Confused on pack specifications

[mdj05f]

I'm going crazy trying to educate myself on all the specifications of packs trying to pick one. Planning a thru-hike in May NOBO. I'm 5'4" 110lbs. In good shape. What size and weight pack should I be looking at?? I need a starting point.

[jakedatc]

Decide on everything else, then find a pack that holds and supports it. find a good store that you can try many on and find out what feels the best. under 3lbs is pretty easy to do.

[Rasty]

Somewhere around 50 liters or less. At 110# you don't want to carry 40# of stuff. I weigh 150# and try to keep it at 25# or less. Look for a 2 to 3 pound pack that has a frame. It takes serious discipline to go frameless. The rest of the question depends on your budget. $225 is not a lot for something your going to carry for more than a week. I got a ULA Circuit which I now love.

[snifur]

1. go to grocery store and buy a bag of apples and purchase 2 bottles of water.
2. go to an outfitter and find a pack that you think is pretty.
3. then walk through the outfitter and put all the gear you think you will use in it and add the bag of apples.
4. if it fits, and is comfy then you are good to go. purchase and then hike.

[Rasty]

1. go to grocery store and buy a bag of apples and purchase 2 bottles of water.
2. go to an outfitter and find a pack that you think is pretty.
3. then walk through the outfitter and put all the gear you think you will use in it and add the bag of apples.
4. if it fits, and is comfy then you are good to go. purchase and then hike.

I like how pretty is up on top. And ULA green and black is pretty. Better than yellow or red for me.

[mdj05f]

Thanks everyone. My budget is a concern, I was hoping to find a used one but that means they have less helpful info to offer so I wanted to know exactly what I needed. Looks like I need to go in store though and try some on.

[Kerosene]

You might also try the REI Flash 52 for women. My daughter is about your age and size and she loves the new model. PM me if you'd be interested in a good price on her old Flash 50 (100 miles of trail use, great shape except that the older style framesheet "warps" to the point that it doesn't look very good, but it seems to work just fine).

[jakedatc]

so you want to sell her a pack that is deforming in only 100mi? lovely. just return the thing.. don't pass on junk to someone else.

packs are like shoes.. no one is the same size, shape etc. I love my Osprey Exos but i've heard of people getting serious bruises too. people LOVE the Flash series but i tried it on empty in the store and could tell it would never work for me.

[mdj05f]

I am actually looking to find a secondhand pack, but hopefully one in a bit better shape. Thanks for the recommendations though. It's overwhelming starting from scratch.

[Bucho]

Decide on everything else, then find a pack that holds and supports it.

What he said. What pack you need depends a whole lot on what you plan to put in it.

[leaftye]

Decide on everything else, then find a pack that holds and supports it. find a good store that you can try many on and find out what feels the best. under 3lbs is pretty easy to do.

Give the most thought to Jake's thread, or buy a gigantic heavy pack.

Think about what can happen if you don't. You buy a pack before the rest of your gear. You buy the rest of your gear without considering if it'll fit in your pack. Do you buy another pack, or do you replace your other gear? Both are expensive option. Or you buy gear that should fit and ride well in your pack. If you pack is small or doesn't carry weight well, you'll have to spend a lot of money to buy premium gear that compacts well and doesn't weigh much. So now you have three expensive options. You might try strapping bulky items to the exterior of your pack, like your sleeping bag. To keep your sleeping bag dry, it'll need to be in its own waterproof bag or two. Waterproof stuff sacks and trash bags aren't nearly as durable as backpack fabric, so those might tear and need to get replaced. I suppose that isn't too expensive, although it could make for some miserable nights until you acquire another waterproof bag for your sleeping bag.

Now let's say you did buy a gigantic pack. It's very easy to think that because you have lots of space, you can buy bulky gear and carry a few extra things. Before long, you're humping 50 pounds down the trail, maybe even 70+ pounds. Your feet will ache. You may suffer from an overuse injury from carrying all that weight. You go home early with lightly used gear. That doesn't seem like a good use of money either.

Or you do as Jake said and get the pack last. At that point you should know how big your gear is and what it weighs. You'll do especially well if you know how you want to pack. For example, you might want to strap your pad and shelter to the exterior of your pack, or you may want both inside the main compartment of your pack. That makes a VERY significant difference. I will say that going with a slightly over sized backpack makes it easier to break camp quickly...a rather big deal on cold mornings.

[OzJacko]

I like how pretty is up on top. And ULA green and black is pretty. Better than yellow or red for me.

The green means business but the yellow is purty....
Circuit and yellow Catalyst.jpg

[mdj05f]

I wanted to get the pack first to make myself feel better...crossing one big thing off the list. But now I know that may not be the best. I cross-referenced a few guides, and am talking with the other two who will be hiking with me to decide what each one of us will be carrying. Now my plan is to acquire most of the staple items, enough that I will know the weight I'll carry, + or - a couple pounds. Then get the pack...then figure out of the smaller items which I want or can carry. I've heard that with most internal frame packs it's hard to strap much to the outside becuase they are so streamline...

