Your comments on packs

“I’m currently looking for a new pack an internal frame around 5000 – 5500 cu. in. something that won’t completely break the bank. Just wondering if any of you are using something comparable, if so what make, model and how well do you like it. I’ve been reading reviews on this site as well as others.”

“Target's Eddie baur pack. No doubt in my mind. $99.”

“I don't really backpack, but there are some good threads on packs, here.”

“My Gregory Reality is my favorite Pack. It is a little smaller than you are looking for, but Gregory makes bigger packs. Rad has one.”

“LOL @ lizs!”

“the forester is the same suspension as the reality, but with a bigger bag.”

“5300cc Pack-Lite here.. it's a hoss.”

“I third Gregory packs.

I have the Lassen (4500-5500 cu in) which is probably exactly what you want. Not sure if they are still making this specific model, but there should be one around that size. Very comfortable pack.”

“Lowe Alpine Contour IV (now called the Contour Classic) is an affortable highly competent pack that is worth the money. You can find better, but you pay for it. Mine has done me well for 5 years.
I keep planning to replace it with something lighter, but its hard to retire something that serves me that well.”

“Old Kelty external frame. Don't laugh, it has never let me down.”

“Gregory Robson pro. I love the thing, but the weight of the pack alone has got me rethinking my gear.”

“Hey, Gentle Ben used all Army surplus! If it's good enough for Benny, it's good enough for you!”

“New Kelty external frame pack. I love it!”

“Skullcap. You are getting me excited. Did you like Lizzy's comment above?”

“What? To what, exactly, do you refer?”

“Sorry. Two different references.
1. I like Kelty external frames, also. Not too many folks on this site would even think about owning one.
2. Just more drivel on the lizs condition.”

“Thanks for the clarification. That's what I thought you meant but it's best to be sure about things today. LOL! I have a Kelty trekker (women's pack) and I absolutely love it. It's about 5 or 6 years old now and I see that they have since fixed the only 2 complaints I have with it. The map pocket is now bigger than a credit card, and it's a lovely forest green instead of purple. It may be time for a new pack...”

“Yeah, I won't hike with the bright yellow, green, purple, etc. I can't see ever updating my pack unless I come into a lot of spare cash.”

“I gots me a Coleman Peak 1 external. The one with the composite frame. I've up graded all of the straps and the belt with some real thick stuff. I like it a lot! I think that it's about 3500 cu in, but I could be wrong. I haven't been able to find any info on it. I bougth it off ebay for 30 bones.....”

“Another vote for Gregory.”

“I'm glad I'm not alone. I use the same canvas pack and frame I've used since 1971,, some patches to the pack, but the frames still like new, and before anyone says too heavy, 1 and 1/2 lbs, for both, I know it's 2500 c.i., but plenty of room to lash sleeping bag, pad, tent, and food bag. 3 pockets too,, it's an old Boy Scout model, the Camper bag for those that remember.Check the yard and church sales, I've outfitted my 2 sons this way for reasonable cost.”

“My favorite and best pack is the one I made myself. weighs 1-1/2 lbs, and has more room than I need, and cost me $20-$30.
My next favorite is a tie between my Kelty Tioga ($99, external, for multi-day) and my Kelty Redwing ($80,internal for long dayhikes or an overnight).
If I could afford it, I would have bought a Kelty Cloud ($550, YIKES). But then, I would not have ended up with a custom pack having EXACTLY the features I want. :)
I have a Camp Trails Windriver that I dearly loved at first, but which became too large and heavy as I lightened the load.”

“Hi Cindy Lu,.. where have you been hiding? That`s the first post I`ve seen you do in over a year!

Welcome back!”

“McHale makes the best performing packs, but since you want to save money you'll have to look elsewhere. Consider buying a used pack or definitely one on sale if you really want to save some money. All of them seem to go on sale at some point somewhere.”

“Gregory Palisades”

“I used the Gregory Petit Dru for years. A really comfortable pack, but I'm trying to go lighter, so I dumped it for a Mtnsmith Chimera. The Chimera is great for 25 lbs & under. My pack is still over that, but not as heavy as it was in the past. Just tried the Kelty Flight 4500 in the desert and loved it, even with 10 lbs water. Have to try it on a few more trips to see how it feels.”

“Thanks for all your suggestions. I like hearing about the external frame packs people are using. I had a Camp Trails external for years, it was cheap and didn’t look like much, but it gave me many years, many miles and many memories, it could handle a heavy load and never hurt my shoulders or back. I’ll be at the Campmor retail store next week checking out packs, along with everything else in the place fun, fun, fun. Thanks again.”

“Well I must say the Jack Wolfskin Trailhead II or III. The III has the cubic inches you want and feels good all day long. I hike with the women's version but many happy customers with the others.
Now if you ask my husband he carries the Osprey so either would be great. Price wise the Jack Wolfskin is the best buy.
Barbara”

“I also used a camp trails external for 16 years. I will not get rid of ol' reliable but I don't use it much except as a loaner.

I finally got the new pack bug about 2 years ago and got a Dana Designs D2 Terraplane (5800 ci). Comfiest dang pack I EVER wore. I love it even though it's heavy but the only reason why I bought it was that I got some gift money for a birthday and my Scouts got me a gift certificate for the local outfitter (gotta love those kids, -snif-. ) So in the end I only spent half of retail.

