55 or 65 liter backpack?

Hi Rich,

Weight will be a little more, of course.  But for me the main problem with a larger pack is bulk and catching on random branches, etc.

I don’t know how far down this rabbit hole you are, but take it from someone who bought a lot of the wrong gear before going lighter: buy the lightest, most packable gear you can afford.  You will thank yourself.  THEN buy the right size pack for that load.

Todd

It seems to me that pack volumes can be measured somewhat differently from pack to pack, so maybe it would be helpful to mention the specific pack you are using. In some cases, external pockets represent a substantial fraction of the volume, and you may need to use them effectively. It also really depends a lot on what you are taking and the conditions of the hike. Shelters and sleeping bags can be pretty bulky, so maybe you can tell us more about your gear. Summer or winter? Do you need a bear can? How long is the trip? Etc.

Thank You.Sorry if this gets long.

Over the past year, I have acquired a zpacks 20 degree quilt with the high end loft. A Sea to Summit pad that is just a little larger than the very lightweight neo light type. I need that.

A Sea to Summit semi freestanding Alto 1 person tent. 2 pounds, 2 or 3 oz. And a  Zpacks 55 liter pack. Arc? Something like that. Has two vertical support rods that curve the pack away from your back an inch or two Midway down your pack.

I have a small titanium cooking pot and a little backpacking stove that fits in it.

I will mention that I previously purchased and still have the Sea to Summit ultra light tarp and a Paria bug mesh tent that I can pair with it. Less than 2 pounds for that combo. I just got tired of trying to be a tarp guy and my wife bought me the above mentioned tent. That tent is still in its packaging.

I can get it all in this above mentioned pack, but then start adding food and some water… it’s pretty full.  Then I think clothing. Some layering. I don’t seem like I’m going to have room. The pack does have a large mesh pocket on the front. Not many other pockets though.

I admit I’m kind of a novice and probably can learn from you all about how to pack. Do you guys use stuff or compression bags for your sleeping bags?

thanks in advance.

Rich

Regarding the last question, I think most people here use a trash compactor bag, nylofume bag, DCF liner, or pump sack as a large pack liner. This allows the pack to be filled more efficiently rather than using a series of stuff/compression sacks because they their round shapes and ends wasted space inside the pack.

I typically pack like this: Nylofume bag goes into the pack. Quilt and pillow go into the nylofume. TAR pad gets folded up and stuffed flat against my back in the bag. Puffy and sleep clothing go in next. I twist the bag closed, push out air, and stuff the twisted neck down to keep it sealed. Then goes my bear can. Shelter gets stuffed next to or on top of the bear can. Ditty bag goes in somewhere towards the top along with my rain shell since I might need those at some point during the day.

Makes sense thanks!

Thanks

I’m getting some good info from you all

Packing a pack is a skill all of it’s own. 55L should be PLENTY. I typically head out with ~2400ci. 55L is right around 3400ci.
I always use a compression sack(Sea to Summit, small or medium) for my sleeping bag, long johns, sleeping socks, down jacket. It is OK to compress down pretty firm. When you get it out at night, simply spread it out on your pad. Body heat will reloft it pretty well.
Food is always planned out. Each meal is dehydrated, or purchased that way. A weeks worth of food fits in a 13L food bag. I use a Streipen Adventurer for water treatment. It fits easily in my pocket on the trail and in 1/2L “GatorAid” style bottles for use. My Ditty Bag has all the odds and ends and my stove. It weighs around 12oz, but I am working on reducing it. My pot/lid is a 1qt aluminum grease pot that just fits my 9×12 tarp. I’ve never found more than a quart to be useful for me alone or with my partner. It weighs about 3.5oz (lid included.) And Aluminum is LIGHTER than Ti. I’ve used the same pot for more’n 20 years. I have a piece of wire added as a handle. My pad is a typical NeoAir Xlite. This all fits in a 1800ci pack, but I carry larger pack, anyway. The pack weighs in at around 13oz. I pre-load the three bags (compression bag, bear bag , ditty bag) and drop them in the pack, Sleeping/down gear, food bag, ditty bag. I slip my fuel/tent in a side pocket. I slip my saw and stakes in my rear pouch inside my pack along with my spoon. I slip my saw diagonally in my pack to act as a frame. I drop my pad on top, inside my pack. I slip two 1/2L water bottles in my remaining side pouch. It all fits in around 1800ci (~30L) and carries well.

You can probably get most of your stuff in a 55L if it’s shaped well and if you’re not pushing heavier/bulkier winter gear into it…but a bit more room in the pack rarely hurts.  I’ve started to go against the grain and use stuff sacks for things in my pack, but I do them a bit differently: I oversize them significantly, and then I allow the less-compressed goods inside to settle in where they’re needed in order to help my overall pack volume stay low while still giving myself a lot of organization.  I have about 135L of DCF stuff sacks inside a 65L pack at any given time; it works pretty well…but I’m also carrying heavier and bulkier stuff than most on here, and I like staying very organized.  I’m usually a bit happier if everything has a compartment or a place to live; that keeps both me and the tent relatively uncluttered and chill.  But yeah, I would take the advice of sizing the pack to your gear, rather than the other way around: your gear lives in your pack and you live in your gear, so start with yourself and your requirements and work towards the pack from there. 👍

Wow!

