Suggest me a pack

Take a look at the Elemental Horizons Kalais pack.  I’ve used one for about four years now.  It is comfortable, durable and about the volume you seem to be needing.

That pack weighs 10 oz more than my current pack, and is well out of my price range, so I’ma say no.  But I will take your suggestion to look at 35L packs then? (Interior volume)

Worst case is buying something used, hopefully under $100.

Dawn, please clarify this statement, to me it’s a little contradictory as it’s saying you don’t want used, but yet you don’t want to pay over $100.  Is that correct?

Also, will your thru hike require a bear canister?

K

Going to sell your Exodus to help fund it’s replacement?  What features are important to you? You’ll be living out of it for an extended period.

I used a stripped down version of the Marmot Odin 35 for some trips this summer and really liked it.  After taking a pair of scissors to it and removing the frame sheet, aluminum stay, the pack lid, and various straps, I was able to get the pack down to about 24 oz.  Before these modifications, the pack weighed around 3 lbs 8 oz.  The pack fit was very comfortable for me with great padding on both the waist belt and the back of the pack (I’m about 5′ 9” and 135 lbs).  I carried anywhere from 7 to 15 lbs in the pack, but I suspect that it could carry 20-25 lbs comfortably.

I think I bought the pack lightly used for about $60, so I wasn’t too apprehensive about cutting it up so much.  It’s currently on sale at Sunny Sports for $79.

I didn’t say I have a problem with used at all.  Just that I was hoping to buy a used pack for around $100.  OR I can pay more, if it’s available via Amazon (have lots of credits there).  That’s preferable for me as $0 < $100 (cash)

Features- it needs to fit and be smaller!  Honestly that’s the most annoying thing, just all this fabric up top as I said, it’s hard to get stuff in and out since pack istoo big and extension collar huge, I often have it cinched to the max.  Since it’s too big I often can’t cinch any more at waist and also shoulder straps moving around, they are too wide apart.

Since base is 10 lbs let’s say it should be able to handle 20-25 lbs or so.

No bear canister, it’s the AT.

I quite like my Osprey Talon 33 and 44.  Full featured, comfortable, good warranty, adjustable torso height.  The size S/M would be under 2 lbs.  The Talon is a men’s pack (still worth a try).  The version for women is the Tempest (30L and 40L).  The good thing is that you can likely find them locally and try before you buy.

Really looking for an ul pack, not looking at traditional heavy packs like osprey.  Also too much junk I don’t need that I’d rather not deal with cutting off.  Thx though.

How about the MLD Prophet or Burn?  For that price point you may want to try to do a trade with someone here who’s looking for a larger pack, but I don’t see too many of those for sale.  For good used pricing, the GG Gorilla is quite a bit more common, but it will weight more.

K

Yeah, I was looking at those packs.  With the gorilla, are they that much smaller than the exodus?  I have a hard time telling, they still look faily big.  Looks interesting though.  Is it easy to get rid of the belt pockets?  I don’t use them.

Maybe look at the ULA CDT.  Seems within the size and the weight requirements that you’re trying meet.  The fit seems to be slightly more customizable than MLD packs given that ULA allows you to mix and match torso sizing, waist belt sizing, and shoulder strap style.  Not too far off your $100 price range either, especially if you can find one used.

Dawn,

You could take a look at the Zimmerbuilt Quick step or Cascade Craftworks Highline Pack. Both are close to what you’re looking for I think. Maybe a bit too small but you never know. The Quickstep has lots of external space ( I’ve got one) and the Highline looks similar.

Have fun looking!

Hmmm,  never heard of cascade…well, at $90 it’s certainly in the running!  Thanks.

The Gorilla has a removable hip belt. The Burn is definitely smaller and I think would be your best option

If you thought the inside of an Exodus was too big, you might want to reconsider the Virga 2. It’s huge. I eventually sold mine because I found it to be far too large for my needs.

Is the pack uncomfortable because of the wide shoulders?

If not you could go with the profit or burn and MLD might move the shoulder straps for you.

I am am going to recomend something else however (if the exodus is comfortable):  keep the larger pack and just fill the extra space with your sleeping bag either stored in an XL stuff sack or none at all.  You may find that on your thru you want/need the extra space every now and again. I think it’s easy to pack “less dense” and let your current kit fill a pack that that is a little larger than you need, but if you get a pack that is too small you can’t make it bigger.

Another note: what sleeping pad are you using?  If you want to take up some volume you might add a thin light to your kit and pack “burrito style” with it.  It would add some insulation and protection to an inflatable pad.

I also personally  don’t like carrying anything outside the pack.  You would hate to lose your tent poles.

I can recommend the Murmur Hyperlight at about 12.5oz. I tested the prototype and recently purchased the final version. 36Liter capacity, good for about 20-25 pounds. I usually slip in a Nightlite Torso pad instead of the SitLite pad (which I find pretty useless.) I have had this out for two weeks with no resupplies, but your packing style might be a bit different. The waist belt is adjustable between medium and small. Yes, there are pockets in the waste belt, but this can be easily changed out, the belt is coupled with a locking buckle instead of the older split “D” ring. My daughter used it for a week and I included her comments in my prototype report to GG. On the AT, I believe you can use a bear line and hang your food the entire way.  It *is* waterproof, but do not rely on it. I usually use some sort of compression/dry sack for my bag, sleeping socks, and sleeping cloths. (They also double as emergency gear.) The rest of my gear I really do not care.  The Nightlite also adjusts the pack. You can use 2-3 layers depending on the fit and still maintain a pretty good support for 20-25pounds. It also adds a lot of cushioning for odd shapes in the pack.

