Advice for new backpack

[David G]

Howdy all!

I am in the market for a new backpack and need some recommendations for one.  The backpack in question would be a framed pack with 2 stay (or hoop stay) along with a frame sheet.  It would need to be capable of handling 35 pounds of gear based on my loadout and that would allow me to stay out for up to 5 days.  I have gone through my gear list and I am sub 10 pounds including 2 pounds for a backpack (I used the Hyperlite Southwest in the lists), but that includes 2 L of Water which I prefer to put in the outside pockets that seem to be common on most packs.  I would prefer to have something with a lid, but am very open to a roll top as long as I can get an external storage area (TP, Shovel and First Aid Kit). I am also looking for a pack that is lighter, preferably under 2.5 pounds.

I currently have a Gregory Stout 45L pack which does fine for overnights but does not have enough space for a multi night trip.  The Hyperlite has plenty of space for me but lacks a framesheet and is not capable of handling the weight I would put in it comfortably (I tried, trust me).  I have a Seek Outside Unaweep which is great but at 103L is overkill for most of my trips.

I spent last weekend looking at a variety of backpacks from Gregory, Osprey, Mystery Ranch, Hyperlite, ZPacks, ULA, Gossamer Gear and Outdoor Vitals.  Looking at all of those I’ve found one pack that would fit the bill, but wondering if anyone has found anything else out there that might fit.  The packs seem to be in two camps, those that can handle a max of 30 pounds that weight 2 pounds and those that can handle 40-50 pounds and weigh in at 4-5 pounds.

My gear lists.  Pretty much the same aside from the food which increases the more days I’m out.

Single Night Trip – https://lighterpack.com/r/iflb36

Two Night Trip – https://lighterpack.com/r/eb9j8l

Four Night Trip – https://lighterpack.com/r/d0rgjj

Thanks in Advance!

 

[Bob Shuff]

Kakwa 40 or 55?  Hyperlights are generally acknowledged for carrying that kind of weight pretty well, but fit makes a big difference.

Other load haulers I’ve tried would be a Hanchor Marl or ULA Circuit.  Justin on YouTube swears by the REI Flash.

[Bill Budney]

Can you remove the Unaweep from the Revolution frame? (SeekOutside used to offer the packs and frame separately).

If so, then a couple of dry bags or a smaller pack on your existing frame would give you familiar carry capacity while saving some weight.

[Chris K]

Check out the Cliffrose 55 by Virga Packing Company. It fits your criteria for specs, certainly. Timing and sizing could be an issue depending on your trip. I’ve been happy with mine.

[Tom M]

I have had or tried every pack you listed including the Durston line and for me nothing compares to Superior Wilderness Designs. I’ve put there packs through the Idaho centennial trail, Arizona trail, Colorado trail, and the Bob marshal wilderness open to name a few and the comfort for me is outstanding. I also used there pack on a Bighorn sheep hunt humping 50lb loads up and down in the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness. They are hand made in the USA also.

[talagnu]

echoing the swd suggestion. my long haul 50 with the hanging hipbelt is the best pack I’ve used. no frame sheet or brain though

[JG H]

-1 for the Kakwa or any pack with a hoop

If I read your post correctly, you’re at about 8# base weight including water but excluding the pack, right? And you want a pack that can carry 35# comfortably for up to five days, correct? That’s allowing for an extra 27# of food which is 5.4# per day. Is that right?

I had a Kakwa but sold it immediately. For me, the frame is too wide and I found that the pack needs a framesheet and a lumbar pad (it has neither). I also had a couple of ULA packs (hoops) but sold them bc, in my experience, they don’t transfer weight adequately if you carry > 20#.

I love my Atom Packs Mo (now called the Prospector). It has the framesheet you want but only has a single stay, so that’s out.

My next pack will be a SWD Wolverine or Long Haul. Check out the reviews on those as they may be an option for you if you can live w/out the framesheet.

And lastly, the only packs I can recall that meet your criteria are older Gregory packs. They’re all over eBay which may be your best option.

Good luck and let us know which pack you find that meets your needs.

