Whats the best hiking pack?

T

Tenn2577

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Jun 28, 2001
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Im looking into buying a new pack of some sort to carry my survival gear when im deep woods hiking. I was wondering if anybody had some imput as to the pros and cons of different types of packs....namely the differences between full back packs (the hiker's types) and just a shoulder type bag (i.e Medics bag). Ive also looked as several types of "alice" bags at army navy surplus stores. While for the most part i plan to travel as light as possible with only minimal gear, i think it might be more wise to get a larger pack that could accomodate more gear should i ever decide to bring it along. What do you guys think?
 
I asked a similar question recently and received some good advice.

Try this link:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=118957

Also, regarding size, if you are doing a short day hike a fanny pack is fine. For an overnight trip, 3000 to 4000 cu in is OK. For an extended trip, look for something in the 4000 to 6000 cu in range. However, with that much volume you might be tempted to carry more weight that you will be happy with. Try to keep it under 40# fully loaded.

As for ALICE packs, some people like them but the technology of the newer packs leaves them in the dust.

Finally, I whole-heartedly recommend a hydration system. Either seperate or combined with your pack, don't leave home without it.

Hope that helps.
 
Lighter is better IMHO. Large packs are easy to overpack, more difficult to move through difficult terrain and so on.

There are lots of interesting setups at http://www.lightfighter.com

But they don't always have the best price.

Phil
 
Don't rule out Lightfighter yet. They might be more expensive sometimes, but shipping is free, if your order is over $50; and their service is excelent.
 
Search backpacking websites for their gear reviews. There is tons of information out there.

My one word of advice is to keep your pack weight (empty weight) down. Starting out with six pounds before you add to it makes no sense when there are four pound options available to you.
 
Try them out! What fits someone else comfortably will be a real pain for you, even if you both are the same size. It's a very personal thing.

I prefer external frame backpacks, I like to have s****y lashing points for heavy metal objects. Every time I lash to other types of packs, I pull the stitching out in short order.

Your mileage may vary.
 
s****y :)
s****y :D
s****y :rolleyes:

Another point about pack weight is that if a heavier pack is more comfortable it is the better choice because the lighter one will 'feel' heavier if it doesn't ride right.
 
Oops! I meant to type strong, must have been leaning on the keyboard or something - that will teach me not to edit my posts more carefully! :eek:
 
Thanks for all the advice...i think i have settled on the camelback "cloudwalker". It has enough storage for my bare-bones camping needs and a hydration system as well (which everyone here seams to highly recommend). It also wont break my bank account. Thanks again.
 
Thanks for all the advice...i think i have settled on the camelback "cloudwalker". It has enough storage for my bare-bones camping needs and a hydration system as well (which everyone here seams to highly recommend). It also wont break my bank account. Thanks again.
 
I have a couple of Norwegian "Bergans" rucksacks I use for day hikes, and an old Kelty external frame pack I've had since the seventies that I use for longer trips. IMHO, the Bergans are well built enough that they won't wear you out after a day's hike with a moderate load. They are a fairly rigid rucksack, which I like because the load does less shifting, which is real nice if you intend to move over rough terrain. On the other hand, I have taken extended trips with them, and found them not suitable (for me), which is why I got the Kelty. For short trips, I think the Bergans is hard to beat. I keep one ready packed with a small amount of gear I consistantly bring in hte outdoors.
 
I'm quite partial to the Blackhawk Industires Three Day assault pack.

Just the right size for most purposes.;) And is camelback compatable!!!
 
I'd like to suggest a viable alternative to the camelbak. I've used a camebak and I think they are great. But they seem just a tad flimsy to me. 20 years ago I made a similar system from scratch using a nalgene squirt bottle and attaching surgical tubing to the spout. I drilled a hole in the cap and epoxied a small valve to allow air pressure to enter. This worked like a champ. I should have put a patent on it then, maybe I'd be rich now. :)

Several months ago I discovered that you can now purchase a cap for the 1 liter Nalgene bottle that comes with a built in valve and has a hose with a pinch clamp attached. I tried it out on my last backpacking trip and it worked great. I attached it to my pack using a pouch that you can buy just about anywhere to carry water bottles on your belt. I replaced the pinch clamp with a bite valve and the rest is history.

One advantage of this method is that the bottle is easily removed from the pack and can be attached to your belt or belt pack and used for short hikes away from your base camp. Also, the bottles are much tougher than camelbak type bladders. The only ones I've ever had break on me were ones that I've had for YEARS (read well over a decade here) and have become brittle. You can also carry spare bottles with no problem. And you no longer need a hydration pack to have a hydration system. And you don't have to carry it IN your pack, you can carry it ON your pack, and not worry about the weight in the pack crushing the bladder when you slip off the trail and fall. The Nalgene bottle will roll with the punch and take a bigger lickin'. They are also easier to fill when using a water filter and easier to use in camp because they are free standing.
 
Hoodoo,

Is this the "wide mouth" nalgene bottle that's transparent? I have seen both translucent and transparent nalgene, and don't know which is better.

I have used the translucent square ones, they're not designed for this, but they are waterproof, easy to pack, and almost impossible to break. Your solution sounds better, though. Can you get these at most any camping/outdoors store?
 
Yup, it's the widemouth, round 1 liter bottles that now come in designer colors, and are made of UV Polyethylene and Lexan. I don't know of an online source for the tops. I picked mine up at a local backpacking store. If you call around, I'm sure you will find them. Checking out some backpacking newsgroups or something like that might lead you to an online source. If you happen to find an online source, please let me know.
 
swede79

The white translucent bottles are the older Polyethylene kind.

Just a few years ago Nalgene started making Lexan bottles. These are the transparent bottles that are often 'tinted' with different colors (grey, red, blue, etc). Lexan is more resestant to heat (ie: boiling hot water), Lexan doesn't change the taste of the water (no more water that tastes like plastic) and Lexan doesn't absorb the taste of the foods/drinks you put in it.

The Lexan ones cost $1 or $2 more. Both can be found at any outdoor store (at least in the US) or web site (try www.campmor.com or www.rei.com).
 
I have green and red, one each. They are, IMO the best bottels for outdoor use. I also have a grey narrow mouth, and a 1.5 L wide mouth in HDPE, I need 3 more of these so I can carry 1.5 gallons in my chaos X mesh waterbottel pockets. I use the drinking tube adapter in this one, because it is larger. I added a bite valve to replace the clamp too. It seemed to be too leaky to me. I had to replace the tube too, to keep the valve on.
 
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