How Big a Pack for Long Trips

[Outdoor_Fool]

I have a Gregory Snow Creek that I bought when I was young. It's ~5200 cubic inches plus 400 cubic inches with the 2 detachable outside pockets, so a ~90 liter pack. I have used it for over-nighters and up to 10 nights. It's usually pretty full for anything over 5 days.

Until recently. I bought a 15 F dry-down bag this past summer that compresses so ridiculously small compared to my synthetic bags that I can now fit the sleeping bag, a down puffy, my first aid kit, socks, underwear, t-shirts, and toiletries into the space that only my sleeping bag used to fit in. Now, I could probably pull off a 10 night trip with 65-70 L pack assuming cool fall weather requiring a 300-wt fleece jacket, 100-wt fleece pants, a warm hat and gloves, rain gear, and a down puffy just in case.

In addition to the gear/clothes already mentioned, I also carry a DSLR camera and an extra lens, a water filter, an MSR stove with 1-2 bottles of fuel, 2 water bottles, a 2 qt pot and utensils, a BA Fly Creek 2P tent, a Ridgerest 3/8 inch pad, a SPOT, compass, food bag and rope, headlamp, Leatherman, a 1/4 roll of mountain money, and Tevas. And food, as others have mentioned, a huge space filler. I carry my sleeping pad on the outside, and sometimes the tent rides on the outside.

On a recent 4 night trip in Yellowstone, I had an extra 2000 cubic inches in the pack with the new sleeping bag arrangement. Maybe I'll buy a 70-75 L pack next spring.

 

[Nick]

This thread is worth revisiting: http://backcountrypost.com/threads/pack-size.4226/.

50L works great for me for week+ trips.

 

[Wyatt Carson]

I've carried my Osprey Aether 85 a bunch on trips that have no water sources...put all my gear in there and 12 L of water, 24 lbs of the stuff. I even have an Osprey Daylite pack piggybacked here with some of the light weight down things on the way in and used for an out of camp bag during the day. I did put the heavier duty belt on this pack. Girlfriend used a Gregory Deva 70 as the Oprey packs don't fit here well in that size range.

 

[SKLund]

I've carried my Osprey Aether 85 a bunch on trips that have no water sources...put all my gear in there and 12 L of water, 24 lbs of the stuff. I even have an Osprey Daylite pack piggybacked here with some of the light weight down things on the way in and used for an out of camp bag during the day. I did put the heavier duty belt on this pack. Girlfriend used a Gregory Deva 70 as the Oprey packs don't fit here well in that size range.

Water hauling is a good reason for a big pack.

 

[LarryBoy]

Water hauling is a good reason for a big pack.

Well, strictly speaking, water doesn't take up very much room in a pack. Even if you were hauling an outrageous amount of water, say, 10 liters, that would only take up 10 liters of space in your pack! (surprise, surprise!)

What it does require, of course, is a pack that will carry that weight comfortably.

 

[Venchka]

Well, strictly speaking, water doesn't take up very much room in a pack. Even if you were hauling an outrageous amount of water, say, 10 liters, that would only take up 10 liters of space in your pack! (surprise, surprise!)

What it does require, of course, is a pack that will carry that weight comfortably.

Which is exactly where the wimpy UL/SUL packs let you down.
The right tool for the job always applies.
Wayne


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[LarryBoy]

Which is exactly where the wimpy UL/SUL packs let you down.
The right tool for the job always applies.
Wayne


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Bingo. Unfortunately when it comes to packs, a lot of people have the opposite tendency - they bring a chain saw when a nail file is the best tool for the job.

 

[Brendan S]

Have you checked out the Seek Outside packs? I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better carrying pack at any weight and they also happen to be light. They're kinda a hybrid external frame with flexibility of an internal, and to tie into your other thread, they don't have daisies but are built with flexibility in mind to be able to easily strap stuff on the outside. Their harness is the best I've used. I've adapted their harness to a pack I've built myself mostly because I wanted something a bit smaller than what they offer but I can't praise them enough. The 3900 (~64L) are pretty cavernous with option for their external "talon" add-on and they have other larger offerings if you thought you'd need it. Obviously everyone is different but I feel like if your gear is pretty dialed in that's plenty of volume for a week (I've done 8 days with packrafting and canyoneering gear in ~60L...def tight with food to start but doable). Dave has great detailed info here https://bedrockandparadox.com/2016/05/20/seek-outside-pack-buying-guide/ and a few folks from here using them as well http://backcountrypost.com/threads/seek-outside-unaweep-semi-custom-backpack.5887/.

