backpack suggestions?

“Anyone have an inexpensive backpack for 2-4 day backpacking trips? Sometimes solo so I will sometimes be packing quite a bit.”

“I like Dana Design-”

“I really like Lowe Alpine. Very reasonable pricing, high quality material and workmanship, a touch heavy but very comfy even when loaded up heavy.”

“we just bought our son a camptrails internal from campmor. i think they are a great value.”

“are jansport packs any good or are they low quality?”

“I agree with Birch 100% on this one. The Contour Classic (formerly the Contour IV) will fit everything you want to fit and can be had quite cheaply.”

“Are you asking if one of us have one to sell to you or for suggestions on what kind to buy?”

“I know some folks like Jansport.. there are packs for every budget and needs..

Jansport is not one of my fav brands.. IMHO?.. Wal-Mart.. cheap.. imported from some 3rd world country..

I know I will prolly get slammed for that.. but hey.. they are so many GOOD packs.. Name-brand recognition.. don't waste your time with Jansport.”

“i had an old external jansport, and it worked fine for me, no problems, now i'm with a gregory, much better :)”

“peddy, my wife just bought a lowe alpine, & i agree it's a great pack too. good value as well.

i have an external jansport that i got a great deal on (SLIGHTLY used). it's a little heavy, but i'll use it for another year or two because it's still in great shape & i like the pack.


just figure out how much you have to spend & get the best one you can with that ammount. no need to spend $300 on a gregory, but if i had nothing else to buy, or just lots of money, i prolly would, lol.”

“One pack isn't good for all, so make sure you get one that fits and doesn't kill your shoulders no matter how much it costs.”

“Skull Im asking for suggestions. I asked about Jansports cause they had them in campmor and wasnt sure if they were high quality or not.”

“High quality and inexpensive doesn’t generally come in the same package. Take your time and find one you can afford that fits you comfortably - you can always upgrade later. Because we come in all sizes and shapes, no one pack (no matter the price) will fit everyone well.

The Lowe Alpine Contour recommended above isn't necessarily good for everyone. One of my friends who is very tall returned one because the shoulder straps cut into his neck.

It might help to let us know what your budget is.”

“I have a terraplane and I like it... but its big, heavy and expensive... and I ALWAYS end up carrying more than my share of the gear. That said, go to a camping store and try them on, see how they fit, load the up with your gear and then you can decide if you want that pack at campmor, compare them with other brands.”

“I love my jansport pack... but honestly TD has a point... my first pack was from JC Penneys it was CHEAP, but it held up like a champ...

kinda as comfy as an iron maiden though... but I was young so comfort wasn't my main concern

I would go to a store and try some on”

“I have a Jansport, It is an alright pack, but I bought a gregory and the old saying of you get what you pay for seems to apply to back packs! If you are serious about bping, get a comfortable BP. It will make all the difference in the world! IMHO”

“Pack is not the place to be cheap, I use a Gregory because its comfy and I can walk 10 miles with it and still get up the next morning and journey on.”

“Violin is right, no backpack is for every one.

Funny thing about the Contour though is that the length is adjustable and some people buy it without knowing that. When I first got mine, I thought it wasn't very comfortable until I started messing around with the length adjustment and realized that the guy from EMS had set it incorrectly.

Later I heard someone griping about what an uncomfortable pack he got. He'd been carrying it for 40 miles. I showed him how to adjust it and suddenly he loved the pack.

The Rokk also seems like a good cheapo pack.

Has anyone tried the packs that Decathlon Sports sells (Quecha). They look OK and are certainly cheap... they don't even list the weight on the papers that come with the packs?”

“I am currently using a Kelty Red Cloud 5400. It can be had for $120.00 and it is as comfortable a pack as I have ever used. It will carry as much gear as any sane person would want to hump and is tough as nails. You just need to make sure to follow the fitting instructions. It is a tad heavy at 5lbs.”

“I just noticed a great deal: Dana Design's Bridger for for 139$:

http://www.northernmountain.com/pgi-Product%20Spec?23691”

“Do you prefer internal or external frame?”

“Im trying to find a good internal for under $150. Im pretty big 6'0 170lbs. Other than Father Goose does anyone else have a kelty? Are they any good?”

“Sorry to ask so many questions but I am new to backpacking how many cubic inches should I look for for weekend trips during all seasons?”

