In the market for a backpack

I'm currently looking for a hiking backpack and am trying to find the best brand. There is a camping store not far from where I live, but I'm thinking of buying one on ebay at a much cheaper price...

What kind of pack do you have? What is the best brand to buy, in your opinion?

 

i dont know how well ebay will work because im pretty sure you need to try on the backpack to see how it fits on you. So if you get one on ebay it might not fit you and you could be screwed.

 

Yes and no. You need to know what size pack. Measure from the bump at the base of the back of your neck to the top of your pelvis, then go to any pack or camping gear website and they have a page that will tell you what size is right for you based on that measurement. But as deadhead says, that's no guarantee it will be comfortable to your bodytype without trying it on.

Buying a pack is an involved process. What are you using it for? What are you packing? What kind of terrain? I hate consumerism and wouldn't dream of telling you to get a pack for mountaineering, and another pack for snowboarding, and another pack for long distance hiking but that's the fact. There really isn't one pack for everything.

OK, having said all that, in external frame, Kelty really rocks. Internal frame for dayhiking, I have a North Face that is nothing more than an oversized bookbag and it's bombproof and was cheap ($24 I think?). Ultralight? Granite Gear or ULA. If you're planning on thru-hiking the PCT or AT and you can sew, make your own G4 pack. Plans with assembly pics are available severalplaces online.

Google any of that, you'll find it. And stay away from the new Golite line. The older Golite packs were great, when they were licensing Ray Jardine's designs. Now their stuff is mostly shit. I make a lot of my own ultralighte gear. Ultralight just means with less weight you can hike longer, easier days, not faster miles. I don't want to miss a thing. When I actually find the time to FINISH anything I'll assemble a website.

 

I'm travelling quite extensively this summer and packing my "stuff" if you know what I mean. Basically I will be living out of my pack for three months...

This is more difficult than I thought!

 

I'd definitely go for a Kelty or Deuter external frame pack. There are several Keltys on eBay, or watch surplus stores and thrift shops. I see them there all the time. Our local surplus chain (Sunny's Surplus) went out of business a week ago, they were selling Kelty packs for $49.00. You can haul up to 75 pounds in one of those monsters.

 

o god who would want to carry 75 pounds on their backs.

 

^^^long distance supplies add up.

 

Zoomies right, get your torso measurement first. If your going to be living out of your pack you probably want something over 3000 cu. in. Personally I like internal frame packs but it's a matter of personal preference whether you get internal/external. Check out www.campmor.com they have reasonable prices and a huge selection.

Here's a cheap internal frame that would probably suit your needs:
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39144084&memberId=12500226

Here's a much larger, albeit more expensive external frame pack:
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=9499&memberId=12500226

On a personal note when it comes to packs, I never skimp on the money, to me it's a very important purchase, you want something thats going to be comfortable and suit your needs, you can probably get packs much cheaper, but theirs a reason they are cheap.

 

I personally top out at 30 including 10 days food and fuel, but I know people who have thru hiked the big trails with 50+. I'm too old for that shit. And I like the internals too for the weight savings, external for comfort and volume. Yeah, Campmor rocks. Kelty Tioga is probably THE BEST external frame pack for your buck. Used they're running about $30 on eBay.

 

A friend of mine holds (held?) the record for the lightest thru-hike on the AT at 17 pounds. His trailname is "ultralight" I can't imagine that........insane.

 

I'm a fairly dedicated gram weenie but that's nuts.

 

most packs are adjustable.
sectional packs are the best because you can put the things you will need throughout the day in the easy accesable part. Its the zippers that usualy fail first and what a pain that can be, so look close at that when you buy your pack

 

Both of those packs are cheaper than what I was going to buy at this outdoor store. I wanted this purple Osprey women's hiking backpack...that one was going for 300+ dollars there...but I wanted to check around and see what else I could find.

 

Campmor has some great stuff. Also Backcountry, ems, and e-omc. Just add .com

 

Ya, to be honest the markup you find at retail stores is ridiculous, you can usually find whatever you want MUCH cheaper online or through huge wholesalers like Campmor....(course that doesn't support local businesses)

 

That and you can't try them on.

 

What year did he thru hike? I hiked in '98(hence my screename AT98BooBoo) back before silnylon and all those other weight saving innovations.

I reccomend Sierra Designs,Kelty,Dana Designs,North Face to name a few. I reccomend you check out Backpacker Magazine as they have excellent gear reviews. Also check out www.whiteblaze.net I know alot of the hikers on this website and they can give you lotsa real world advice.

Here's a great way to get a great pack and save $$$.If you find a pack in campmor that you are interested in go down to a local outiftters with your gear and load up the pack and wear it around the store to chekc fit and ride. Then go home and order the pack from campmor.

 

I think he thru-hiked the AT in 96' or 97' if memory serves me correct, course it could have been '98...those were some blurry years.

 

See, when I originally answered Annie's question I was thinking, "Booboo should answer this because he probably has more packing experience, whereas I probably have more shopping experience..." :H

 

You could also try Major Surplus N Survival on the web. Its a military surplus store and they carry some name brand gear too. I personally carry a military version of the old CampTrails frieghter frame with a separate packbag. I can carry firewood, etc with the frame and use it as a seat. If the bag fails I can always strap on my gear inside my sleeping bag or whatever and still carry on. Its a bit heavy. But It is sturdy. I have carried a lot of internal frame packs and most do NOT fit a woman's frame. The old standby the Alice pack or some similar pack carries well. I have a short torso. Also most packs made for women or men carry the weight wrong for a womans muscalature. At least with a frame pack you can tie your sleeping bag on the bottom on the outside so it rides on your butt. Which puts the major weight low down. Women's bodies are made to carry babies and so we have our toting muscles in that area. The only internal frame pack was a large daypack by Eureka. It was called a Freebird I believe. It loads taco style and can be used to tote small loads and quite a bit of gear. Euraka makes a larger version as well as a cheaper camptrails model of the larger pack. I haven't used the larger version. I wish I could remember the name of the larger version. Will try to find out for you. The Freebird loaded easily and I was able to tote fairly heavy loads with ease. Whether walking or biking or hiking. A friend borrowed my pack and it never came back. He loaned it out and it disappeared. I told him he could borrow my other pack. I was not at home and my friend let him out the door with my good one. Anyway checkout the Freebird. It just might have enough room. Depends on how much stuff you need to carry.

Peace, Cricket