how large is your pack?

This question implies I only have one pack. Confused.

Not having to stuff bearcans, climbing gear, etc. allows me to use a smaller pack. I have a larger food bag that can be clipped to the outside of my pack for extended trips that works pretty well. A larger pack with good compression straps might be more practical than that, but this is the pack I own ;)

If I need to take a (cut-down) foam pad it's strapped to the outside as well. They're pretty much indestructible, though it does sometimes catch on branches.

This question implies I only have one pack. Confused.

+1 guilty of having choices available for the trip at hand.

16-110 liters. The 110 is from before BPL.

ULA Ohm v.1.0 gets the most use.

@DaveC How about, how large is your favorite pack?, or at least a top 10 list :)

Depends on context. My summer day-pack was 11L. but I had my fleece jacket hanging outside of it so it doesn't really count.

But I did managed to shoved everything I need for autumn in 30L for a two-days hunting trip, but wasn't really enough for a week trip, so I am upgrading to a 55L backpack. My current backpack is about 65L, but considering the recent upgrades, I am thinking 45 to 55L will be the sweet spot for autumn slash winter, and about 30L to 40L for summer.

I have a 4400 Porter that I use for everything. It weighs leds than my older daypacks and compacts pretty small. I rarely use the pack full and never with the collar extended. I do like the size of the pack body and the suspension that comes with a larger pack. It is a few ounces heavier. Most of the extra weight comes from the back panel. The extra fabric adds little.
So far it hasn't been worth it to buy a smaller one. Instead, I invest in lighter equipment. Now that I have my kit together. I can put it all together in a box, weigh it and measure it. I would suggest doing that with the equipment you have now. Measure and weigh it, figure food and water along with special use, packraft, kids whatever. If you're beginner, buy a little bigger. You may develop hobbies. Today's fabrics add little weight. Look for good compression so you can shrink it down. Removable stays, removable belt. Looks a little empty sometimes. It's just hard to justify a smaller one yet.

I could easily do everything with just my Paradox Unaweep 3900 (~63 liters, can do a week long summer packrafting trip, 5 days in winter, etc) and Gossamer Gear Type 2 (23 liters, day stuff and summer 2-3 day trips).

That said, I have a ~90 liter MYOG pack (on the Paradox suspension) which is handy because I can stuff my foam PFD inside, and carry other folks stuff when needed. I also have a ~45 liter MYOG pack on the Paradox frame which gets used more than anything else, and is the one I'd keep if I could only have one. Then there are my wife's packs, various daypacks, canyoneering packs, and so forth. 14 or so total in the house at the moment.

david, you make me feel so much better about my pack and shelter addiction. thanks for sharing.

Six shelters in the house btw (2 tarps, 2 mids, 2 tents).

;)

I also have too many packs, but over time I find I'm narrowing in on really using just two packs:

1. A ~40L pack for general three-season use plus winter day and overnight hut trips on skis. As long as I only need one bear canister of food or less (7-10 days and I've never done a longer trip than that), I don't need more than 40L.

2. A very light daypack ~20L for day hikes and overnights.

My next step is probably to consider winter trips on skis without the luxury of a hut and for that I'd likely need a higher volume pack to account for additional insulation and shelter. In fact, I probably want both higher volume and higher weight as I'll need to be able to haul more equipment and potentially my skis as well. That will push me to consider something more robust than my current high-volume pack, an older zpacks blast that is something like 50-55L.

One other note is that I've found my pack volume depends a lot not only on season but on the pack volume of my hiking partner. The more relevant number to look at might be the total volume of our two-person setup. Volume shrinks quickly when you're sharing things like shelter, kitchen, and quilt.

1. SMD Fusion 50L: has been the pack I've been grabbing lately and use for trips up to a week when a bear canister is not required.

2. Custom ULA Relay 35L (has the CDT Hipbelt w/ Pockets and Front Pocket): for UL overnight or weekend trips…but lately have been grabbing the Fusion

3. Will be ordering a ULA Catalyst for Sierra trips when a bear canister is required.

MLD burn for just about everything. I have done 7 days with it.

It's 2300 ci, or about 36 liters.

Zimmerbuilt Quickstep (36 liter) for 3 season up to a week and a Ohm 2.0 for winter.

For several years now my go to backs for longer trips have been:

McHale Bump at 33 liters
McHale LBP 36 at 39 liters

Both have detachable lids, hip pockets, and one shoulder strap pocket, all of which I often leave off.

The nice thing about the LBP is if I add the bayonets and all accessories and extend the roll top the capacity can go up to 79 liters and comfortably carry winter gear.

I am down to one pack for everything. A 2010 SMD Swift that is 18oz with a piece of foam in the pad pocket as I carry an air mattress. I do have a fanny pack that I use for short day hikes, mostly for the water bottle holders. I can go 12 days without resupply in shoulder seasons with the Swift and for the few winter trips I go on I have a pulk and use a large duffle (9,000cu) that is strapped on as weight isn't that big of an issue. In fact, if it doesn't have 30lbs or more in it, it doesn't track well.

Exos 48 if i recall correctly and I carry a bearcan most of the time. Not lightest, but allows to bring a lot of luxuries.

Most of the time with a basic 3-season kit I use the Zimmerbuilt QuickStep,which is 2200 cu in, or about 36L. That's including the outer mesh pockets. It's a tight fit with a rolled up RidgeRest SOLite inside, but on longer trips I prefer my REI Flash inflatable anyway, which frees up space.

When I need a bear can or any sort of extra gear for activities, I use a GoLite Quest 80, although the compression system is good enough that I normally use closer to 45L of the capacity.

For up to a week, 30 liters, maybe 33 if you count the expansion collar. I don't count the pockets, just the pack body. It's a pack I made, it's a touch too full the first day of a 7 day trip (but then again, I always carry too much trail mix so I think it's actually perfectly sized), and is too small to carry a bear can. I have other packs, but this is the one I tend to use since it's just right. 3 season, not winter stuff. I'm not an ultralight backpacker, so I have to admit to being somewhat mystified re what people fill their larger packs with, unless there are synthetic sleeping bags involved. Two big roomy side pockets, 1 roomy front pocket (my pet peeve on most commercial packs is their generally too small or oddly shaped pockets, which is why I made my own).

If I were to do more backpacking requiring a bear can I'd make one that either straps the can under the pack, or is big enough inside to put it horizontally. I have a 50 liter (true main pack body), that easily fits a bear can, but it's a bit too short for my torso, I don't use it anymore because it's way too big for regular 6 day type trips.