Pack size

I prefer a larger pack. I use a myog frame pack with a 4000+ cubic inch back bag, a front bag and top bar strap on capability. So I have something like 6000-7000 cubic inches of carrying capacity.

This volume allows me to carry a 6 gallon food hang bucket when required, one or two of the largest bear cannisters when required, a float coat, a rope when required, firewood at camp and (on one trip) a 12" diameter glass float that we found at the ocean. On one trip I actually put another guy's pack onto mine because he was injured.

I use this pack everyday to and from the gym and the grocery store. Two 18 packs of 16 ounce beer cans (36 cans in all) is no problem and gives the pack a good test.

From past discussions I would guess that most people who respond will favor smaller packs. Sometimes I think an appropriate name for the website might be Backpacking Light and Small.

I used my ULA CDT pack on my last 5 day trip (GTW in early Sept) and it had more than enough room for my gear, including a smallish bear can. ULA claims 3,370 cu in total capacity for this pack but, if I recall, BPL measured a smaller volume when they last reviewed this pack. My base weight (w/o food or water) was an ounce or two less than 10lbs, including 1 lb of fly fishing gear. I'm very happy with this pack and the load it was carrying.

I prefer a 2200ci pack. Small and efficient. It weighs about 8oz.
Generally, I am not limited by size. I use small size stuff, anyway. Volume rates a close second to weight. But the Murmur packs very well for trips up to about 10 days. It is slightly overloaded at 23pounds, so I use a little different frame/pad.

I am not put off by larger packs, provided they can be compressed well and don't weigh a lot, themselves. Anything up to about 16oz is OK. Front packs are not the best for me, though. I have a couple bad disks in my shoulder/neck area making any weight high on my back/shoulders difficult to carry. Front packs put more loading on my shoulders than I can tolerate, generally. Tried it. Usually, about 5-6 pounds is the limit, the rest sits on my hips. Not the best for walking, but better than on my shoulders.

Generally, there are two pivot points on any pack. The first is the overall ballance between the pack and your body. This usually causes you to lean forward. The secondary pivot point is of the pack itself. This causes a twist, pulling away from the shoulders and twisting into your lower back, the lumbar region. The general effect is that a pack carried further away from your body will *feel* as if it weighs a bit more. Proper loading to reduce, as much as possible (it isn't possible to remove it all,) this loading will allow less pressure on your back and shoulders.

This is the same theory as using front packs. They allow a balanced load creating less strain on your muscular system, but more strain on the skeletal system…in my case the disks. But, the extra weight on the shoulders, shoulder blades and spine force more muscular action to hold your spine straighter. Clearly some load on the front is OK, but for 30-40 pound loads, a limit of about 2-3 pounds on the front is normally about the limit…maybe two bottles of water… As always, this is sort of a compromise between the higher balance, the extra loading on your shoulders, et al. and the need to use less energy carrying a pack.

The main body of my pack is listed as 2600 cubic inches or 42.6 liters. This does not include the extension collar which I never have needed, even for 9-10 day solo trips. My pack does have generous tall outside mesh pockets, but I use them only for raingear, wet socks, snacks, water bottle, tent and fishing rod. Total pocket capacity is 650 cubic inches (10.6L), but I use less than half the capacity for the rear pocket and maybe 3/4 of the side pockets. That means I use at most about 3000 cubic inches/49 liters capacity in total. Because I now have a cuben fiber tent, I will put it inside the pack at the top, but it still doesn't overflow into the extension collar. I still have to pull up the compression straps a bit, so the main body is not full. In other words, I would look for a smaller pack if this one weren't so comfortable for me. The pack: Six Moon Designs Comet, 2005 model, long since discontinued. It's a "little brother" of their Starlite. With the "optional" (mandatory, IMHO) stays, it behaves like a fully-framed pack. I have carried up to 37 lbs. in it, with no discomfort to shoulders, back, hips. My knees and feet, though, after a horrible three days, said "Never again!"

Most lightweight gear is also compact, which makes it doubly blessed!

I pay the extra weight for a good frame: the improvement in comfort is worth every gram of it.

Cheers

For a long weekend, I use a 1500 c.i. pack. My pack for a week or more is, I think, 2600 c.i. Both are frameless. The smaller one has no real hipbelt and weighs 4-5 oz. The larger one has a full hipbelt, weighs about 8-9 oz, and has worked well for me up to about 25 lbs.

