Zpacks Arc Blast: Max load carrying?

30lb is what they list… but I think 25 is more realistic.

I find mine to be most comfortable at about 22 and below.
At 24/25 I find it to be pretty uncomfortable, but tolerable.
If I carry over 25, I go to a heavier pack that carries loads better.

Everyone will have a different 'comfort index'

Billy

I don't have an Arc Blast. I have the Blast. You would think that the slight frame of the Arc Blast would make it better than a Blast for weight-bearing.

I just finished my second trip with it, and the pack did fine. At the start, my total load was 28.5 pounds, and it never felt uncomfortable at all. By that, I mean that I never felt any strain on my shoulders or hips or anything. It felt like a nicely distributed lumpy cushion on my back. If a Blast can do that, then I would expect that an Arc Blast can.

–B.G.–

Bob, I have similar experience with a Blast but find I start to have little discomfort at about 28-30 pounds. Its usually not an issue for me, but I am hoping to do a trip soon that requires a bear can. Do you carry a can in th blast? If so, how do you pack it and how comfortable is it? Thanks.

Sure. My load includes a Bearikade Scout full of food. The Blast is the 52L version.

When loading up, I do it this way. In the bottom, there are two little soft cylindrical bundles. One is my sleeping bag in a stuff sack, and one is my down inner jacket in a stuff sack. Those are at the bottom, so there is nothing solid there that is going to bite me in the butt.

The next item is the bear canister of food. I could just drop it in, but then it becomes difficult to get it out without dumping everything. So, I take my convoluted eggcrate foam pad and wrap it around the circumference of the canister. To hold that in place, I have a four-foot length of polyester ribbon (lighter than webbing). The ribbon goes around and under the canister and it all ties together. Then I lower that lump down into the backpack. The other small stuff and clothing gets thrown in the top, and then the pack closes up.

I could have used a thin cord, but it will cut its way into the foam pad. The flat ribbon does not, yet it is easy to tie a knot. In the multipurpose category, it would be handy as a climbing loop or as a first aid sling material. My ribbon is bright yellow, so I wrap that around one of my tarp guylines so that I see it at night and don't trip over it to break my fool neck.

This ain't my first rodeo.

–B.G.–

Thanks, Bob. That's helpful. And sorry for the side trip to the thread.

Honestly, I think the only way to answer this question is to load yours up with your anticipated load and go for a hike with it… As you may notice already, the answers will vary from person to person. You should be able to get a good idea on a long day hike with it loaded up.

As for me, I too carried my older (regular) Blast with around 24 – 25 lbs on a 7 day hike in the Olympics, and didn't have any issues with it, rather quite happy with it. Since then though, I have succumbed to the Arc Blast, and have used it on a few trips, but only with as much as 23ish lbs… and I absolutely loved it! It carried better than any other pack I have used… I rarely, if at all, had to make adjustments to any of the straps throughout a full day of hiking… Considering this, I feel like for me, the 30 lbs would be fine, and likely even a little more…

I also think that it depends on how the pack is packed… For me, I tend to put the heavier items (food) at the top of the pack. The farther down in the pack it is, the more it seems like the pack is pulling at my shoulders. I generally pack all of my packs the same way… sleeping pad folded and laid against the back of the pack, then my sleeping bag/quilt, pillow, and extra clothes (if carried) at the bottom (just shoved in the pack to fill in every little nook and cranny). Then my cooking gear on top of that, along with anything else going inside my pack, then the food bag on the very top. I like to let the contents of my pack fill my pack rather than trying to cinch everything down into balls that don't pack well, and then rely on the outer compression straps to make the pack fit the contents. In fact, I have no use for outer compression straps… I would rather the pack be filled as it should be… at least to me, when the pack is this way, the pack rides better.

What would Arc Blast users say is the limiting factor in the pack's max load?

Is it padding (too thin?), frame collapse, hipbelt sag, etc?

I would say the padding is too thin. The pack becomes uncomfortable to me on the hips and shoulders above 28 pounds after about 10 miles.

I also took one winter trip with the pack right around 31lbs and thought it seemed like 30lbs was starting to stress the pack itself. I got the feeling that 30lbs+ would seriously reduce the pack's life, though I can't back that up. (this was the 52L, stuffed tight).

The waist belt is not very sophisticated or substantial.
At abour 25 lb load it just starts to slip past my phantom hips to easily and then weight on my shoulders… and… it is uncomfortable because I have to tighten that hip belt so much it hurts my hips.

Have had the thought of asking Joe to sew a ULA belt onto an ArcBlast…

Billy