The Gorilla is HUGE. I took it out on a two week trip and could not fill it at 27pounds (including fishing gear and camera gear.) But, the extra thick padding on the waist was a problem. The weight caused repeated compression and slippage putting all the weight on my shoulders. Check it out carefully, as a woman, you may not encounter this problem.  The internal frame really makes this a stiff pack, capable of up to 30pounds and more if the hip belt works for you. Much heavier at about  25oz.

The ULA CDT is OK, if fairly heavy. I think it is fairly floppy for the volume, though.

Talk to more women hikers with thru experience. Wired is very experienced and great to talk to, Lady on a Rock, and Jan of Jan’s Jaunts and Rambling Hemlock are also highly experienced. If you are on a thru hike fit is the MOST important thing cause a pack made for a man (i.e. bigger framed person) will cause you to eventually be tightening up everything to the limit just to keep it on and to prevent making you off balance in scrambling and climbing situations. And you get what you pay for. Replacing a pack mid thru is a  PITA. (Been there done that). If you have time to save more $ for a better quality pack that you will not regret later it would be better to invest in a reliable brand. Osprey is very popular bomber packs, used ones come up a lot. I have a friend who is smaller body type and she used the GG Mariposa (small size) and was very happy with it on her thru hike, and the side pocket on the outside fits the tent perfectly. Or if you prefer smaller capacity then the Gorilla is nice. At 5 foot eight I would try both the small and medium. Fully loaded. I was fitted for packs by a man and fitted wrong, too big. Had to send two packs back after getting two women representatives to look at me fully loaded, and finally got the right fit. Try not to let a man fit you, they look at fit thru their eyes and might miss something important. I’ve had that happen way too many times now. Don’t get me wrong, I love you men/guys but after nearly 50 years backpacking I believe most women should be fitted to packs by experienced women who have miles under their shoes. You’d be surprised how just an inch or size up or down will make a difference. Also consider where you use a waist belt, not every man or woman wears it on the hip bones, some like it slightly higher on the waist.

I on the other hand am nearly six feet tall have an 18.5 torso and broad shouldered so I can use some men’s packs but I have found that the size (to long or short) is a deal breaker for me. One inch wrong and it’s like I’m carrying a bag of bricks all day. Just right and I hardly notice the pack is there. That’s the way it should be.

Dawn, check your profile, I sent you a PM with a suggestion for a pack.  It may be heavier and larger than you are looking for, but the price is right!

“One inch wrong and it’s like I’m carrying a bag of bricks all day. Just right and I hardly notice the pack is there. That’s the way it should be.”

A big +1.  I’ve historically have had a hard time finding a good fitting pack because of an unusually short torso, even for my height.  That’s why i really like the SMD Fusion pack, because it was able to be adjusted very well to my back.  And like you said, i hardly notice it’s there.

Six Moon designs have their 40 and 50 liter packs from last year still. You can get one for 100 or so. I have one of each, but like the smaller one better.

In general, when I think of Thru-hikers and the packs I’ve seen and read about, the brands that come up the most often are Osprey (for large manufacturers) and ULA (for cottage companies).

I went the ULA route for the PCT and AT.  I think you should be looking at the ULA OHM (for a frame) and the CDT (without a frame) for the size.  ULA will take returns if you aren’t happy with the fit.  The CDT works for me with a 8-10 pound baseweight and has enough space for carrying up to a week of food (I did a max of 5 days on the AT but I was going SOBO).  But not everyone is happy with a frameless pack.  Many are happy with Gossamer Gear packs.  Zpacks are nice and light, but the durability suggests this isn’t a pack you’ll be using for years after a thru-hike.  That said, I also use to have a Granite Gear pack that I thought was comfortable if you prefer ones you find in the store.

Don’t compromise on the main pieces of gear (backpack, sleeping bag) for a thru-hike just because you have credit somewhere or find a “good” deal on something that may be less than ideal.  You are going to live with them for several months.  Better to spend more and get the best that matches what you need and want.

I will second the notion of a ULA with the S straps.  They fit SO much better than the “normal” straps of any other backpack I’ve tried.

Of course, I’m enamored with my Katabatic Gear Helios right now and rarely touch my CDT anymore…..

Looking at the OPs requirements, one pack not mentioned that really ticks off all the boxes is the Klymit Motion 35.

The pack was designed with imput from the maker of the Elemental Horizons Kalais pack mentioned above, but at a capacity,weight and price point the OP seems to want.

The pack uses the same klymit airbeam suspension that MLD uses on their suspension upgrades and with a full wrap around hip belt and right pocket ,is listed at 1.5 pounds.

It is sold at Campsaver for $125 retail -http://www.campsaver.com/klymitmotion35pack

With an online discount coupon, it could probably be had for $100 shipped, which is a good deal considering the pad itself sells for about $35.

About the only flies I can find on the design is that its black and white in color(which seems to suit HMG pack owners just fine) and its a panel loader. The color can be fixed with RIT and the good compresion straps on the side to help aleviate stress on the zipper.

Pending a little more info from klymit on the EXACT dimensions of the main bag, I see this as a potential winner for the OPs requirments:)