhawk.
 
I'm a fan of daypacks in the 1100-1500 c.i. range. For urban stuff, hanging out at festivals and fairs and other events, carry-on baggage, basic survival kits, day hikes (duh ;)) and school/work, they're great. We don't carry briefcases where I work, and the daypack is the way to go.

There's a couple of Camelbaks in the 1100-1300 c.i. range, which offers the option of the hydration if you so desire.

Right now, there's a sale at rei-outlet.com on Mountainsmith Calderas (1400 c.i.) for $40. It's hydration compatible, but doesn't come standard with the bladder. Bladders are cheap, though. That's a real solid deal. I already have several daypacks, a couple of them Mountainsmiths, but couldn't pass up the deal on this one. Mountainsmith makes a darn good pack.

Check out the rest of the packs at the www.rei-outlet.com site, look at www.ebags.com and www.sportchalet.com, and www.gearx.com .

Some of the better manufacturers are Dana Designs, Gregory, Mountainsmith, Jansport, Lowe Alpine, and Arc'teryx.
 
Thank's everyone... There's probably a hundred options in those suggestions alone... The Arc'Teryx stuff looks really nice in terms of material and suspension system. Like Don I couldn't NOT try the Caldera for the price. I can always get something different if it doesn't fit the bill...

I do find I have some very strong biases where small packs are concerned. For one thing I'm not particularly into hydration systems, so I don't care about adaptations supporting them except insofar as they can be used in other ways... The thing I <i>really</i> dislike though are those mesh bags, or for that matter <i>any</i> kind of pocket that doesn't zip or otherwise close securely! <b>Especially in a so-called "urban pack".</b> As far as I'm concerned, those things, and especially the mesh ones, just invite people to dip their hands in your stuff!

I Appreciate the resources here! A great forum.
 
Mountainsmith has got at least a couple packs that might meet your needs. Go to their site and click on the "comparison chart" link. There's an 1100 ci pack in their MountainLight range and their tried and true lumbar pack is 1100 ci.

When I was in school I used one of the first (and smallest) of Lowe's Contour seies. I used a clipboard for a framesheet (a trick I learned in the Army) and it supported 20+ pounds of books and such just fine.

If you want something more tactical in appearance, Berghaus, Karrimor and others make "Munro" style patrol packs, but they're usually a little larger.

Good luck :)

P.S. I use a Golite Day Pack, but at 1800 ci (not including external pockets), it's a little bigger than what you want and has open mesh pockets.
 
I'm not real fond of the mesh pockets in general use. I haven't personally seen one with an actual closure, and I've had stuff fall out of the mesh pockets on my Camelbak Transalp. I don't put anything in them that I'm certain that I can't do without.

Hydration compartments are a great way to separate and organize "stuff" by utilizing it as an extra internal pocket. Don't knock hydration systems yet, though. I stuck with water bottles for a long time, and after trying several hydration systems years ago, I'd never go back.

Granted, they may not be as useful around town, but I've found myself using them at outdoor festivals, art fairs, etc. where they try to get $2 and up for a small bottle of water. I guess it's a principle thing that I don't like paying that kind of money for something that essentially "came out of a faucet". Of course, if you do use the pack for light hiking, it's a big advantage as well.

I wasn't sure, so I checked. I have one pack in the 4600-4800 c.i. range. I have four in the <2200 c.i. range, with another, the Caldera, on the way.

I'll have to talk to a shrink about this pack thing... :D
 
OK, I got the Caldera pack recommended by Don above. Maybe not as nice as some of the slicker Arc'teryx stuff I saw on the web, but for the price definately a very good deal... I think the price is so low ($38 on an $80 pack) cause they only have one color (red) left, but the color is isolated to only a few parts of the pack and isn't so bad... Now a quick review...

1. Suspension system... Excellent. Not as thick and strongly stitched as my Blackhawk 3DAP, or probably the 2000+ CI packs from Eagle, etc, but plenty strong for a 1400ci pack slung along the whole back. The pack came with a plastic "internal frame" basically a plastic stiffener roughly shaped to fit the back. I hate those things, so I took it out (luckily easy to do), and now the pack hugs my back very well and has a very narrow profile which was one of my main requirements. There is still generous padding across the kidneys, hip, and shoulders (making the stiffener unnecessary IMHO). Padded shoulder straps, detachable chest strap, detachable waist belt, etc. Fitting options are varied enough to make the pack comfortably fit most people of medium height and build at least.

2. Size... Perfect for me. Of course this is very subjective. My previous pack, about 1000 CI was just too small. This is basically 40% more volume and is just fine. My pack before that one also had this volume, but was not very tall, and so stuck out in the back which made it a poor negotiator of crowded small markets, and isles on buses, etc. I needed volume and thinness in profile, and this pack makes it by being some 8" <i>longer</i> than either of the previous two...

