KS backpack options

Given the gear you mention I wonder if you could get away with the KS40?

i have found that socks/underwear dry much faster hanging over a compression strap or in a loop of shockcord with a cord lock rather than in a mesh pocket. I hypothesize that swinging around uncompressed promotes quick drying. My favorite setup for this is ULA’s more recent trekking pole attachment points. Perfect for drying socks.

Speaking of ULA, I’ve never had any damage to their mesh and I haven’t babied my Circuit/Catalyst at all. I suspect Laurent’s mesh is of similar durability.

Thanks so much for the feedback, Matthew. Your advice on how to best dry laundry has killed off my idea of side mesh pockets (plus who wouldn’t want their underwear swinging around!) I’m also more open to the mesh front pocket; glad to hear how durable it can be. I’ll also think seriously about the 40 vs 50.

I’m sort of wandering here but semi-related experience. It seems like we are at a similar place in relation to weight and trip duration

I can do three nights in my GG Kumo with food in a Bare Boxer Contender for a short Sierra hike. The Kumo is listed at 36 liters with 25 liters in the interior, iirc. I could probably carry another day or two if I didn’t have to bring the bear can. My baseweight was at 9.5ish pounds for that trip so I was probably at 17 pounds at maximum load.

I’ve been thinking about trying a KS 30 or a Pa’Lante pack.

I’m totally sold on frameless packs for loads under 20# and I’m hiking without a hipbelt except at the top of that range. It’s very comfortable.

I honestly think a KS 40 would be big enough for me, but the equipment list for the guided course/trek I’m going on (which I believe may be taught by Mike Clelland) says:

Bring a lightweight (less than 2 lb.) backpack with approximately 50 liters of capacity. Frameless backpacks save considerable weight, so look for packs that use a foam framesheet instead of plastic and aluminum. Options include packs from smaller manufacturers such as Six Moon Designs, Hyperlight Mountain Gear (super high-tech and cutting edge), Gossamer Gear, and some Osprey packs.

I’d post a link to the course site but I think I’m still in my forum probationary period and posting links seems to send my posts into purgatory. Anyway, it is the NOLS Rocky Mountain Lightweight Backpacking course.

I would also like a UL pack that is big enough to do the occasional bigger carry without switching backpacks, though I do own a big old 5 lb. Osprey Aether 70. So far my lovely wife has been supportive of my desire to do this (and the expense it entails) but I’m not sure she’d go with a Pa’Lante plus another pack for bigger carries.

They sounds like a great experience! Please post about the trip after you return.

Hello,

You asked me to comment!

VX07 would be great, I just got Dyneema 210 because I never had a pack with it. 24lbs carries well. Get the frame stays, if you don’t need them, take them out! If your going to do a thru I would get side pockets for sure on it. I’m sure Laurent would make them in whatever material you’d like. The strong mesh back mesh is pretty burly, I have no fears about its strength. Having the whole back as 3D spacer mesh would be redundant when you’ll have a sit pad there. You could also put a 1/8th inch thermal pad in there. KS40 could be doable for you as well, I would get all your stuff together and see. If I were doing a thru with big carries I would carry my KS40.

FWIW There is no probationary period here. Some links just don’t play well with the current site software.

http://www.nols.edu/courses/rocky-mountain-lightweight-backpacking-prime/

Fabric – Keep in mind, the difference between vx07 and tx07 is only in the polyester fabric laminated to the inside. Both share a 70d face fabric. Moral of the story, if you’re hard on packs from an abrasion standpoint, go with the 210d.

Ryan

Matthew K – I will post a trip report next summer. Thanks for the suggestion, it didn’t occur to me that it might be interesting to the “pros” here. It will be fun to take notes and photos for a proper report.

Matthew S – Thanks! Too funny, I was just re-watching your video review of the KS40 and then saw your post here. Nice sense of community! There are so many options, I appreciate the advice on noodling them through. I was planning on getting the standard fabric side/bottom pockets for water bottles, and was wondering if the mesh pockets above the fabric pockets (on the side/top) were useful. I can’t imagine what I would put in there… maybe the tarp. Here is a picture of what I mean.. the mesh side pockets above the purple fabric water bottle pockets. How are these useful?

Ken T – Thanks for that. To anyone reading the thread who is interested, here is the link to the KS Ultralight KS Packs options.

Are we sure that mesh is redundant to back pad? Mesh is more for wicking whereas the pad is for… padding. Right? (Assuming Rick sticks with his plan of internal pad.)

