Sleeping pad for ULA CDT and other packing questions

I used that awesome pack from Mexico to Canada on the Desert Trail (gear list here.)

I carried an EvoPad 83x20x1/2″ I cut it in 3 pieces: 1/2, 1/4, 1/4. I stacked it for sleeping in 2 layers. One small piece I used for an inside pack backpad, the other for a sit-pad. The big piece I rolled into a tube into which I packed my other gear. If it was potentially rainy I used a trash compactor bag as a pack liner. I used a cuben stuff sack for my sleeping bag which then went into “the tube,” which, packed full of gear and food worked well as in internal frame. So for about 14 oz. I got a 1″ thick sleeping pad, an internal frame, a sit pad, and a double layer back-pad.

I've had a couple of trips with my ULA CDT and wish I could do more. I love that pack. I use a trash compactor bag to hold my down bag and down coat and anything else I don't want to get wet. These items go in the bottom of the pack and the rest of my gear gets packed on top of it. I don't use stuff sacks for the down stuff. I just let them expand or compress inside the compactor bag as needed to get the rest of my gear into the pack. I use a Exped Synmat UL 7 pad and have no problem rolling it up into a small tidy cylinder which easily fits in the pack. Hope this helps.

I'm leaning towards the Prolite Small and hoped that it would provide enough support.

I believe Brian said the Conduit was designed for a 3/4 Prolite (or Prolite Plus). I use a 3/4 Guidelite and it works perfectly. Most comfortable pack I own.

I don't often use a packliner, but have used one a hand full of times with the CDT and it works just fine.

I find 4 sections of the z-lite pad fit well in the back portion of the CDT. I carry the remainder of the z-lite on top, outside, and use that portion for a sit pad. Fitting the whole z-lite inside of the pack took up too much space, imho.

Great pack at a great price!

I normally use a Gossamer Gear Torso pad in my CDT. And like others use a trash compactor bag as a pack liner where I loosely store my down quilt and jacket on the bottom of the pack. I pack everything else in above it. I have a couple of cuben fiber stuff sacks from z-packs (weight almost nothing) that I store small stuff so I can always find it and it makes it easy to pack up since I only have to throw in a few stuff sacks instead of alot of loose gear; I never have to pull everything out of my pack to search for something. With frameless packs like the CDT, you want to eliminate empty space so that the pack becomes as rigid as possible so practice arranging your gear as you pack to do so.

For me, the limitation on this pack isn't the size, with my gear I could fit at least 10 days of food if I wanted, rather its how it handles the weight load (which is why I don't want to carry 10days of food in it). How well you pack it, determines how well it carries the weight. If you find it uncomfortable, try repacking it differently. Eventually you should find a way that your shoulders will enjoy more. When I first started using this pack (first frameless pack), my shoulders hurt a lot by the end of the day. But after a lot experimenting in how I pack it, they rarely bother me at all anymore, mainly only when I'm carrying the high 20's pounds, and even then I only notice it late in the day and it isn't that bad.

Do you use any pad at all to support the pack? Did you remove the padding that comes with the pack?

I noticed that the hipbelt (M) doesn't cover much of my waist. It's worse when I let the sleeping bag loose in the pack (i.e. no stuff sack). Has anyone else noticed this?

I'm a 33-34 inch waist, so I assumed that Medium would be okay.