Light & Comfort Pack at 30+ pounds

Aaron, and anyone else looking for a durable and comfortable pack with a cargo/pack weight ratio above 10.. aren't we all! Trying it in the store with 30lbs is not at all like carrying it for 12-14 hours. Typically frail and thin shoulder straps of those lighter packs just can't protect the anatomy of my shoulders; the muscles and collar bones.
The key therefore is a comfortable hip belt and hard frame to keep weight off the shoulders. The best I have found are the GraniteGear UL series with 3-D Tepex frames. Vapor Trail is 2lbs and Nimbus Ozone is 3. Ive owned the N.O. and currently own the Nimbus Meridian (panel loader) for heavy loads.
30 lbs with a comfortable pack is a nicer feeling than 20 lbs where every step is painful.
That being said; are you carrying 30lbs in summertime, and why?

I've used the Osprey Talon 44 (internal frame, 1.1kg/2.4lb) a fair bit and would say it's reasonably comfy at 30 pounds.

I've also got the Jam2 (frameless): I would find carrying 30 pounds in this uncomfortable, 25lb is probably my personal upper limit right now. But people do it: I would say it takes careful packing to provide some rigidity & tolerance to taking weight on your shoulders (but you could categorise this as discomfort!).

I'd suggest for 30lb+ it's going to be much easier to get a comfy ride with an internal frame.

I should mention – the Talon probably can't be considered 'tough'.

Mabey the new ULA Ohm?
But who knows when it will be available.

I'll shed some light onto why before Aaron gets back.

14 days unresupplied.

It's not the SMALLEST pack out there, but it certainly meets your criteria of under 2.5 lbs, comfortable, durable.

It's well made and well thought-out.

Todd

oH YA! I used to own one and it can carry 35+ pounds no problem no B.S. The comet is the smaller version and meets all the requirements you listed:
wieght : 24.oz (w stays 29)
Made of very durable materials
2600 cubes. main bag – 3700 total
take a pair of scissors to it and you can lower the weight/volume even more.

The top of my list for those criteria is the Granite Gear Vapor Trail which is 2lbs. is ideal for loads which as <30lbs and 2400-3000ci.

Other packs I would recommend (but don’t find as comfortable) would be the Six Moon Designs Starlite or Comet, or the Gossamer Gear Miniposa.

More musing at my pack page

–Mark

Aloha!
I have two that fall in that range, both my Gregory Advent Pro and my Mariposa Plus.

I love the hip belt on the Gregory as well as the zipped pockets on the belt. The helmet holder in the front holds my sleeping pad or my Crocs, they fit in there so well. If packed nice and tight, it feels geat up to 25 to 28 lbs.
I have removed extra cords and things I do not use…but love all the options it offers. I also love having a lid, and if I did not have to carry a bear canister with all that weight, I may have taken my Advent over my Mariposa Plus for this trip.

I have the older model 2006…I hear the newer model has more improvements even.

I like the Comet even better with it's smaller size.
I haven't seen the 07 models yet. Nice!

Hey Chris,
Why?
Maybe for the Colorado Trail Unsupported w/o Resupply next year???
I still haven't taken enough Insanity Pills to say for sure or not yet.
I also have a runners body, 6' 150# and going for that load for 35 miles a day just won't settle with me att.

I can vouch for the ULA Conduit being comfortable at 30 lbs. I've pushed over that just a bit and seemed to do reasonably well but that load diminshed quickly (lots of extra water and food for two) so I wasn't carrying it all that long. I'm not a gear designer but I think the key is the nice, fat shoulder straps and how they attach to the bottom of the pack to distribute and balance the load.

I use a GG Nighlight pad as the framesheet. I've also used a Z Rest 3/4 as a frame with even better results. I'll also say that this pack is very, very functional. The design is fantastic and the quality is, of course, top notch. Scott Williamson used the pack on his last PCT yo-yo.

I figured as much Aaron. I was just answering for Brett at the top. that'd be a killer record to go after and the CT is very nice. You're more than welcome to crash at my place before the attempt if you ever need a place to stay. i'm about 45 minutes from the Waterton trailhead.

I also own the Jam2 and carrying up to 30 lbs can be done comfortably but does require careful packing. Using an unrolled sleeping pad increase comfort tremendously.