[bradmacmt]

SWD for me – the Wolverine 70L is my favorite pack since a circa 1987 Gregory, and my all-time favorite pack of the last 50 years (I’ve had quite literally dozens of internals since I switched from externals 1978). My wife is happy with a Unaweep 4800, but if she had gone with an SWD she might feel differently.

I have an extra Wolverine 70L I’m going to put in the classifieds (Size L w/M hipbelt) if you’re interested. It was used on one overnight.

[Philip Tschersich]

Even though I don’t technically own a SWD, I would give it a tentative thumbs up too. I have been using a SO Flight (1 & 2) pack for a few years and have cycled through a few hipbelts with it. Last winter I picked up a Big Wild/Wolverine SWD hip belt and added daisy chains to my Flight to use it. Very nice. It is a bit ironic that SO did not use the excellent suspended-bag strategy that they developed with their Paradox/Evolution/Revolution line on the Flight, whereas SWD has a very clean and well executed version of this. It carries quite nicely. Here are a couple of trips I did this summer with the Flight + SWD belt.

[jscott]

35 lbs for five days without a bear canister seems like a lot. Where are you located? I do see that a lot of your weight is in carried water. so maybe that’s the issue. here on the west coast I rarely carry water, but rather drink from rivers as I go along.

My point is that if you can bring your carried weight down by 8 pounds, that would open up possibilities for a new pack. Granted that’s a lot. Again, where do you mostly hike? Scotland has different requirements than summer in the Sierra, for example. the same goes for the desert southwest, where water must be carried.

[David G]

Thanks for all the replies.  I will have a lot to look into and a lot to think about.

 

I backpack in the Rocky Mtns west of Denver.  Apologies if I was confusing in my original post.  The big three Shelter, Sleep and Backpack weigh in at under 10 pounds while everything except the food, fuel and water weigh in at just under 19 pounds.  The food, water and fuel add 8.5 to 15 pounds (variation due to length of trips from 1-5 days) so I have 26-32 pounds of gear, 28-34 pounds with a 2 pound pack.  While the trails I hike on have water, some water sources are pretty distant so I carry 2 Liters of water as a rule of thumb, so just over 4.5 pounds alone for that.  I am working on cutting down the weight where I can but it likely won’t happen enough before I need to buy a new backpack.

[Dan]

I live and hike in the same general area as you, and IMO you can probably reduce your base weight by 5-8 pounds without giving up much functionality. I am not ultralight at all, but I think I typically carry about 8-10 lbs less than you for the same length trip in the same terrain. And I carry a larger-than-necessary tent and extra gear because of my dog(s).

For your big three alone, I think you can shave off 4-5 pounds pretty easily. Only if you want to, of course. Then you can look more closely about your cook-set, etc., and I’d imagine you’ll find some places to lose 4-8 oz here and there. Carrying 2L of water isn’t crazy at all, that’s how much I typically carry to start each day, I’m just not a fan of stopping to purify water during the day.

The weight reductions take a leap of faith and a budget, but they are strongly synergistic. Once you reduce the weight and volume of your tent and sleep system, you can also reduce the weight and size of your pack, etc. If you do it incrementally, you will end up spending a lot of money and with a lot of excess gear. Ask me how I know.  ;-)  So if you have the motivation to do it, it might be worth taking the plunge into a comprehensive gear re-think, instead of just scaling back a little on the pack.

[Jeff L]

I would trim down the pack list first before deciding on the new pack but, I agree that if you are going to carry 30 plus pounds then a SWD Wolverine is the way to go.

[Sam E]

I agree with others that there are quite a few opportunities to trim ounces, but if you need to carry 2L of water and 4+ days of food, it will be hard to decrease weight too much without major $$, and you’d still need more volume.
I have a SO Gila (57L), plus a Divide bag (76L); you can use a smaller bag on your rev frame, but it will be hard to get it much lighter than 3 lbs. I recently bought a SWD long haul with hanging belt, and it carries much like the SO pack, and sheds about a pound.  I’d like to get a Wolverine to replace the Gila at some point.  I’ve tried many packs (I have back issues), and none compare with these to models in terms of comfort, which to me means transferring most of the load to my hips/lower back.
As far as easy targets and low$ ways to shed weight, I’d look your potty trowel, your flashlight, your multitool, and your water containers.  Your first aid kit is on the heavy side, but i won’t offer advice there as long as you, or someone you hike with knows how to use what you are carrying.  Hopefully, you’ll never need any of it…

[David G]

Thanks for the feedback.