James,

"I have a couple bad disks in my shoulder/neck area making any weight high on my back/shoulders difficult to carry. Front packs put more loading on my shoulders than I can tolerate, generally."

Would mounting your shoulder straps (or front bag straps) higher on the pack (or pack frame) help with your shoulders? When using shoulder straps and/or a front bag I don't typically have any weight on top of my shoulders. Everything hangs from the top corners of the pack frame and is transferred from there to the waist belt via the vertical members of the frame.

(This pack is just filled with pillows for the photo so it isn't hanging right on me. When loaded with actual gear it tilts forward a bit and puts a slight arch in the vertical carbon fiber spars of the frame.)

Would mounting your shoulder straps (or front bag straps) higher on the pack (or pack frame) help with your shoulders?

Yeah, it might. I had thought of that many years ago, but was reluctant to try it after an initial test. I was using an older Kelty frame and added a couple bags to the front with arrow shafts stuck in them. But climbing was real difficult without any pressure on my shoulders. The pack, front and rear, would slip sideways very easily. If I tightened the sternum strap, it limited deep breathing. It looked fairly complex to get the dynamics quite correct with the hip belt carrying the load and also tugging down to stabilze the twisting at the top, so, I dropped it. How did you solve that?

Edited to add: BTW, I was thinking of a couple armpit, straps between the front and rear packs.

James,

"How did you solve that?"

(1) I carry the pack low on the frame.
(2) I use tradional shoulder straps in addition to the front bag. (photos here don't show the shoulder straps).

The shoudler straps typically hang loosely as I hike on good trail. I tighten the shoulder straps if I'm going over/under logs, rocks, climbing ropes, etc.

"Edited to add: BTW, I was thinking of a couple armpit, straps between the front and rear packs."

I tried various combos of the armpit straps and did not find them very helpful.Traditional shoulder straps work best for controlling side to side sway. The only thing I do differently with the shoulder straps is to mount them just high enough so there is no downward pressure on the shoulders.

Here's a photo of a Jan Sport frame pack (no front bag) to illustrate my point on the shoulder straps. See how they are angled slightly upward from the shoulder? This keeps the weight off the shoulders but still allow the straps to stabilize the backpack to my satisfaction.

Daryl

Yeah, I sort of thought someting along those lines, but I was hoping. I did the same with the old Kelty.

I was more worried about breathing constrictions with the armpit straps. Tight enough to hold things would make it difficult to breath fully.

Then the simple act of loading/unloading the pack from hiking. Even the old Tough Traveler could get annowing getting it off. Ahh well…

"What size pack do you guys use for a 5-7 day trip."

As you can see from the answers, the variation is so large that it makes it nearly meaningless. What others use is interesting, but very much tied to the volume and weight of their kit. I would start with a gear list and projected weight and then select a pack. Items like bear cans, CCF pads, or colder-rated sleeping bags and insulated clothing can change your weight and volume needs.

I agree with Roger on a framed pack. With 7 days food you will be pushing the limits of most frameless packs. I like them in general and have been willing to accept the extra weight to get the increased comfort and functionality.

Daryl,

I still have that same pack that you used to illustrate your point about the pack straps.

The picture below is not my pack but one like it.

It weighs 4 pounds 13 ounces empty as per factory specs.

My question is there any way to keep those shoulder straps in that position that you show in your picture when the pack is loaded while hiking?

My anatomy contradicts the hip belt staying above the pelvic crest. ;-)

Party On,

Newton

Newton,

"My question is there any way to keep those shoulder straps in that position that you show in your picture when the pack is loaded while hiking?"

If you mean….. elevated above the shoulder so there is no weight on the shoulder….then the answer is yes. (Assuming your Jan Sport pack is long enough, the top bar is adjustable and the shoulder straps are attached to the top bar)

Simply raise the top bar to the point where the shoulder straps are above the shoulder when the pack is fully loaded and you are wearing your waist belt at the desired location.

I used an MSR external frame pack for about 20 years. It had a Jan Sport frame and I used the shoulder straps as described above. The pack frame was long and I am only 5'9" tall so I had room to do it.

If the frame is too short or the shoulder strap top connection isn't adjustable then you can't make it happen. These limitations are probably fairly common because this way of using the shoulder straps isn't what is typically recommended by the pack makers.