Renting A Pack

“I really want to go on the Montanapalooza, but I'm not going to be able to come up w/ the moola for a pack. On my other trip I borrowed a friends, but I was thinking I could rent one for this trip. Is that a possibility? If so, where can I rent one and what is the average rental fee? I don't think I will be able to go for the full trip, so I won't have to rent it for very many days. I have a stove and thermarest thanks to generous Griz and I can borrow a sleeping bag. So, I need to find the most obvious piece of gear. I don't really want to borrow again, because I want to find one that fits good. Any info. on this?”

“Why don't you trade for one?”

“I have very little gear, Bacpac, so I don't know what I could trade.”

“he just wants your soul, is that so much to ask? ;-)

well, i know that REI has rented out just about everything in the past, but the one near me just recently stopped doing that...i don't know about the rest of them.”

“Eastern Mountain Sports rents out packs and sleeping bags, although I guess that doesn't help someone who lives in the Western Mountains. Check around and see what is available. If you decide to buy, you really should hold out for a down bag, since the weight is so much less for the warmth you get. A size short would be best for you, I think. They don't go on sale often at REI Outlet.com or regular REI.com, but they do occasionally. That is where I got mine.”

“Check larger universities...they usually have OUTDOOR rec programs and rent various gear by the day, weekend, and week. I know the University of Alabama, Auburn, and Memphis do.”

“I'll see if I can borrow one somewhere for you. We've got a lot of time til Montanapalooza. Maybe Crazy Mike has one; he's always giving away old gear! I have an old pack, but it's painful just to look at!”

“Aero, that is why I am afraid of borrowing one. Although it is a good cheap alternative, I don't want something that is virtual torture. I also don't want to use one that is not the right size. Does Scheels or any of those places rent? You know more about the athletics at MSU, do they rent them?”

“Another question. I have boots, but I'm wondering about hiking in clogs. I got some Haflinger wool clogs for my b-day and they are very comfortable. Is it ridiculous to wear them on a hike like this?”

“They used to have an Outdoor Rec dept., but they got rid of it and the gear too. The Base camp might have some to rent.

Actually, I think i've seen some at one of the rental places. My other thought is Play it Again Sports. They've got a ton of old gear.”

“Shoes- I usually wear running shoes or really lightweight hiking shoes. For the Beartooths you need something that can handle rocky trails and that dry quickly. I'd go with some kind of trail running shoe. Some people like heavy boots up there, but lighter and nimble is better. You'd be fighting the clogs all the way up. So, take hiking shoes and bring along a pair of Tevas or something to cross creeks and wear around camp.”

“Oh, good idea. I forgot about Play It Again. Why would they get rid of an Outdoor Rec. depart.? They're raising tuition 9% next fall and they can't provide us w/ an such a depart.!”

“They were losing a lot of money. The guy that used to run it works at the Base Camp (Paul). Maybe he'd have some ideas.”

“I believe Base Camp DOES rent equipment. I bought my first used tent from them, which was a rental.

As an alternative, I have an older frame back. I used it in my teen years so it should be the right size for you. Send me a pic of yourself and I will let you know if it will fit you. LMAO

If you don't load too heavy it should be fairly comfortable.”

“Okay, thanks for the tips on shoes. Darn! I love these shoes.”

“Chief, that's right! They have a rental equipment sale every year too.


BTW- The Base Camp got hold of the Banf Film Festival and the cross country team is hosting it at the college in the theatre on May 4 at 6:00pm. All of you locals (newgirl and chief) should catch it!”

“Chief, that was pretty sneaky. Good try. I am mediun height for a woman and very thin. I need a pack that isn't going to kill me.”

“Coool! Thanks for the heads up Aero. I would love to check that out.

Is there a particular brand that makes packs suited to certain body types?”

“Aero-
Do a bachelor auction......you ought to be able to fetch a goodly sum.......and buy her a pack.”

“Ah, the TT Bachelor auction. Quite a success! Buddha Bear went for 100 rupees and goat I believe!”

“It should be OK. I used it once since high school before I bought my internal frame (Gregory Shasta) which is what I use now. It's in really good shape and it has padded shoulder straps and a padded hip belt. The fram comes around the waist and it will stand up on its own. You don't need to lean it against anything. Very light also.”

“Although I'm quite certain that Aero could make some serious dough at a Bachelor Auction, I don't need anyone buying me anything. I need to get pack and pack rental information.”

“Chief, do external frames hurt your spine? I always have this idea that it will rub my spine raw.”

“I have a '73 Ford Galaxie 500 I need to get rid of. What do I bid? 400 cu. in. V-8, runs good.”

