UL Pack capable of carrying up to 50 lbs and a BV500

Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60L ?

I use mine for winter.. though I am no where near 50 lbs.. and I do have a Bearikade Blazer but I have not needed to carry it. It is comfortable pack and has plenty of pockets.  I do not use a hip belt either.. but it does come with one.

Sorry.. disregard my post.. i just read it.. up to 35 lbs comfortably.

Maybe one of ULA packs??

Check out Dan McHale LBP packs.

http://www.mchalepacks.com

That weight range I think one of my first thoughts without any research would be Seek Outside. Originally I was thinking bear can? maybe bears ears 50 from Nunatak but only 35lb capability.

ULA fits the bill except their hipbelts are not what I would consider plushly padded.

I don’t have a ton of experience carrying heavy weight. I maxed out in the low 30s on the JMT. With that disclaimer, I don’t think you want a lightweight pack if you want to carry 50#. You want a load-hauler. Packs to look at might include:

Seek Outside

McHale

Maybe Aarn makes some load haulers? They certainly address the pockets issue and maybe you’d like the balance aspect.

This thread seems relevant.

I’m going to state the obvious here. We can talk about how to reduce the weight and volume of your load if you want. It’s fine if you are not interested in doing that. Up to you :)

As mentioned, Seek Outside. They (external frame models) carry 50 pounds about as comfortably as you can and have a plush, thickly padded waist belt. It you get one in the gray X21 fabric they are reasonably light. You can buy a brain separately. I have been very pleased with Seek Outside packs for carrying heavier loads. Packrafting, ski-rafting, and extended trips often have me carrying 50 pounds.

The Superior Wilderness Designs Big Wild may be another option. There’s a thread on that pack with reviews if you do a search.

Seek Outside would be my choice. That being said, 50 pounds is way too heavy, even for 10 days unsupported (unless you have climbing, biking, or packrafting gear). 2 pounds of food per day is about average. That means your base weight is ~30 pounds (counting cooking fuel)! This is backpacking LIGHT. My last trip was a brief 4 day jaunt up in the Wind Rivers. I was equipped to deal with bad weather and temps down to about 20F. My base weight was just shy of 10 pounds. I think maybe you should first focus on what else you are carrying that is contributing to your load. Even when I do a weeklong alpine climbing trip my pack weight never exceeds 40 pounds. That includes rope, trad gear, harness, shoes, helmet, etc. Sorry if I strike a nerve, but something seems off. Do you have a tentative gear list (minus the pack, of course) that we could look at?

50 pound loads require special attention that most “lightweight” packs can’t cope with. The main problems are collapse of the minimalist frame, which results in the inability to transfer load between the hips and shoulders, or collapse of the minimalist hip belt, which results in less surface area to distribute a load across the hips.

As others have mentioned, a McHale is worth looking into. The McHale SARC I use for 50 pound loads is my most comfortable backpack:

Caveats: this is a 3.5 lb pack, stripped of all external pockets. Bypass harness, double-buckle hip belt, nice thick padding, stout twin aluminum stays.

I can also recommend the Seek Outside Unaweep. Not the Divide, it doesn’t withstand a 50-pound load as well as the Unaweep.

I’ve carried a 50-pound load in a Hyperlite Mountain Gear Porter 5400. Definitely not as comfortable, but the discomfort only lasts for the first few days of a trip. By the time the weight drops to 40, it’s much, much better.

All of these packs do fine with big bear cans. I use a Bearikade Expedition on the long trips where I’m carrying these sorts of loads.

Granite Hear Blaze 60 can carry 50 and fit a BV500 horizontal. Just checked it.

Superior Wilderness Designs Big Wild 70  and Elemental Horizons Kalais but as others have said, need to work on reducing your base weight too.

Since I’m old and backpacked when 50lb loads were normal, and because I’ve packed out of the mountains many loads of elk meat in excess of 85 lbs, I feel like I’ve got a decent handle on what carries weight well. I’d second the SO option, and would also give a shout out to the under appreciated Gregory Paragon 68. It has the stiffest frame with good carry-ability of any off-the-shelf pack in its class. I’ve been using one as my hunting pack – it replaced a much heavier Arcteryx Bora 80. I prefer my ULA for “normal” backpacking. But I would agree, it’s a simple thing to get your total weight below 50lbs for a 10 day trip.

I’d also add, functioning load lifters are a real requirement for serious weight hauling.

Remember when Demetri Couponas backpacked (no resupply) the Colorado Trail carrying 55 pounds (39+ pounds of food) in a Golite Gust?…hehe

His JMT backpack was 31+ pounds of food, no resupply.

I’m with Matthew. If you can barely get gear for 4 days with a mini bear can into a 55L pack, then the problem is the gear. Too much, too heavy, too redundant, etc. Thinking to fix this with a new pack is whittling the stick at the wrong end IMO.

Hi Everyone,

I thank you all so much for y our input.

I went back to my gear spread sheet and took a serious look at my weights. ON PAPER, here is where I land:

Total Base weight NOT counting my pack is 24.5 lbs

Total Assumed 10 days food: 10.0 lbs

Total Carried Water on a long dry stretch: 2 lbs

Pack weight ???? Lets say 3.0 lbs

Total carried weight = 39.0 lbs

So on PAPER, I am not close to the 50.o lbs. But when I get it all in the pack, with 4 days of food, it seems to weigh more than what is on paper. So I guess I have this winter to figure it out :).