When I thru-hiked with a Zimmerbuilt Quickstep (a frameless pack), mesh on the back panel would have been my first choice as an additional feature. (I did put a small sheet of foam on the interior of the pack, for padding.) In late July, I was pouring sweat all day, day after day. I even tried hiking shirtless for the first time, as my shirt was just a pile of grime, despite the fact that it was a thin wool, and I rinsed it plenty. But shirtless hiking didn’t work either, as the polyester laminate on the pack made me get a rash on my back after only half a day.

On the exterior pockets: my opinion is that its nice to avoid accessing the main compartment of the pack until its time to camp. And in that group situation with NOLS, you never know when you might be given some extra group gear to carry, or need to provide your portion of that group gear. The exterior pockets also give you a little extra leeway for capacity for those longer carries, which you seem to want anyway. Another option for expanding the capacity would be to just make sure there are adequate loops for securing a high-volume low-weight item on the exterior of the pack, for the first day or two of a long food carry. For example, your bag/quilt in a dry sack would work well like that, maybe directly on top, assuming you have the right attachment loops, and you don’t need to get into the pack until the end of the day.

Mordecai – Thanks. Great point about not wanting to access the interior except in camp, and needing to support group equipment. All of my backpacking to date has been with Scouting groups so that really rings a bell with me, and I think you’ve convinced me to go with the upper side mesh pockets for flexibility. Also great point about the internal pad pocket and back 3d mesh filling different functions (padding vs wicking). The internal pad pocket, pad, and mesh add 82g (2.9oz) to the total pack weight which seems worth it.

Matthew K and Matthew S – You guys really convinced me to go with the 40L. I have a 22″ torso so the bag size might be a bit bigger than listed, plus I’m getting the two hip pockets which are >1L each so I will be close to the recommended size of 50L. With the attachment loops and upper side mesh pockets I’ll have a bit more storage outside the bag if needed.

Matthew S – Did you go with the strong mesh, or the normal mesh? [Edited, I reread your post and saw that you got the strong mesh.]

Ryan – Thanks for that explanation of tx07 vs vx07. That is making me think twice. In general, I’ll need to be more careful with all of this lightweight gear. For example, my new Montbell Alpine Light puffy will need some care. Maybe I’ll be okay with either of the vx07, especially since the KS packs has 500d cordura on the bottom, and there options to get 210d x on the pockets and straps. So many choices!

If you want X-Pac, I think he also works with VX-21…

Anyone have any experience with a large bear canister (BV500) in the KS40? Trying to size packs for mys first lightweight pack and KS is currently one of my front runners. Just want to know if a 40L would work or if I should size up to the 50L.

Michael, I’d like to know that too before pulling the trigger on a KS40 and have sent Laurent from KS ultralight the question. I will report back here with the response.

I had a tough time getting a BV500 in my Circuit with a quilt, TAR pad, Duplex and clothing for the JMT but my gear has condensed/simplified since then. I guess it makes sense that you could get an 11.5 liter can in the pack but intuitively I think bearcans use space inefficiently and can be hard to pack around. You certainly wouldn’t have a lot of options on how to place your stuff once you (presumably) put a quilt at the bottom and the can on top.

I don’t have a pack from KS so take all of this with many grains of salt, please.

Matthew, Laurent (owner of KS) confirmed what you said.

He said the BV500 may enter into the KS 40 but would take up a lot of space. The dimensions of the KS 40 = 15 x 30 x 75 cm max collar open, and the dimensions of the KS 50 =17 x 30 x 80 cm max collar open.

Here’s another viewpoint:

I think it’s easier to put everything in the main pack bag, than to have to deal with external pockets.

Ie: my sleeping pad gets folded and goes against my back. Then my sleeping bag and camp warmth layers go in the bottom of the pack in a pack liner (no stuff sacks).  Then the food bag with cook gear goes against my back.  Then my tent goes in, keeping the food bag along my back.  Rain gear on top of the tent. Water on top of the food bag. Wind shirt, other hiking layers, a freezer zip lock bag with today’s lunch & snacks, and a zip lock with my headlamp, first aid kit, phone, wallet and keys, and a zip lock with my map – all go on top of the pile.

I use a drawstring top opening pack for easy access. Just pull string, and reach in to get food, raingear, warmth layer, water, map in one step. I found this much easier than having to remember what pocket each piece of gear was in.

Forgot to mention:

When I want to access water frequently, I prefer tie a piece of paracord to a water bottle and sling it over my shoulder (head through the loop too) – so that the bottle hangs next to my hip.  I find it very hard to put water bottles back into side pockets on packs after drinking.