Have to say that cutting the weight in the pack has been a long journey, now a bit over 15 years.  I figure that I can pull out another 2 pounds if I make changes to the water system along with the trowel for the bathroom.  Headlamp is about as light as I can get it (newer Nitecore) while the flashlight can stand to be a bit lighter and same with the multitool.  I’ll hold off on replacing the tent for now but weight is always top of my mind and since I don’t use trekking poles it does limit the options for a new tent somewhat.  My First Aid Kit is sort of a mix of things, 1/2 regular first aid (tape/bandages/ointments/pills) while the other half is fire starter, paracord, emergency blankets, mirror, folding scissors and aquamira to ensure I can deal with most situations.  I may go through that this winter to see what weight I can reduce.  Also looking at an Ursack as well since that may save me 2 ounces on food storage and give me more options on where I can stay.

As for the backpacks, the SWD 50L packs (Long Haul and Wolverine) along with the SO Flight and Gila are very interesting options.  Not terribly ecstatic with the 4 month lead times on the SWD packs but can use my old Gregory in the meantime to start the season.  Do you all know if the SWD packs have a water bladder pouch on the inside?  Haven’t used a pouch in a long time but find it convenient for storing my cozy and some other soft items.  Also did you all go with the pouches from SWD on the hip belt or just pick up your own?  They look like they might be able to hold a molle pouch for more options.

[Sam E]

I don’t even carry a flashlight any more, just a headlamp, with my phone as backup.  Part of your first aid kit sounds like my spares/emergency kit, and those items do add weight.   I kind of figured that your bear bag was an ursack, since the weight is about right.  I use an ursack/opsack, but you could get a dyneema or even sil bear bag and cut that weight significantly.
SWD does offer an internal pocket as an option, as well and have other pocket options too.  I use a ~1oz sil zippered pouch at the very top of my pack to contain all the things I’d normally keep in a brain… I don’t care for external brains.   i do have the SWD hipbelt pockets, they attach to webbing on the belt with small g-hook,  but I don’t think it’s molle.  They are on the small side, I’m sure other brands would fit.
I had an early Gregory Stout about 8 years ago, and it was a comfortable pack,  in my experience Gregory packs (I also had a Baltoro, a Paragon, and a Octal) seem large for their stated capacity compared to cottage brand packs.  If the L/M Wolverine that a previous posted mentioned as for sale will fit you, you might try to make a deal and avoid the 4 month lead time.

[bradmacmt]

David, I have both the SWD zippered and zipperless hipbelt pockets. I prefer the zipperless. They are larger and easier to use. OTOH, having a zip pocket on one side and zipperless on the other isn’t a bad plan.

[bradmacmt]

David, additional thoughts – while it’s de rigueur to use a smaller pack (50L and less) I find, for a small weight penalty, a 70-ish L pack is just easier to fit comfortably (frames sized appropriately to get load lifters positioned correctly, etc) and use on a day to day basis. I find it slightly amusing all the 50L pack folks I see with stuff hanging all over their packs because they are plainly out of room. I don’t consider a 70L pack very big, having spent the bulk of my life with much larger packs.  As Sam pointed out, Gregory packs seem to overstate their volume. I currently have two Gregory’s, including a Paragon 68L – I’d say the Paragon 68 is the equivalent of the Wolverine 70 volume-wise. I can’t speak to the SO packs you listed, but I can testify the SO Unaweep 4800 I own (79L) is not any larger than the Wolverine 70, and might be a touch smaller.

Finally, I will zealously pare away ounces everywhere (and do) but a pack is the last place I’ll do so. A comfortable suspension and carrying experience shouldn’t be traded for ounces in a race to the bottom of base weight. The comfort and end of the day refreshment from carrying and additional 8 or even 16 oz’s of quality suspension (gasp) can’t be quantified by those additional ounces.

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