Thank's Chris,
Your place wouldn't happen to be at about 11,000+' in elevation?
I'll be crashing and drinking Heineken up there for 3-4 days before, if I do it.
To put things into retrospect, the record, (to me) is so close to being unattainable, that just doing it may be the thing to do. I would only think about the record if everything was working out much better than expected.

I would not put this out there that much, (as far as the record goes), other than just to say that I am doing it.

I have only seen of the current holder and Coup that have done it Unsupported and w/o Resupply. Have you heard of anyone else?

Nope sorry only at 5400ft. That would be better acclimation at 11k though :) I haven't heard of anyone else. It doesn't seem to be thru-hiked as much as the rest though. I'm not sure why. I sort of want to thru-hike it with the wife sometime. It's a good length of trail.

Aaron:
I just reviewed the new GG Latitude Vapor panel loader. It is a sweet pack and would certainly carry 30lbs comfortably. In size M it is about 2'8" in size L it is about 3 0r 4oz more. It is capacious that's for sure, so if you are looking for the volume to go long distances without resupply this pack would work very well. In the size large it is 4200ci and that is without considering the deep side pockets or the pocket between the frame sheet and the pack bag where I carry my 2L water bladder.
It is very well made as all GG stuff is and carries like a dream. The hipbelt will certainly stand up to a 30lb load as will the shoulder harness.

Aaron, I just spent a week in the Indian Peaks with the Scouts. I used the ULA Arctic Dry Pack with a 26 lb. load. It was my first outing with the pack and it performed very well. I even tried running over Arapahoe pass with it on the first day. I didn't use the aluminum stays at the weight I was carrying and I'm not sure when I'll be carrying enough to use them. Although the stays could be useful when moving fast. The design makes it easy to get to things you need quick access to. I think it's a pack worth considering for your purpose.

Hi Aaron,
Well, since nobody's suggested it yet, I'll go with the ULA Circuit. It meets all your technical criteria and, after using one most of this year, on trail and off, with loads up to 30 pounds I can vouch for its ability to carry loads up to that weight in complete comfort. I am almost certain 1-5 additional pounds would be no problemo, based on that experience, and it is about 10 oz. lighter than the Catalyst, which seems a bit like overkill-especially with your build. I am even more in that direction(5'8"/137#) and have tried on a friend's Catalyst-darn near swallowed me, but I wouldn't mind riding in it. Cheaper, too.

I have the original Jam, which I realy like for lighter loads but IMHO it's shoulder straps can't handle 30+ lbs. I use a GraniteGear Nimbus Ozone for the big winter loads, which feels great.

For those loads at reasonable weights and durablility, GraniteGear's Vapor Trail and ULA's packs get lots of great reviews.

GG Vapor Trail. Most comfortable pack I've every owned . . . been using it for a couple years now and it's as good as the day I bought it. Love it. Only thing I changed on it was I shortened the extension color by about half, and removed the hydration sleeve inside.

I’m glad to see so many opinions about the real-world limits of frameless packs – a nice dose of realism, not as present several years ago. I think I’ve said this before, but… anyone who claims the Jam2 is comfortable at 30 lbs probably doesn’t know what a truly comfortable pack should feel like. When I’m on the move all day long, a light frame can deliver very noticeable benefits for even 20-25lb loads.

A stripped-down McHale Subpop can easily be 2-2.5 lbs, should last a long time, and will likely be the most comfortable pack you’ve ever owned. So far mine has been very usable at close to 40 lbs.

My trusty old Vapor Trail was a fine option for loads UP to 30 lbs, maybe more if you have a higher tolerance for discomfort.

Physical build may be another determining factor here – I’m 5’9″, 150 lbs, runners build.

EDIT: oops, link fixed now.

It's hard to ask the masses about packs.
Everything is just so big!

Why do I need a 3600+ ci pack?
Why should anybody need a 3600+ ci pack?

Maybe I can fill it with water and use it for a pool at the end of the day.
I know, I asked the question and I'm getting the answers, but I want the smallest pack I can fit everything in not the biggest.
I can do 5 days in a 1400 ci pack, a 3,600 would get me to the moon. It's also not comfortable to hike 30+ mile days in a big honken pack. Mobility needs to be an issue that big packs don't offer.

I'm down to the Advent or Comet right now, I think the Comet is going to be the victor.

Half of the weight of the Advent is in it's various pockets that are great for adventure racing but not absolutely necessary for hiking.