Backpack Size
Is anyone planning on taking, or have you ever taken, a 45L pack on thru hike? I have a 45+10L Deuter that fits like a charm but I'm concerned it won't be large enough.
It really comes down to the gear you plan to put in it. It's certainly smaller than the mean, but would be a spacious plenty of you have a simple collection of the right gear. I switched to an MLD Core 1700 recently and it would be plenty of space for a thru hike, but everybody's packing requirements are different.
What are your big 4?
The simple answer to "do thru hikers ever use that size pack"... is yes. I am a section hiker, often have longer no-re-supply sections than the average thru hiker between re-supplies. I hike with a 50L pack and often have to cinch it down because of empty space.
The bigger question is can YOU do it ... and that depends on your equipment and hiking style.
Good Luck on your Thru.....
I would find that pack bigger than needed for my gear on an AT thru-hike. As said above, it depends on your gear and your hiking style. What I mean by hiking style is you can resupply every 2-3 days along most of the AT, but that doesn't mean you want to get off the trail that often, so some will carry more food than others. So load your pack up with your gear and enough food for the longest resupply interval you plan on using (likely the 100 mile wilderness in Maine) and see if it all fits. Don't forget the 1-2L of water you'll likely be carrying.
Originally Posted by goldielocks
Yes many have used a that size or smaller .
Thom
Totally depends on your other gear. A solo tarptent, UL down bag, minimalist clothing and cook kit = no problem. 20-F synthetic bag, 2-person traditional tent, giant cook kit, lots of clothes, probably not.
But, yeah, people thru-hike with 40 or 50 liter packs.
Easy — pack all your stuff in it with 5 days of food. Very Boolean that way.
Or if your hiking with a partner put excess in their pack. That's y I got my wife the big big pack . They can easily carry the beer ,wine, arm chair ,hatchet, etc .
Totally depends on your gear and how much you want to (or don't want to) carry. I carried what was basically a 48 L last year, but there were a few stretches where I needed to carry more food and I had to repack things, including strapping my tent onto the outside of my pack more than once. I recommend going for a 50 L or smaller pack in general. No reason to carry more than you need, and having a larger pack makes it easier to do just that.
AT '16: 1,378 miles GA-NY
trail journal // blog
Less is more - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
But sometimes just a little more would be better.
When you say 45 plus 10L I am assuming that means a total of 55L? If that is right it is more than big enough for the AT and would also work for the PCT (except it might require some stuff being strapped on the outside when you are in the areas where a bear canister is required).
But it really depends on your other gear. If you have already converted to going reasonably light and have jettisoned superfluous gear you will be fine. If not take your gear and pack up with 4 days of food and a couple of liters of water. Does it fit? If so you are done.
Your pack is a great pack and a great size. You could be go smaller or bring enough to want larger, but your pack is a good pack, reasonably weight, versatile size.
Enjoy it!
I'm not lost. I'm exploring.
I clip my tent on the outside of my bag along the outside bottom. That saves some room inside for everything in the compactor bag. I have an older Kelty Santa fe 4000 (65 ltrs) and I don't use all the room in it any more, but it's nice to have for resupply days when I overdo it a little.
- Trail name: Thumper
The answer is Yes.
Recently did a weekend with a Kelty Redwing 50. Although everything fit, my bladder did not. No big deal for a weekend, but that would get real old on a long distance hike.
I'm guessing you're referring to the ACT Lite pack, which isn't actually intended for though hikes. As others have said, the answer is going to depend on your gear. It's also going to depend on the trail. On the AT you can probably get by with just a couple of water bottles which you can hang on your shoulder straps (and the access there is more convenient than anywhere else). That frees up the side pockets for gear. On the PCT, where you have to carry a lot more water, this pack wouldn't be adequate.
If you intend an early NoBo AT though-hike, the gear for colder weather might well exceed your pack's capacity. If you're planning to start later and hike faster, your pack might be just fine.
I assume you are kidding, but if you're not.... are you my ex husband?
Lol
But, my GF carries more stuff than I do. She looks better doing it, too. She feels criticized if I mention it and try to keep.my mouth shut and leave her alone. Oddly enough, she's the one sitting down waiting for me to catch up to her.
I'm not going to but a new pack for my PCT through hike so I have to decide between my 85L Osprey and my 60L Blacl Diamond. The Osprey is obviously huge (I guide and have to carry a lot of group gear) and somewhat heavy just by itself. But it has lots of nice features......mid-pack access, pockets on the outside and hip belt pockets for little stuff. The BD pack is lightweight and no frills. Top access only, no external pockets at all.
I'm not sure which to take.
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