Other nice simple light packs that people seem to like (with daisies or similar) for longer trips/heavier loads are the Exped Lightning and the HMG offerings. I haven't used either but folks seem to like them.

As to "wimpy/UL packs"...most "heavy" packs aren't necessarily any tougher, they just have more unnecessary pockets/zippers/etc. Most old externals are crazy light compared to the typical REI offerings and carry heavy loads better. Close to 2lbs should be doable for a super tough pack that can carry anything you need for a backpacking trip.

 

[Wyatt Carson]

Water hauling is a good reason for a big pack.

That's why I added the extra supportive hip belt that Osprey offers too. And I pack a lot like Outdoor Fool for the hot days and cold nights plus all the dog gear, his pad, blanket, coat...and most of the communal gear too including a tent big enough for that dog who loved to sprawl so we could have a little room too. I don't like things tied on the outside of the pack either.

Which is exactly where the wimpy UL/SUL packs let you down.
The right tool for the job always applies.
Wayne


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I know a guy who just loves his pack that weighs less than a pound, can't talk about it enough. When he had to pack in a real load of water on one trip it felt like a bag of cement in a jute bag. There is a place for both kinds of packs but that guy had myopia with blinders when it came to his ultra-light pack, and thought everyone, even those with heavy climbing gear, heavy photo gear, standard camping gear and of course the heavy water loads, should really be using his kind of pack. Well, he did love that pack. LOL

 

[Venchka]

Something that always cracks me up:
"Why would anyone carry more than 3 days of food and 1 liter of water?"
And my favorite:
"I'm planning a 4 day, 3 night trip between A and B. Where should I plan a mail drop?"
Wayne


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[LarryBoy]

Something that always cracks me up:
"Why would anyone carry more than 3 days of food and 1 liter of water?"
And my favorite:
"I'm planning a 4 day, 3 night trip between A and B. Where should I plan a mail drop?"
Wayne


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I go light so I can do longer resupplies and still carry the weight comfortably

 

[SKLund]

Have you checked out the Seek Outside packs? I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better carrying pack at any weight and they also happen to be light. They're kinda a hybrid external frame with flexibility of an internal, and to tie into your other thread, they don't have daisies but are built with flexibility in mind to be able to easily strap stuff on the outside. Their harness is the best I've used. I've adapted their harness to a pack I've built myself mostly because I wanted something a bit smaller than what they offer but I can't praise them enough. The 3900 (~64L) are pretty cavernous with option for their external "talon" add-on and they have other larger offerings if you thought you'd need it. Obviously everyone is different but I feel like if your gear is pretty dialed in that's plenty of volume for a week (I've done 8 days with packrafting and canyoneering gear in ~60L...def tight with food to start but doable). Dave has great detailed info here https://bedrockandparadox.com/2016/05/20/seek-outside-pack-buying-guide/ and a few folks from here using them as well http://backcountrypost.com/threads/seek-outside-unaweep-semi-custom-backpack.5887/.

Other nice simple light packs that people seem to like (with daisies or similar) for longer trips/heavier loads are the Exped Lightning and the HMG offerings. I haven't used either but folks seem to like them.

As to "wimpy/UL packs"...most "heavy" packs aren't necessarily any tougher, they just have more unnecessary pockets/zippers/etc. Most old externals are crazy light compared to the typical REI offerings and carry heavy loads better. Close to 2lbs should be doable for a super tough pack that can carry anything you need for a backpacking trip.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[Bob]

Depends on what you carry......I get by with a 3800ci (sorry I measure old school) for 14 day trips. I do have two tube sacks I strap tight to the outside to carry initial consumables, then pack them when empty.