Lightweight backpacks

[Zack Freije]

Well, I said I wasn't going to do it. I convinced myself that my pack was comfortable and that's what mattered, with good features like venting and padded shoulder straps, and a custom molded waist belt.

But now I think I realize that it's a great way to reduce weight and when the weight is down the pack won't be uncomfortable. I used to be concerned about the durability of lightweight packs.

The problem is, I've never had the chance to handle one before. I really don't like to buy things like that without handling them, trying them on and getting a feeling for whether it's a good fit for me.

Do you have any suggestions about moving to a lightweight pack with regards to buying sight unseen?

[EndoftheTrail]

Two thoughts…

(1) By definition, lightweight packs are light. That means your ONLY risk for buying sight unseen is inexpensive return postage! For the potential upside (a great UL pack that works with your now lighter gear weight) — methinks you have very little downside.

(2) For a great balance between ultralight (meaning not the absolute lightest but still pretty darn light) and durability (meaning not bullet proof but still pretty darn durable) — look for packs made with Dyneema. Mountain Laurel Designs, Six Moon Designs, and ULA are three to look into.

[Brian Ahlers]

ULA! I just got my Ohm in the mail the other day and all I said was, "Wow". First time buying from Chris @ ULA and am so glad I did. He has amazing customer service and is willing to work with you. I only bought packs from REI or other local recreational shops for my packs, typically went with Ospreys. Chris at ULA has created an amazing pack (Ohm) in my opinion. To be honest I haven't loaded it up so these are just first impressions but if you look into ULA's packs more on these forums, you're going to find a wealth of praise for their packs.

Brian

[Zack Freije]

So, what's the average pack weight for these types of bags that is comfortable to carry? 10 pounds? 20 pounds?

[Chris Gray]

If you have a an REI near you then they sell Golite's Pinnacle, Jam and Peak which are in the 2lb range.

Beyond that, the best way is to look in the gear swap forums for a pack and purchase it for a reasonable price– if it doesn't work out for you, then you could always resell the pack here since the market is never ending.

[Chris Gray]

Zack– it depends on the pack.

[Zack Freije]

I guess I need to accurately determine my average volume of gear. I've been making some volume changes lately, so I don't have it nailed down yet.

[EndoftheTrail]

Zack:

Frameless packs are comfy up to somewhere between low and mid 20's total pack weight. YMMV of course.

And yes — nail down your other gear pieces first. Then shop for appropriate carrying comfort and volume.

[Bob Gross]

I have a backpack that weighs only 4 ounces. However, it is only comfortable for about 15-18 pounds. It doesn't even have a waist belt. One problem with some backpacks that are this light is that they may not be durable. If you overload this one, like say 22 pounds, it may hurt the seams.

–B.G.–

[Zack Freije]

I just don't think my gear is down to that weight. I am around 20 pounds now if I am remembering correctly.

Additionally, I do plan to carry my DSLR camera with me and the best way to do that is attach it to the shoulder straps of the pack. As a result I do need the shoulder straps to be comfortable. I suppose I could always add a padded cover though if necessary.

[Bob Gross]

There are others who have expressed the preference to carry their DSLR camera that same way.

I prefer to have the two separate. I hate having a camera bouncing on my chest. I want to be able to shed the backpack and dash with just the camera if I need to. So, I carry the DSLR with long lens in a holster, and it has its own shoulder strap.

–B.G.–

[Jeff M.]

I do the same thing with my DSLR. I have a golite quest that has straps strong enough to hold the camera. However, I haven't felt comfortable trying the same thing with my GG Mariposa Plus because I'm not sure the straps could hold it (3.5 lbs). My fix for this is basically I'm going to retire the DSLR for hikes and purchase a P&S with RAW capabilities. If I'm using the quest I might consider taking the DSLR along.

[Zack Freije]

Do you have any photos of the previous setup with the DSLR?

I am a big photography buff and for me the photography is itself as important as the rest of it. I just can't see myself not taking a nice camera to grab some artistic shots to remember my travels.

[Jeff M.]

I can understand that completely. I'm the same way, but I haven't found a practical way to carry my DSLR with my lighter weight pack. I figured I'd give a nice P&S a shot since I need one anyway.

I don't have a picture of the set up I described (unfortunately I don't make a lot of pictures since I'm always the one taking them), but I may have time to take a quick picture of it tomorrow for you. Basically, I keep the camera (Canon 7D) in a lowepro AW65 case and use two caribiners to strap it on the shoulder straps at about where the sternum strap is on the pack. I'll try and take a picture of it tomorrow.

[Bob Gross]

My new Canon 7D is due for delivery in a few days. The Lowepro AWxx cases are good for just about any weather.