“Aero, haven't you tried to auction that thing before?”

“I have a pack (nicknamed 'the claws of death') that I will give to you or anyone else willing to pay shipping.”

“"The Claws 'O Death" is what I'm trying to avoid. Thanks anyway.”

“The frame won't touch your back anywhere, can't say that for me though. JK

It has mesh that keeps it well away from your back and also ventilates real well between the back and the pack.”

“I really couldn't let anyone use that thing (unless they'd done me wrong).”

“Aero, what do you have going on tomorrow evening after 7:30? Maybe we could meet at the Base Camp and you could help me get an idea of what is and is not a good pack to rent. No biggie if you are busy. I know I have plenty of time before the trip, but I'm getting nervous about this stupid pack problem.”

“Chief, you kill me. What is an average weight that you can carry in the thing, before you have some serious pain? You said that you should keep the weight down.”

“I carried about 45 pounds if I remember right. You probably won't be carrying that much, assuming you will be spliiting what I call "community" gear (i.e tent, stove, fuel, etc). I really think it would be a good fit for you. I planned on keeping it for my daughters, but so far niether is interested in doing any hiking with dear-old-dad.”

“I can't on Thurs., but I could try to get down there sometime; I avoid it so I'm not tempted to buy more stuff! if you do go there in the meantime ask for Paul. He's a really good source for getting stuff CHEAP! He should be able to dig up some rental stuff.

I'm pretty sure we can come up with something before summer!”

“Well, I might be able to use it. I could use it just for the trip and you could have it back. That way you can still try and talk your girls into trying it out.

What is the name of the outdoor gear store in Cody that has a loft upstairs? Do you know which I'm talking about?”

“Okay, Aero. I'll maybe take a look tomorrow. Actually, I suppose they probably close before class gets out. Maybe I can go this weekend and see what all the different stores have in the way of rentals. Maybe I'll just be able to use Chief's pack.”

“Sunlight Sports.

You are welcome to use it. We just need to figure a way to get it to you to try out for a couple days. You could put some weight in it and hike around your yard or something.”

“I live in the country. I have plenty of places to hike around with it. Are you going to be in Billings anytime in the near future?”

“But like you said, it's a ways off yet. We'll think of something.”

“Oky-Doky! Thanks for all the help everybody. I'm much more calm about this now. Mainly, I don't want to miss out on all the boozin'!!! HeHeHe!”

“Hey chief, you and newgirl should really try to get over here for the film festival in May. There'll be about 400 backpackers here plus the guys from the Base Camp. We could probably find packs for everyone on TT.”

“Aero has a really good idea. We could exchange your pack then and see if it works. Plus w/ about 400 bpers, I might be able to find a "partner" for the trip!!! Kidding!!! I was kidding.”

“When in May is it? I have to go to Casper for a Soil Bioremediation seminar May 19th thru 21st.

Sounds interesting doesn't it?”

“Newgirl, I've never rented a pack or looked into it so I don't have any advice to give in that area. I would like to make a recommendation concerning pack selection, though. If possible, a pack specifically made for women would be a better choice than one for a man. The difference is in the shape and positioning of the hip belt and shoulder straps. Women's packs are usually more comfortable. I backpacked for years with a men's pack and noticed the difference in comfort right away when I got my women's pack. Just a thought. The only way to know for sure is to try them on. Good luck.”

“The Baf Film Festival will be up at the MSUB Theatre on May 4 at 6:00pm. c'mon up. I'll be selling popcorn!”

“or Banf!”

“Or Banff.”

“Skullcap, thanks for the advice. My thinking on this was along those same lines. I have a friend who had the same advice for me.”

“Skullcap, do you recommend a certain pack?”

“Well, not really. I have a Kelty Trekker, women's pack. I like it alot. It's an external frame. There's so much about a pack that's personal preference and individual comfort. The only thing that I can recommend is to find one with the features you are looking for in the correct size and try it on. Then load it up and walk around the store for awhile with it on. If it's not comfortable, keep looking. I got real lucky when I got mine. I had never bought my own pack before. I told the salesman (who was a backpacker) what kind of hikes I usually took (mileage, number of days out) and described my gear, packing preferences and organization. I also knew I wanted an external frame. He picked this one, I tried it on, etc. and bought it. It really is perfect. Like I said, I got lucky.”

“not to start a debate but the advice i got was below 150.00 get an external. also while your shopping take a small fish scale... you will be astonished at how heavy some packs are. remember with an external you will need a smaller size pack as the sleeping bag,pad and tent can travel outside.”