I think I just need to work on this a bit (:

thank you guys so much

Nice

thanks

I have that same pack, and with no bear can, I’m sure you can get the gear you mentioned into it. Your gear sounds very reasonable to me. As mentioned above, I like to use a properly sized roll-top S2S ultra-sil compression dry bag for my quilt as a stuff sack. It packs it down smaller, and also gives extra protection against water. I generally put that in the bottom, sideways. Over time, I’ve experimented with arrangements of other gear that keep my pack balanced and efficient, but it’s not rocket science, just trial and error.  I often use some small ditty bags for compartmentalization, e.g. for FAK, toiletries, cooking kit. I don’t collect extra clothing together, instead I jam them individually into void spaces. Don’t be afraid to push items firmly down into free space, although obviously you need to be deliberate about it. I also repack food into low volume packages, e.g. small ziplocks. I do use the front pocket for things I might need easy access to, like rain gear and toilet kit. If your tent has poles, you might consider putting them in one of the side pockets and strapping them to the side of the pack.

55 or 65 seems big to me for ultralight, unless it’s a longer trip.  I do 2-4 days with my LifeAF Ultra 35L Curve (that’s 35L in the main section), often including a small bear can.  I just ordered a LifeAF Ultra 40L Curve Full Suspension for longer trips. For what’s it worth, here’s my gear list.  My Thermarest is short but could swap it out for my full length XTherm Thermarest.

You guys are great. Thanks so much

Interesting. It sounds like there are more stuff sack users here than I thought. I like Bonzo’s use of large sacks. I’ve always strongly preferred a loose sack for a shelter rather than a tight one. It’s easier to put a the shelter in and deforms to the available space.

I suppose a nylofume bag is just a large, cheap stuffsack.

Interesting. It sounds like there are more stuff sack users here than I thought.

I really like the extra level of water protection for my down quilt/sleeping-bag so I’m not relying entirely on the pack keeping it dry. Things can leak inside the pack, and there are times during unpacking and repacking where the quilt won’t be in the pack. I have been using an 8L S2S Ultra-Sil Nano Dry Sack, less than an ounce. That’s the only real stuff sack I use. I do put my tent in a sack, but it’s not a tight fit. I just like to keep the tent from going all over the place inside the pack, less likely it will get snagged on something and damaged.

I’ve always strongly preferred a loose sack for a shelter rather than a tight one. It’s easier to put a the shelter in and deforms to the available space.

I just follow that logic for everything… excepting the sleeping pad and some hard/rigid items.  Those have decided spaces in the pack, and everything else gets placed into a large sack and used to form the support matrix of the whole.

Thanks to you all. I know how to proceed.😊

Rich, just remember that you consider yourself a novice in light backpacking and some of the responses are coming from folks who are dedicated ultra-light campers. they have a lot of experience. At the end of the day, your own comfort and experience is what matters. I carry a bear canister, and that determines the size of my pack–larger than an UL for sure. Are you going off trail into brush? No? then catching a larger pack on brush won’t be an issue. I do timid treks off trail, by the standards here, at high altitude. No issues with a larger pack catching on the non existent brush then either. Are you doing a lot of class three or higher scrambling? No? then again, a larger volume pack won’t interfere with your movements.

In short, identify the kind of hiking you’ll be doing, and the environment. Then, look into the difference in weight between the two bags that you’re considering; and whether a larger bag adversely affects fit (not likely). Are you going to carry a bear canister? That’s a huge (!) issue.

I ended by not wanting to cram all my wearable gear into compression sacks. Not all that great for the gear and sort of a pain. I like using waterproof sacks that compress my bag and gear a bit but don’t require the full shrinkapallooza. My pack is designed to carry my bear canister sideways on the bottom, so again, I need volume. This does allow for better packing above.

You said you wanted to go ultralight. 55 to 65 L does seem like a lot of volume for true ultralight. If you’re struggling to get it into a 55L maybe you’ve got lightweight gear, but still aren’t ultralight, in the sense that you’re taking more stuff than most UL folks do. Which is fine if you are comfortable with it.

I am not ultralight, and I use a 60L pack, because I often have to use a bear canister. It just carries better than a pack with zero structure, like a 40L pack I have and rarely use. When I don’t need the extra space for the can, I just squish everything down as much as possible and use any compression straps etc. to get it as small as possible. Works well enough. I could probably save a bit of weight on the pack itself but I don’t really feel the need to.

Thank You. Good thoughts

Thanks so much

One of the biggest issues for novices with bigger packs is weight drift. If you have room, you throw it in bag. If you don’t you leave it home. That helps some people not overpack.

I’m the guy who bought a too-large pack: a 60L GG Crown with a sheet frame. As I’ve lightened up, I’ve not gone down in size yet. At 2 lb 2 oz, the weight penalty isn’t punishing, but the major downside is social — I look like I’m on an expedition on every trip. Other hikers think I must be through-hiking, when in fact I’m only doing a couple of days! I’ve not had noticeable problems snagging the 60L pack on overheads, and given baseweight on my last trip was sub 11 lbs, the pack looks heavy but isn’t.

There are advantages. Packing in the morning is fast and easy, there’s always plenty of room in the pack. Nothing needs to be attached to the outside of the pack, so I’ve been told I look “tidy for a thru-hiker.” (Not sure that’s a compliment? Maybe just a way of saying “big hat no cattle?”) I don’t have to compress my down much–in fact, I use my down to take up the space and help the pack keep its shape. And while I’ve not needed to do this yet, the pack is large enough it would certainly slip over my feet and up to my hips if needed.

So–going large is a mixed bag. Disadvantages and advantages both.

An interesting observation. I do so much appreciate your comment!

I’m going to give a go at my pack using the ideas given above, but I may go larger.

I have learned a lot from y’all.

So glad I joined this forum. This is the first discussion that I have participated in on this site.

Thank You