New Backpacker, need help!

“My questions pertains to what backpack I need. I am going on Labor day weekend for my first backpacking trip with a group of people I just met. I have backpacked twice with Outward Bound and love it. Now I need to purchase my own pack. My question is if I should purchase the ArcFlex? By Dana, I think. I want comfort, and I heard they have many different sizes, plus they can fit it to your back really well. I am 5'7" so I have a small frame. Comfort is most important to me while I backpack. The only drawback is that it's over $400. I am willing to pay that for comfort on the trail. I am also picking up a two person tent, should I only purchase a one person? I am conisdering two in case a friend ever comes along with me and they do not have their own tent. I am looking at Sierra Designs as they have nice, light ones. I am also purchasing a sleeping bag today. Speedy response is appreciated!”

“I don't know anything about the backpack, but that is big bucks! Sierra Designs makes good tents. The one vs two person is a tough one. It ends up being significant weight if you go by yourself. I have a SD Clip Flashlight CD2 as my solo tent, and can't imagine fitting another adult in it.

Good luck, have fun.”

“i would go to your local outfitter if you have one. they can walk you through this stuff alot easier. $400 is a TON! there are many great brands out there. just make sure it's not a heavy pack. it's actually overwhelming. i'd just go for the single person tent. get the lighest weight bag you can afford.





geesh i diddn't help a bit, lol.”

“when you go into the gear store, have them load up the pack with ....anything heavy....and fit it to you & see how it feels. walk around a bit, walk up some stairs, etc.”

“You can always rent a pack for the weekend if you're not sure which one to buy.”

“i agree about rentng first. I bought my pack at the last min. cause I was going on a overnighter. Im sorry I bought it. It SUCKS!
Id love to trade mine in but they don't do that.
So the moral of the story is...


Look before you leap.”

“nobody shouldbe paying 400 bones for a pack. Drop between 80 and at most 200 and send the change to me. You can find my email on my profile...”

“I agree with Sir Stratdewd.. fill a bunch with something weighted and walk around the store for a bit. Don't be shy about it either and take your time. Get the one that feels most comfy and has the room and features you're looking for. $400 is waaaaay too much to spend on a pack, especially if you're just starting out.

Good luck! :-)”

“hay i gave him advice first i should get some money here too!”

“hay if you do buy it and don't like it can I have it?”

“Maple - your finders fee should be about 5 buck and a beer. hows that?”

“alrighty then
$5.00 and a beer!
but make it a very cold corona and its a deal!”

“get the kelty zen from campmor.com for around 100 bucks..you seem like your smaller..it's right at the big side of solo..and just right for 2 good friends”

“it's a deal! now you have to come to hike with us in Michigan to collect. what date should I put you down fer?”

“You prolly need a Wenahaha pakpak like mine. It is a goooood pakpak. It gots a pak and a nother pak on the nother side. It will fit all yer suppers and a puncho and a watter getter and some nother theengs. They got them at Pet Stor and RIE.”

“Hell i need the moola...college student <~~~~~~~”

“I've got a Dana Terraplane. It is the most comfortable pack I've ever worn. And it's bombproof. Only two downsides, heavy and expensive.

Northernmountain.com is a Dana overstock and seconds dealer and you can get a better real through them. The problem is that you need to try the pack on and truck aound the store in it to feel it out. Ya can't do that online and if the shop treated you right and fitted you and everything I'd have a moral problem with blowing them off and buying online after all the service they provided.

The other issue is the size of the arcflex pack line. Those are big dogs designed for weeks of wilderness travel. If you are only doing weekend trips you will be tempted to fill that sucker up. End result = 50 pound pack of too much stuff. NOLS and Outward Bound pack heavier than most people but all that weight isn't necessary.

If you are mostly going to do weekend trips with a week long one tossed in my suggestion would be to get smaller pack 3500 to 4500 ci. that size range will give you most flexibility in the trips you go on.

Is it worth $400+ to me it was but that is a personal budget issue. Others have stated that is isn't. Well, maybe to them but they aren't you or me. Any BMW is a better car than any Chevy, I know I've delt with both. Is the BMW worth the sticker price? Depends on what you want. To me price is a general reflection of quality.

That being said, you are just getting into backpacking and I wouldn't suggest a huge outlay of cash. Try on everything.

Tent- The SD clip flashlight is probably their lightest model and many many peole have been satisfied with it. This is something I'd buy online. Shop around and you will find a good price. I would go for a two person model as that will give you the most flexibility. Don't forget to seamseal it. Despite what the box might say it DOES need it.”

“No need you piss away a month's salary on backpacking gear, there, chad. You shouldn't have to spend more than $1000.00 to get really top-notch gear and you could probably get by with less. $400.00 for a backpack is, well, extreme. Check out Kelty, Osprey, Sierra Designs, Asolo, Vasque, Lowa, REI, Campmor, etc. Once you find gear you like, go to EBAY and see if you can find it there. I have picked up some real bargains that way. In today's e-commerce world, it is senseless to pay list price for almost anything.
If you want a two-person tent and the person you're thinking of bunking with is no bigger than you are, the Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight2 CD will work well for you.
My personal list of gear;
Boots; Vasque Sojourn GTX - $205.00
Pack; Kelty Red Cloud 5400- $120.00 (though I am considering the Osprey Aether 60, $230.00)
Sleeping bag; The North Face Blue Kazoo - $120.00
Tent;(solo) MSR MicroZoid - $150.00
(with wife) Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight3 CD - $180.00 (I am a broad-shouldered individual with a 48" chest, and Mother Goose is a stout woman, so the Clip2 is just a little snug for both of us)
ThermARest Ultralite sleeping pad - $50.00
MSR WaterWorksll filter - $90.00
That takes care of the major stuff and leaves you well under the $1000.00 with which you can still purchase clothing, flashlight or headlamp (PrincetonTec), stove, etc. Good luck, I hope this helps.”