“My pack Arc'Teryx Bora 62 is around 3500 cubic inches, and that works fine for me. For weekends, even in the winter, you shouldn't need more that 4,000 cubic inches.”

“Try looking at a "Packlight" I was looking at Oldtimers on llama trip. Sweet pack if you like panel loaders.

The website is Packllight.com or Paclight.com.
Jansports can be gotten pretty darn cheap. Hell they quarantee them for life, so if they fit, use one.

Keep searching the internet, the deals are everywhere.”

“Try packliteoutdoor.com”

“My son has a Kelty external frame pack that fit him until he got taller than 6' and it's been a good one. I have the women's version and I love it. They were around $100 each new. I can't speak to their internal frame packs, though.”

“I have an Osprey motherload and Dana Designs Bighorn, but the Osprey Aether sounds interesting to me for nice size and lightness. Haven't checked into it too closely, I might buy it!”

“Lowe Alpine packs are nice mid expense, mid comfort, and mid quality packs. Basically, they are a nice introductory pack. You probably wont go too far wrong with one of their models.

Jansport packs are basically book bags for kids to take to school, you could do better without one.”

“I ordered a packlite backcountry, and had to return it. It was too big for me, and I would have to put my bear canister in the bottom compartment, which made the whole pack sag down on the bottom. I'm 5'2" tall, so the pack might work good for bigger people.”

“gear slut, you have a booger on your forehead......”

“I have the same pack fathergoose has. Kelty Redcloud 5400, I love mine. It has it has external pockets much like and a external frame pack does.

BAMA”

“Get off my forehead then stratdud.”

“I bought the Kelty Coyote and I love it! It's about 4500 c.i. and weights just a wee bit over 4 lbs. A good rule of thumb the man at REI said is 1 lb of weight for every 1,000 cubic inches. This pack was about 130 bucks and it's been well worth it. I love the detachable top - can be used as a fanny pack for a day hike if you desire.

As for Jansport, they make good stuff, yeah, it's heavy, but it stands up. I once had a backpack that frayed prematurely around the zipper seams (or so I thought) and I called them, they said send it back, so I did. They replaced it with a brand new pack even though mine was at least 5 years old.

So, you're gonna pay for the name, but they stand behind it. IMHO I would not buy one now, because I think their stuff is geared more towards the car camping crowd where weight isn't a problem and they seldom hike in more than a mile or two.

Packs are alot like cars, we all have our brand names we gravitate towards. The best thing you can do, is go to a reputable gear store where someone is willing to spend some time fitting your torso correctly, then load it up and walk around the store with it.

I tried this at REI in Dallas and those folks were great!

Oh, another thing, you can figure out what you want by touching and feeling in the store, then come home and shop the internet - I knocked 20 bucks off the price of my pack by shopping online AFTER I knew what I wanted -

Just an idea...

Tex”

“I don't have a specific recommendation, but I want to comment on the weight of the backpack you are shopping for. I currently use a Camp Trails McKinley external at about 6 lbs. I usually go out with 35-50 lbs. total weight, depending on the length and whether or not I am sharing gear. I am now going to go much lighter and am shopping for an internal frame pack in the 2-3 lb. range. I want to get under 30 lbs. total (with food) and the 3 lbs. I will save on the backpack are critical. Also, I have a tendency to fill up my external with stuff I don't really need or don't need in abundance.

Just food for thought.”

“kelty is a decent, cheap pack. two of my infrequent backpacking partners have the kelty tornado and they really like them. i started off with a kelty trekker, too.”

“What Tex said. I bought the Coyote for Mother Goose about a year ago. Same features as the Red Cloud in a slightly smaller package. 'Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman'. I am looking seriously at the Osprey Aether 60 for solo trips, though.”

“Is there a smaller version of the Red Cloud - between 3,500 and 4,000 cu in?”

“Getting ready to try this "Gearskin" that Sgt. Rock brought up a couple weeks back.
A bit pricey, but hey the guy should get his due for thinking this up.”

“try www.kelty.com”

“I am just bringing this thread up to the top for a fellow northeast backpacker who is shopping for a pack for his wife.”

“I got a pack for sale that would be a great pack of a woman. Osprey "Finese" 3200 cu.in. Carries up to 30 comfortably. Do some searching the review sites and let me know. I am small framed with a 18 1/2" torso length.”