[Rain Man]

I don't see (maybe I missed it?) that anyone said you have to be measured for a pack, just like for shoes. Everyone's backbone is their own, no matter their total height. Even the flair of hips, width of shoulders, volume of chest, and etc. are a four dimensional puzzle. So, for a hike of any length, it's helpful to have the right pack, and that doesn't mean the right brand, model, volume, or color. It means it fits your unique body. Only way to tell is to start with a knowledgeable staff who can measure you and then suggest a variety of packs, then allow you to try them on fully loaded with weights (a good store has weighted sacks) and let you walk around for a while with each pack.

But I can tell you from experience, that even that is not perfect. Only a long-distance hike can tell you for sure. My daughter worked in an outfitter store before her thru-hike and she still switched out her pack after a few weeks on the trail.

I can also tell you that it's not just the pack, but other issues, such as what you load in it and where, and what you wear under the pack. I got a new pack this summer and it promptly rubbed a raw spot on my backside due to the underwear I was wearing on a trip.

It's all a balancing act and not one we can readily and assuredly answer for you online based on a tidbit of data. So, experiment. Hopefully buy from a store that allows returns. And don't expect perfection, just fun.

RainMan

P.S. There's a saying that if you buy a big pack, you WILL fill it up, so buy a small pack.

.

[mdj05f]

Got it thanks for the help!

[jakedatc]

I wanted to get the pack first to make myself feel better...crossing one big thing off the list. But now I know that may not be the best. I cross-referenced a few guides, and am talking with the other two who will be hiking with me to decide what each one of us will be carrying. Now my plan is to acquire most of the staple items, enough that I will know the weight I'll carry, + or - a couple pounds. Then get the pack...then figure out of the smaller items which I want or can carry. I've heard that with most internal frame packs it's hard to strap much to the outside becuase they are so streamline...

I think it is easier to pack for yourself and not as a group. have your own supplies and be able to be on your own. cooking gear used to make sense to split up but now with a small canister stove and a Ti pot it is just as easy to have your own and not be tied to anyone else. **** happens.. you may not finish with everyone. you should easily keep your pack under 30lb starting from scratch.. with food and water for 4-5 days.

I met these guys on the LT that had all their meals set up for 3 so when 1 bailed they still had to carry 3 people's worth of food. it was stupid. (was a NOLS kool-aid drinker carrying way too much too)

[Oneofsix]

What Rain Man Said. (you wouln't mail order a pair of running shoes would you? or just trust someone to say what is right for you) I've been working with kids in the wilderness for 30+ years and pack FIT is what is they key to every adventures success or downfall. It has to fit, and fit well. Nothing worse than a 12 year old in an ill fitting pack . . . a definate recipe for both a miserable kid and packing out. (not that you are a kid)

The advice of going into an outfitter is great, and walk around, but not just for 10 minutes . . . but for a few hours. Plan to just stay in the store until they kick you out LOL. ANY little annoyance is goinjg to be magnified when you get on the trail. Don't make the mistake of thinking "it only bothers me a little bit once the pack is broken in it'll be fine" Sometimes packs do not "break in".


How you pack your pack is an issue too . . So mess with it packed well and balanaced and with **** just thrown in it any which way . . . some can be wonderful when well packed and a train wreck if it's packed poorly. Practice packing.

If at all possible get it out into the wild for a few days, or a week or even two. Make sure the hip belt meets your needs (I like a padded belt- more weight but really makes me happier) . . . make sure the shoulder belts fit nicely and the chest clip doesn't lay in an uncomfortable way - mens packs don't matter so much - but for me (busty) packs for flat chested women nearly choke me (LOL) Also when I did the AT in PA last summer I discovered that in 100 degree heat and a tank top my shoulder straps just soak up sweat (eewww) and the straps rubbed my upper arms raw (had to wrap them with a buff )

I guess what I am saying is, make sure you get a pack that fits . . . . test it . . . and be prepared to do some problem solving along the way. After 100's of backpacking, camping, canoeing, rockclimbing trips, (my two longest hikes have been 200 miles and 120 mile) with kids and the ability to problem solve gear is my most valued talent. If you have time to putter, putter.

Hope to see you out there :0
A

[mdj05f]

Most things I can understand wanting your own, but the cookware and stuff...I was thinking it would be a weight saver to not carry it in multiples of 3...and with this group, if one of us is out, we're all out. So I'm not so worried about us not finishing together. We'll either quit together or finish together. I thought we would be able to handle more if we split up the weight of a few things.

[jakedatc]

Ok, depending on what you are doing for most of your food.. 2 might be a good idea.. that way you dont have to agree 3 ways for what to eat.. if you do freezer bag then one is not a big deal.. just boil enough water.

http://andrewskurka.com/how-to/seven...to-lighten-up/

[mdj05f]

got it. have you tried any of the "less sofisticated" stove set ups? Like ones made out of cans, etc?