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How accurate are manufacturer volume numbers?


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  • #1266786
    BPLwiia
    Spectator

    @bplwiia

    I was at an EMS today and compared a number of packs side by side. I'd undo the straps, bindings and zips and fill out the packs with "stuff".

    Several times, I noticed two different packs from different manufacturers, whose cubic in. volume were listed about the same, where one was almost twice the size of the other. I even called over the manager to see if my eyeballs were just having a bad day. He smiled after comparing the manufacturers' pack volumes.

    Isn't there some industry norm by which they accurately measure volume? I understand that exterior pockets do add to the volume, and maybe even deceptively so, but the overall difference was striking at least with the packs I looked at.

    What's up with this?

    #1676216
    Ken Thompson
    BPL Member

    @here

    Locale: Right there

    Not accurate. Marketing at work. All specs are spun.

    #1676217
    EndoftheTrail
    BPL Member

    @ben2world-2

    Wildly inaccurate — esp. the wider-known brand names!! Same with weight specs and warmth ratings.

    The boutique UL gear makers tend to be much more honest — likely because they know that many of their customers are UL fanatics who will verify!

    #1676293
    gavin wenyon
    Member

    @gavin123

    Never judge a pack by its stated size, Just make sure your gear will fit.

    Maybe they should make a standard for the measuring process, just like sleeping bags. At least that would give consumers a better idea on what to look for. Ive seen tons of variation between brands.

    #1676299
    BPLwiia
    Spectator

    @bplwiia

    The difficult aspect to making sure things fit/measure up is that often I am buying online and waiting to "try it out" after I buy it when it arrives.

    I love the cottage industry that the internet has spawned but, at the same time, I detest buying without having the opportunity to know what on earth I'm buying.

    Were measurements accurate you could narrow down your choices based upon them. If there is little, or no, reliance upon what a manufacturer asserts then it's basically a roulette wheel. Very frustrating.

    Thanks.

    #1676303
    James holden
    BPL Member

    @bearbreeder-2

    in the recent BPL tests the packs that were closest to their claimed volume were jansport and montbell

    the least closest were ULA, golite, GG and rei

    part of it is a lack of standard measurements or adherence to such … the other problem is that its basically a marketing statement

    one company produces a "50L" pack … so another company does as well

    #1676417
    Jason Delso
    BPL Member

    @zencarver

    Locale: DFW

    There is an ASTM standard for measuring volume, but adherence (and then accuracy) is sometimes lacking. BPL article

    #1676424
    Greg Mihalik
    Spectator

    @greg23

    Locale: Colorado

    Adherence is lacking, as is protocol.

    When measuring a Mariposa Plus you immediately notice that the pack is constructed as a cylinder.

    When measuring ULA Ohm you notice that the pack is constructed a rectangle at the bottom, which can transform into a cylinder at the top. But, the way I pack it, the top retains its rectangular section. (I like to keep things close to my back.) So, the way it gets measured can give you more volume than the way I use it.

    The same can be said of the Mariposa Plus. It has a large volume, but you may or may not be able to use it Effectively, if your pack items force it into a rectangular cross section.

    So even with a "standard" the resulting volumes can still be misleading.

    But, packing peanuts or ping pong balls will always yield a better result than marketing BS.

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