My best suggestion is if you want a Dana, buy it on closeout.”

“I've got a Dana Longbed. Really love it!”

“this is a new pack for me and I really like it, has all the bells and whistles, 2 ways to get to the interior of the pack and a great suspension and hip belt...carried 45 lbs for 6 hours comfortably with no bruising or chafing. I'm 5'8" and weigh 140 lbs so this was over 1/3 of body wieght, not a problem...$200.00...oh yeah...water proof too.”

“I have a new Osprey pack. It's very comfortable...love it. Maybe Osprey will have a model with the volume you want.”

“I'm so excited to find a site where people are as rabidly excited over gear as I am! Packwise, Osprey makes some awesome packs. Seems like they're harder to find in the stores, but it's definitely worth the hunt. They distribute weight really well.”

“i recently went from a camp trails wilderness to the osprey crescent 90. only problem i have with it is that it weighs 7 pounds. wouldn't know it though if no one told you.”

“I am also an old Kelty external user (Tioga). Next pack - and only new one for a while - will probably be lightweight GVP G4.

On sale for only one more day - at the Travel Country Outdoors sidewalk sale here in Orlando. An XL Osprey Crescent 90 for $210 (from $420). I fondled it and tried it on but then had to remind myself I wanted to get total pack weight down - it's 7lbs.”

“I have not been keeping up with the latest lightest gear lately. I got a Kelty Vapor45 a couple of years ago and I plan to make it last forever--the shoe fixit man will sew on packs. Cindy Lu's pack is cool but few of us can sew like that--it really is well made. I think for size, weight and price the Kelty Flight that Snow Nymph has is great. I see it on half price sale now and again for $99.”

“a 12oz. pack has drawbacks,mostly in the way they must be handled.you can't just horse them on and drag them around.i your thinking of getting one get your weight of gear down first.nothing is worse than an over loaded un-stayed LW pack.”

“i have the Cresent 90 as well but found the new osprey pack that weighs 3 lbs that im picking for my wife , well actually me but she doesnt know that! kidding I can just use it when she doesnt its sweet, saw it Th and fell in luv, just glad she did to!”

“shoot, my pack weight is down to 18 lbs. with everything except my 7 pounder and cloths on my back!”

“I have an old Kelty External
a very nice Jansport external
a new Lafuma Yosemite
a MEI 5800 c.i.internal
and a Mountainsmith Crestone II
You can't go wrong with any of these packs.

I bought a very expensive pack once.... a Vortex 5500 469.00 I hated it although it would have taken an A bomb to tear it up it was just uncomfortable.

Good luck with your search!!!”

“The Dana Longbed or Shortbed is tops. I like the shortbed which is more versitile, IMO.
Normally about $280. but on sale for an unbelievable $89. at Northern Mountain. Check this site for great deals on packs of all types.

http://www.northernmountain.com/kdlist.html”

“I have heard of a G4 pack. What the story and who makes it?”

“you can buy or homemake---making is more fun.http://gvpgear.com/”

“The GVP G4 is a 14oz backpack, the manufacturere will make them to specification or sell you the pattern. It uses your sleeping pad as support similar to a frame. There are other packs in about the same class. All these packs are made to work with a total pack weight of around 20 pounds. If you carry much more you won't be happy.

Besides the G4, there is also the LW Gear one pound pack I modeled mine after.

Another pack is the Golite Breeze which is in the same catagory.

Another pack is the Equinox one pound pack which looks very similar to the LW gear pack.

One other slightly heavier pack it the ULA Equipment P1.

All these packs cost about $85.”

“Thanks!!”

“Tango, I have the G4, and I love it, but if you depend on the hipbelt to give you a little bit of back support, the G4 won't do it. I have to wear one of those stretchy back brace things with my G4 so my back won't hurt. And that's with a load of about 22 lbs.

The only other drawback to the G4 it you just can't put a tent on the thing, unless you're packing one of those ultralight single-wall models. But I plan on using the heck out of mine this summer with a very light load.”

“I just changed to a Golite breeze that has 4500 cc and weighs 15 oz. I tried to out this weekend and loved the way it felt hiking with ultralight gear. My pack weight without food was 17 lbs. I felt as if I was dayhiking! I will never go back to carrying a heavier pack. For me, ultralight is now the way to go.”

“I'm an ultralight believer too Katibug. I'd much rather have 18 pounds on my back than 35 any day. I'm still refining my gear for future trips. I just got a mosquito net that I plan to hang under my tarp during the summer months. I'm also beginning to think about getting a bivy sack to put my bag in for winter, still with the tarp of course.

My biggest fear about ultralighting is getting wet and cold. I cut down my clothing to essentially something to hike in and something to sleep in. So if I got my hiking clothes wet, well, it'd be wet hiking clothes for the whole trip unless I managed to get them dry during the night somehow.”

“You got it kati. Everyone I know who's tried a lightweight pack is hooked.

Kinda like the shift from ultra-heavy canvas or military tents of ancient days to modern lightweight tents. Know anyone today who lugs around a 10 or 15 pound tent?”

“I just picked up a Northface 4400 cuin model. It is essentially a clearance bag that is only a big sack. My other one is a LL Beans 4400 cuin with pockets galore for sorting things. I think I'll like my new one better. Much lighter, but I'll have to just dump everything in on top of what is below it. I guess that's what stuff sacks are for...”