Thanks Again Everyone.

You sure you need only a pound a day for food?

Water for a dry stretch will be 2 pounds per liter. A dry stretch may more likely weigh 10 pounds, not 1 liters worth. Food per day is more like 1.5 pounds or more.

You seem new to backpacking and have come to the right place for good recommendations. As things stand now for your pack weight, you may not have much fun or even be successful on a JMT thru-hike.

Try hard to cut your base weight in half??  Even around the 15lb mark. Im not sure of your age or fitness level or experience but I think that would make for an enjoyable trip. You can carrry 50 lbs, of course.. wouldn’t you prefer carrying say even 25? 20?

As things stand now for your pack weight, you may not have much fun or even be successful on a JMT thru-hike.

I’m sorry, but that is just absurd.

It’s not that hard a walk, and 50 lbs for a healthy person, while more than necessary by today’s standards, isn’t too much. At age 60 do I enjoy a sub 30 lb pack over a 3 or 4 day backpack? Absolutely! But I’m still up to 50 lbs no problem – like I was at age 14.

Have to agree. In all reality of things, barring some physical technicalities, 50 lbs is NOT some crazy weight that could prevent you from having a successful thru hike. Maybe fun!! But not successful,  lol.  Being BPL most of us are,shall I say, “coddled” with pack weight under 20 lbs. I have hiked thru the Catskills with a 40-45 lb pack without any issues. Would I want to do that again now that my weight has drastically dropped over the years and I am content where I am? Probably not. But if I had to, I know for a fact that I could do it. Knowing my fitness level I could probably do it and still have fun too.. though I would be doing much cussin.. more then I do now because I know that i can do it with much less weight!  50 lbs is not that much weight.. again.. depending on age, fitness level and even body composition.

I would really hope that most average hiker/backpackers could carry 50 lbs and not have it be a deal breaker. If not,  then you need to get yourself healthier and in better shape!  We walk! Thats what we do. Strengthen your core and legs and do cardiovascular exercises! Eat a little healthier too, its not so bad. Take care of your body and it will take care of you!!

Where on the JMT would you need to carry that much water? Perhaps on Whitney, but nowhere else. There is so, so much water on the JMT, even in a dry year. My top pack weight with 7 days of food and a liter of water on my 2021 JMT was 27 pounds. I never carried 10 days of food, so that would bump it up another 3 pounds. But there was nothing I needed that I did not have with me, for a July-August trip. Post your packing list and let these good BPL people tear it apart for you! You’ll be glad you did. Here’s my pack at MTR.

There are many, many ways to reduce your load, in volume and weight. I would start there.
1) Reduce what you think you need to you absolutely need. Do you need a fork? No, drop it. Do you need three lights? No, drop the heaviest. Do you need a 20F bag? No, a down jacket and a 30F bag will work. Increase maximum adaptability with what you DO carry. A tarp and ground sheet is usually smaller and lighter than a tent and much cheaper, too.
2) Reduce your food weight. I go out typically with 1.1pounds per day. On a three week hike, this means just over 23pounds at the start, decreasing thereafter. High density foods, and, a rather strict rationing regime means I often loose about 10-15pounds. This translates to around a half to two thirds of a pound of fat I burn off per day. Do not try to exceed 1/2pound of loss per day, but that is what fat is for, use it. Crush any Fritos/chips before packing them. Remove any excess air from packs with a pin and some scotchtape. Replace any 100C/oz foods with 120C+ foods. Bring vitamin pills instead of any fresh veggies. Bring dried beef/oily sausages, dense cheeses, etc instead of oatmeal or sweetened cocoa’s. And so on. It is certainly possible to pack 7days of food in a smaller can like a BV450. And the smaller can will weigh less. by a half pound.
3) Establish a routine for each day. an hour for breakfast, 20min to pack up everything in the morning. Lunch at 1200. Supper at 1700 after hiking, A half of an energy bar at 1000, and at 1430. And so on. This will allow you to plan each camp with a minimum of fussing leaving more time for the hike. (Besides keeping your stomach occupied with hiking.)
4) Dual use of as much as possible, though this kinda goes along with 1) above.. A small sharp knife can do the work of a larger, heavier knife. So, spend a gram on a piece of 1000g wet dry sand paper to keep it sharp and save several ounces, besides.. Hiking poles for tent/tarp support(s). This can be difficult to figure out without some experience, but it saves some weight.
5) Use a compression sack for your bag, sleeping cloths and down gear. It will save as much space as you waste in weight. Yes, it isn’t real great on sleeping bag longevity, but with less volume you can likely use a lighter pack by at least double what the bag weighs.
6) As Karen mentioned. carry minimal water. Most of the time, a litter is all you need for hiking. Instead of downing half a bottle, drink only a few swallows at 30min intervals, for example. Tank up at any water sources. Too much and you can loose electrolytes, though. Bring a small shaker of salt (Potasium chloride and Sodium chloride, mixed) to keep your electrolytes in balance.
7) And have FUN! If you catch yourself thinking this is a slog or where is my next camping spot, stop and really look at your surroundings, enjoy the beauty and wildlife. Keep your attitude and focus on the now and not on the future of being at a camp and doing nothing.