For many thru-hikers, they are on the trail and moving from sunrise to sunset, so they typically only shoot a few scenery shots or the view from the best campsite. As a result, just about any P&S camera works fine. They can be very small and inexpensive, and you can stick them in a shirt pocket.

However, there are some of us who backpack as a way to get to the photography, especially wildlife photography. My reason for lightening up my general pack load is that allows me to bring more photography gear. So, let's keep our priorities straight.

–B.G.–

[carl becker]

I hike to photograph. I use a Nikon D700 and carry a tripod for those hours when the light is low and majestic. I have carried the camera over my shoulder and in the pack depending on needs. My overnight setup fits in 36L at about 33 pounds skin out with 5L of water. If trip snaps where the goal I would have a Micro 4/3's setup for a camera at much less size and weight.

[Rakesh Malik]

I carry a tripod also, a Feisol traveller-style carbon fiber legset with a Really Right Stuff BH-40 ballhead. I generally try to choose camp sites near where I want to shoot during the periods of best light, particularly since I do my landscape photography with a view camera, so it takes a good 15-20 minutes to set up, focus, meter, choose filters, insert the film holder, and get the shot.

That's why I have LARGE McHale pack, rather than a smaller ultralight. But mine's also full Dyneema, which is an expensive option on an expensive custom pack, but the resulting weight reduction and bombproof build quality make it worth while.

I stopped carrying my dSLR on backpacking trips… it's too bulky and massive — not that much lighter than my Arca-Swiss, and the Nikon's lenses are significantly heavier than the view camera lenses.

[Bob Gross]

I'm always amazed at the situations some photographers get into. I participated in a photo workshop at Death Valley one time, except that I was the only participant along with the leader/instructor. He had a 4×5 view camera and a huge wooden tripod. Of course the film packs are both large and expensive, so he had a custom full-size backpack to carry the camera, the lens, and the film. He had to carry the tripod in his hands.

We started from the highway, heading out into the salt flats, and he was carrying all of this heavy stuff. I had a fairly normal DSLR with moderate tripod, so I was carrying no more than 10-12 pounds total. The instructor faded after less than a mile, so we had to shoot from there.

There is no point in having all of that nice heavy field gear if you can't lug it to the place to shoot.

–B.G.–

[Rakesh Malik]

That's precisely what made me interested in this community in the first place. I only carry around 15 pounds of camera gear, since I've knocked down the weight of the rig quite a bit, so I can cover a lot of ground with my full pack. I'm also stronger than most people, so I can handle a pretty heavy load, also.

Even so, I prefer a lighter load, and one of the reasons that I didn't lighten my load earlier is that I didn't know that I COULD. Another was money — lighter gear that gets the job done tends to cost more than heavier gear that's otherwise similar.

Since joining here, I've lowered my pack weight by around 20 pounds already. Of course, 10 pounds of that came from pulling the SLR and SLR lenses out of my pack and leaving them at home :)

[Roger Caffin]

I made up a camera carry pouch for winter use. It can hold a Canon G11 and an (optional) Garmin GPS. Fully adjustable, weighs 46 grams. Goes inside any shell-wear I have on to keep it dry and warm. Works just fine.

Cheers

[Bob Gross]

Roger, I think it is great that you managed to do the camera case in a matching fabric to the gaiters.

I guess you aren't much into subdued colors.

–B.G.–

[John Nausieda]

I like the Velcro unless you are shooting wildlife instead of a zipper. Why is the flap split into 2 sections if I am seeing this correctly?

[Eric Blumensaadt]

I thought this was a thread onPACKS, not cameras & their gear.

[Zack Freije]

So, my current Osprey Aether is around 4 pounds. I see the upcoming BPL pack is going to be 2 pounds and will have some hefty straps to it. Should I hold off until that comes out?

As far as camera attachment, I am currently using a Canon 30D with 24-105 lens in a Think Tank digital holster. However, that holster bag is way too heavy. It does have padding to protect the camera though if I slip. I'm not sure about making a UL bag for it…

Here I am with it hiking with my Camelbak:

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Bob and John

Colours coordination: the blue gaiters are commercial ones using Gore-Tex, bought maybe 15 years ago. That's what they had at the time. The blue packcloth on the camera case is some spare packcloth I had lying around. (OK: it was in the fabric rack.) Not a lot of fashion sense there I'm afraid!

Velcro/Zip: a zip for that length would be clumsy. A zip in sub-zero conditions with mitts and overmitts would be even more clumsy.

Two velcro flaps: one flap covers the G11 pocket and the other flap covers the GPS pocket. It seemed like a good idea at the time, although the next time I will probably have just one combined flap, and a better water-shedding design too.

Hey – this thing was thrown together a day before a major snow trip! Not a lot of technical design went into it.

Cheers

[Author]

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