Lightweight backpack

imported
#1

hey everyone. im planning a thru hike and i currently have a REI mars pack but would like to get a lighter/smaller one. any suggestions?

3day jr.

#2

Many things to consider young grasshopper… jk
So here it goes:

  1. How long have you been hiking? Going lighter can be tricky, and experience can make a huge difference.
  2. How much lighter/smaller are you planning on going? In other words, what are you currently carrying? The pack may not be your real issue, rather what is going in your pack should be considered first.
  3. How uncomfortable are you willing to be? Going lighter/smaller means going with less. What are you willing to give up and do you have what you need to really go lighter ie. lighter/smaller: shelter, sleeping bag, food, cook stuff, clothes…I could go on and on.
  4. My choice that I am going to after some real searching is the Granite Gear Vapor Trail. I am planning on keeping my base pack weight (before food/water) around 15 lbs. or less. That number could go up/down depending on conditions and food resupply issues.
    I hope this helps. My best advice is to get out and try packs on and listen to the people who have been there - done that. Go check out more of the journals here and see what everyone is using - found in their gear section.
    God Bless!
    Jolly

Jollyman

#3

First figure out all the gear you’re going to take and buy it. Once you have it all, haul it up to your local outfitter and ask them if you can try stuffing it all in various packs. If they have a problem with this, they’re not a good outfitter and I’d go elsewhere. Your pack should be the last thing you pick and it should be tailored to the gear you are carrying.

BUT, just to interject, I’m really fond of the Arcteryx Naos packs. Simple and comfortable.

RobGray

#4

I’ll second Jollyman on the idea of first figuring out what you need in terms of volume and weight carrying capacity for a pack. “Lightweight” is generally construed to be a base pack weight (everything except food, fuel, and water) of 20lbs or less (followed by “ultralight” at less than 15lbs bpw and “superultralight” at 10lbs or less.) At those kind of weights you really need to know what you’re carrying and why, which is why Jollyman stresses experience as a key factor in going light.

That said, there are many excellent choices out now in packs if you’re going to be going light. For an AT thru-hike, you might want to start by looking at the ULA packs (Catalyst or Circuit, depending on your needs for capacity.) ULA’s Catalyst was Backpacker Mag’s pick for Best Thru-Hiker Pack this year, and the Circuit has been similarly well reviewed. Golite packs are also attractive (I use a modified Golite Gust, which is now discontinued) as are those from Granite Gear.

The real questions you need to ask about specific packs are: what capacity do I need, how important is the suspension system for my comfort, and what features serve the functions I need or favor? I found that I could use a Gust (not known for it’s suspension) and add a few things to it as I found out what I needed from a pack. It has the capacity I need, I was able to add hip-belt padding to improve the suspension, and I added side pockets (modeled on the ULA packs’ side pockets) and side compression straps to improve the functionality. What I got in the end was a pack with about 4,000ci that can carry all the weight I need (up to 30lbs total) and lets me stow and retrieve things as I want to.

Hope all this helps you in your quest. Just think carefully about what you need (training hikes are good here) and you’ll be fine.

Strategic

#5

Golite red made it all the way down the australia trail, while the granite gear failed halfway on CDT(fell apart). I often carried 8 liters water & 8+ kilos food on the drought stricken aussie great divide. I bought it on sale for about $70 with a coupon at REI. Only 1 complaint: the buckles on the waistbelt & top are a joke that I wouldn’t even use on a child’s toy pack so Golite should be ashamed of those weak crud buckles! even if they have to charge a couple bucks more it would be better than defectivity!!!

gingerbreadman

#6

i ended up with an osprey atmos 65. 1000ci smaller and nearly 2 lbs lighter. fits really well. thanks for the suggestions.

3day jr.