3. Organization. The one place this pack falls down a little. It has a generous main compartment with a baffel for a hydration system that can also be used to hold flat stuff (like the frame I removed, or maps, magazines, folders, etc). There is a small sized pocket in the top (covering) flap (I like those), and a very small sippered pocket sewn on to the lip at the top of the pack. This is an interesting placement as it makes access to the pouch contents easy, but otherwise, there are <b>no other pockets!</b> This makes organizing your stuff much more difficult as it all has to go in the main compartment which is very deep! I have to divide my stuff into stuff sacks and keep things compartmentalized that way. Not a real big deal, but another real pocket or two would have been nice.

4. External attachment options... Lots, another strength of this pack. You can tie things on and lash them down all over the place. There are some accessory pouches you can buy too that are fitted to lash in place on this pack. They would indeed solve the pocket problem, but I hesitate to attach things externally to my pack in a crowded urban setting.

Anyway, a very nice piece of equipment, especially for the money. If it were competing at full price against some of the other nice packs I've seen (thanks to all of your references) I might have been disappointed. For the price however - about half its normal retail, I'm very happy with this purchase. Thanks Don L.
 
Matt, after a week or so with mine, I have to say that I agree with your assessment fully.

The size, the shape and and design are all very good. It's narrow enough, flat enough on the back, and tapered at the shoulders to be slim and unobrtusive while wearing, especially when stretching and reacning for things and scrambling through brush.

The frame sheet on mine is history as well. With a pack this size and its intended average load, I'm not sure it's really required,but depending on what you're carrying or the load's shape, I can see that it would be useful at times. Mountainsmith makes a good suspension system for their smaller packs, especially using the 2" waist belt. If you're really gonna load up the little bugger, Mountainsmith has an optional belt pad for some of their smaller packs with the 2" belt. Other small packs use 1" to 1-1/2" belts, which are almost always unpadded and can start to feel even narrower and uncomfortable over time.

Personally, I like the hydration port, and with the framesheet removed, the sheet pocket would work well to hold the hydration bladder.

This thing needs more pockets, separators, dividers, etc. I admit I'm spoiled by one of my other packs that I've been using for daily hauling. The other pack is a Camelbak Transalp, which is larger, stiffer, heavier, and less comfortable than the Caldera. It does, however, have a number of pockets and dividers inside to keep things from becoming one big mass at the bottom of the pack. I know exactly where I'll find my Fisher pen, my Surefire M2, extra batteries and lamp assembly, compass, checkbook and other stuff I tend to toss in a pack and leave there whether in town or on a trail.

I think I need to figure out how to apportion my jetsom and flotsom among the Inner Sanctum pocket, lid pocket, and framesheet/hydration pocket divider. That and use one of two of the zippered organization pouches we have for our camping and hiking stuff. Once a "system" is established, I don't know if things will feel as disorganized any more.

BTW, I don't have a problem with the bright red. I have black and black/dark green packs in case I have to go stealthy, and the red will help being seen while out during hunting season around here.

Glad things worked out, Matt. At full price, I probably would have passed as well, but for the money, it's a darn solid deal.
 
I stumbled accross this pack while reading Rock & Ice during jury duty last week. Mountain Tools Stealth Pack

STEALTH PACK™

The STEALTH is a pack you forget about after you put it on... until you need a sip of water, windshirt, snack or your descent shoes. It fits more like a vest than a pack allowing you and your partner to each carry your own personal necessities, slip in and out of tight spots, crank hard and go fast! Consider the possibilities and plan your targets: The Casual on Longs, The Steck-Salathe, a day spent carving, covert operations - anywhere you need to be low profile and have your gear close at hand.

color: black
best: lead, follow, ski/board, mtn bike

REG 19" (fits up to 5'8") wt: 22 oz (622 g)
cap: 900 cu in (14.7 L) price: $95
TALL 21" (fits 5'9" and up) wt: 23 oz (650 g)
cap: 1300 cu in (21.3 L) price: $95


"No profile" waistbelt
3D Contour Curve shoulder straps
Zip out center divider
Senior Ballistics Nylon Energy Bar Pocket
Daisy Chains, ice tool loops & straps
"Piggy Backs" on any Flexframe Pack
 
That looks like the extreme where thin profile is concerned. A lot of modern packs seem to be taking this direction, including the one I got, although not to that extreme. Nice pack. I notice its 100 CI smaller than the Caldera which may or may not be a little too big for my needs, but I don't know that yet...
 
I like more traditional styled packs. My next is the Duluth Wanderer. It looks to be about 1440CI.
s121-photo.jpg
 
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