Pack? - Pacific Crest Trail

imported
#1

I am looking for some input on what type of pack to get and what base weight to shoot for. I understand less is more I am in very good shape i am 6’2" 190 lbs. run 4 mi. every other day and a few days ago did a 10k in an hour flat. im not saying this to brag(well maybe a lil’ LOL) just to give you an idea of my endurance/strength. so back to it Base Wieght?, how many cubic inches? I was thinking of bringing the Hubba Hubba i think its fairly light weight and would be able to keep my gear inside and dry. A propane stove? and the other essentials. I was looking at the at osprey ather put it seems a little heavy but great features. Also ULA, GO-LITE, and the usuall suspects really just need some feedback/ assurance on size and brand. thanks for your help

collin

#2

Your pack picks are all pretty good, except maybe the Go-Lite, but a lot of people use them. ULA and Osprey are both good choices, but for two very different markets. The ULA is more for near ultra-light crowd (total weight less than 30 lbs). The Osprey will be much more comfortable if your pack weight is a little higher than some people recommend. I’ve used them both. Base weight should be a little less than 20 lbs, but I’ve seen people get down to 10 lbs. Be careful about going too low - you don’t want to get caught in a cold raining storm without proper rain gear, etc. Cubic inches should, I think, be around a low of 4,500 to a high of 6,000. If you carry the Hubba Hubba, then I’d suggest the Osprey Aether you mentioned rather than the ULA. By saying you plan to carry the Hubba Hubba, it suggest to me your pack weight won’t be all that low and so the heavier Osprey would be much more comfortable for you.

Paul Guyon

#3

Hubba Hubba is huge huge for 1 person. It’s a great tent, it’s just way to heavy (and probably too spacious) for a solo hike. I hiked the PCT (6’2" 200lbs) with the single Hubba in 2005 and it served me well, but I had to carry it the entire way which sucked. Looking back, it was just too much tent. I’d go with a single wall design tent, with trekking pole setup instead of tent pole setup. Tarptent maybe?

The answer to the noun question “pack?” is the verb statement “pack”. Buy all of your other gear first. Once you’ve gotten your gear together, pack the gear inside the trial pack(s). To discover what makes a backpack great, first examine the word origins of the word “backpack”. The two words involved are “back” and “pack”. What you are looking for is:

#1-does your back fit on the outside?
#2-does the gear fit on the inside?

If you don’t like the backpack, don’t buy it and/or return it. I used a GoLite Jam, it had great capacity, handled a bear can and ice ax, and had a decent interior frame structure. Feedback for packs is everywhere, assurance is too, but nothing is better than your own assurance that you like the backpack when it’s full, you’re wearing it, and the two of you are walking.

I’d shoot for a 12 pound base weight, but I’d still feel okay with a 20 lb. base weight, because you sound like a rookie. Best of luck.

jewel thief

#4

Wow, P&J that is all very helpful. Jewel you nailed it with the rookie bit!lol. I have been in the backwoods all my life. When i was a kid i lived in the scouts and did all types of survival training up until i was 14. Now i live in the city work a 6-2 job and get out 2 do a overnighter every couple of weekends. I am Planning my thru-hike for next year but want to get my research started early. So it seems the general consensus here is that the hubba hubba is to big for 1 person to carry 2,700 mi.it weighs in at 4 lbs.(i thought that was light!LOL). You both feel a solo tent is a better option? would i be able to fit gear in? the whole pitch a tap deal i understand it is Ideal for fast light travel which i want but im not sure i should rely on that, this being my first thru hike and lacking the experience of doing so. Also some protection from the elements may prove nice. Thank you both Paul and Jewel for all of your help!

Collin

#5

I live in Denver, about 30 miles from where GoLite is based, so I’m able to get their products cheaply at gear sales. I used the frameless GoLite Pinnacle to thru hike the AT in 2008. It was very light with a huge capacity. It was functional but never comfortable. I have a new GoLite backpack that I plan to use for the PCT, but this time I plan to use the GoLite Quest, a heavier framed pack, just over three pounds. I’m hoping this will be more comfortable. I started out on the AT with a pair of GoLite shoes. These were amazingly comfortable when I tried them out indoors on a carpeted floor. Unfortunately, their shoes instantly self-destruct upon physical contact with a hiking trail. I used a Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2 tent on the AT I found this to be a good, ultralight tent. However, my girlfriend and I will probably use a Hubba Hubba that we got at an REI gear sale for the PCT. She likes have the zippered sidewall entrances on both sides of the tent.

Gary

Gary Swing

#6

“Buy all of your other gear first.”

Jewel Thief nailed it. This was the best advise you got. I would be lightweighting and testing every piece of gear now and when you get the gear nailed you will be surprised how small a pack you can use. I am to the point of moving from a Golite Jam to a much smaller pack for my PCT thru. Anyone recommending a pack without a complete gear list is frankly giving you bad advice.

A ton of great lightweighting info can be found at backpackinglight.com. There are folks there that have base weights as low as 4 lb. But there is great advise that will get you down to what you are comfortable with.

Your Hubba would be one of the heavier shelters out on the PCT. Take a peak at Tarptent for what is probably average weight without a lot of trade offs.

Good Luck.

gg-man

#7

Collin,
You have gotten some very good advice here especially about choosing your pack last. One thing you might want to consider about your shelter is using a tarp instead of a tent. There are pluses and minues of course with any gear choice. I use the Gossamer Gear SpinnTwin. It is big enough for two but only weighs in at about 10 ounces. If bugs are a problem, you can add some netting. In my experience if you set it up correctly it can withstand anything except a gale force wind up on a ridge. If you want to test using a tart, buy a blue 10 X 10 tarp at Wal-Mart for cheap. Take it on some of your weekend trips and try it out. If you like it, then you can spend more on a better and lighter tarp. If it is not for you, then you only out a few bucks. For me, I would never go back to an enclosed tent.

Good luck and good hiking

Rodney