Believe it or not, I do own a bear canister. Even though I live in the east where the only bears are the "dumb" black ones - and I don't mean to debase our bears - actually I put "dumb" in quotes because I don't believe they are dumb at all. But anyway, I have a "bad" throwing arm(s) and could never get the rock flung high enough to hang my bag - and most of the trees around here don't have large, horizontal branches to hang a bag from. I watched a YouTube vid on how to hang a bear bag using two tree limbs. That should work for me, so long as I can get it high enough, and far enough away from either limb.
I used that bear canister with the Gregory Wind River pack, which I sold few years back - but I kept the canister. Probably could sell it to someone on the west coast, since I understand they are required in certain areas of the sierras.
Back to the subject at hand: Packs.
I will make sure I get a pack with lots of straps for external gear. Of course I will be carrying a sleeping pad as well as the bag. Probably need a new one of those too. My Thermarest don't give me any rest. The newer materials are apparently far superior and lighter - more expensive maybe - but getting enough sleep on the trail has always been a problem for me.
If I add up all that I am spending on new gear, it may add up to as much as I would have spent on a long weekend vacation in a hotel or a cabin - but that's where the equation changes - I won't have to buy the gear again, so my next "vacation" will be pretty much for free! If I look at it that way, I won't have as much trouble coughing up the cash.
That down sleeping bag sounds very enticing. But I think I'll get the pack first, and when I do my shopping, will let the "pak tek" know that I may be wanting to move the sleeping gear into the pack rather than carrying it outside.
I do plan to do mostly cool/cold weather backpacking, and since I still have that heavy 4-season tent, it is still an option - if I can fit it in/on the pack, and I can carry the extra weight. Maybe after a few months carrying the lighter pack I can gradually add more weight to build my strength. It's a lot cheaper than going to a gym
Please excuse me if it sounds like I'm a total newbie to backpacking. I am not - really - although I haven't done it in a while, and I was younger and had fewer physical issues. Now, it's really just my feet - I'm a runner, so I have had trouble with Plantar Fasciitis - and occasionally hip problems - but so far not any knee issues. I don't think I will have any trouble carrying a 30-35lb pack on moderate to steep terrain.
I recall having struggled up the steeps on the Devils Path in the Catskills of NY on warm and buggy days with that Gregory pack loaded to over 50lbs. I was very slow, but I never hiked more than 10 miles at one stretch.
When I buy this pack, my intentions for now are 2-5 day outings, but I would like to be able to use the same equipment if I decide to section or thru-hike the AT.
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