“Buy the pack which feels the most comfortable and which you can afford. If you can afford $400, all the power to you. I would buy a two person tent over a one person. You never know who you will be sharing tent space with in the future. Sierra Designs tents wouldn't be my first choice but they're a good quality tent none the less.”

“Backcountrygear.com has the Osprey Aether 60 on sale for $195.00. That's one hell of a bargain. I just ordered mine.”

“Was that a 2001 or a 2002? I've got the 2001, but I understand the 2002 has a lot of improvements. I'm just glad the darn thing is lighter than my old North Face Inca.”

“I have to agree: unless you just have lots of money to spare, don't spend 400 on a backpack when you are just starting out. If you do much backpacking, your style is likely to change. There is no one pack that is perfect for everyone and you might end up hating the weight of the Arcflex series. Renting or getting something much cheaper is a better way to start out.

The Osprey Aethyr is a great pack - especially if it fits you and the way you backpack. And FG spotted a great bargain (You can always order on line, check it out at home, and send it back if it doesn't seem right for you.) You might also consider the Mountainsmith Mountainlight packs. Either the Osprey60 or MM Auspex will save you around 4lbs and 200 over some of the ArcFlex packs.

On the other hand, you might want to go to a good outfitter and try on some packs and see if your stuff fits in them. If you do this, it is only fair to buy from the folks that show you the pack you end up buying... but try on lots of packs, ask lots of questions and make sure they earn their mark-up.

As far as the tent, a lot of two person tents don't do well with two people. That said, I'd suggest getting a tent that fits your needs now (sounds like its a solo tent) and if you want to tent with someone else later, pick up another tent. The Clip Flashlight, the Zoid, the MicroSwift, the Hennessey Hammock are all nice light weight options for shelters.

Maybe your new backpacking buddies will have some suggestions? Maybe you could even check out or borrow some of their stuff. They should also be able to reccomend a good outfitter in the area.”

“If you can afford a $400 backpack then you should be able to afford two tents.

The most fundamental mistake made by beginning backpackers is to accumulate a lot of neat gear only to learn that carrying it all is not so neat. Pay attention to gear weight. Don't carry a two man tent for one person unless you think there is a chance of hooking up with one of the skeezers.”

“I've got a Vortex 5800 and I absolutly love it. It is a little heavy for standard backpacking though, and I won't tell you how much it cost me. I wouldn't buy an Osprey, Vortex, or Dana Design pack unless you are pretty committed or plan on doing some major hauls. I would probably go for a Kelty in the 4500 ci range or check out the Mountain Smith Vapor (I think it's the Vapor).”

“It is indeed the 2002 model. $202.00 delivered to my door WOOHOO!”

“Lucky you! I still like my 2001 though, it stays on me better than the Inca did.

And it carries less crap, too, lol!”

“Deathmarch: I think you meant the Mountainsmith Auspex (or maybe Chimera)

#2 The Osprey Aethyr60 (60 liters) is a moderate sized pack and quite light weight (about 3 1/2 pounds), not a big haul pack.”

“Yeah, bit, less crap is good. No more 55lb. packs for me (at least on solo trips)!”

“Unless they made a big change from the 2001 model, you might need a compression stuff for your sleeping bag, FG. My 20F wouldn't fit in the bottom of the pack until I put it in a compression stuff and squeezed it down tight.

My 0F down bag fit no problem, go figure...”

“I don't think it's the Auspex. It's the larger version of the ghost. (or at least was a year ago)”

“The Blue Kazoo is a very compressable down bag. In it's regular stuff sack, it's 4 x 14.”

“I think my pillow is about that big, lol! My 20F is either a Hollofil or Quallofil bag, don't remember which. The stuff sack it came in is about 10x22. With the compression stuff, I got it down to about 11x16, which just barely squeezed into the bottom of the pack.”

“Yeah, I have an old quallofill 0-degree bag that I have to stand on to stuff into my Kelty. They insullate better when wet, but the space savings of down...”

“Weight too. I got my 0F because I was looking to save weight and be warmer on winter hikes.”

“I like the thought of borrowing from your new buddies. For one thing, that makes them feel all warm and fuzzy and generous. Besides, few backpackers have only one pack (I have 3- ya wanna borrow one?) and love to get their little used gear on the trail. But the most compelling reason is that then you don't have to shell out a buncha money when you don't know exactly what you are looking for.”

“Borrow, until you know what you want and have plenty of extra dough. People are exceedingly generous. I was almost entirely outfitted by the people on this lovely board. The one dumb thing I bought on my own was a sleeping bag and it sucks. I should've borrowed and then I would know what was good. Anyway, backpacking hand me down stuff is the way to go.”

“I forgot to point out that I bought that $400+ pack after I had been hiking for 16 years.”

“I gotta know, hpm, what in the world makes a pack worth $400.00?”

“I payed $49 (on sale) for my Kelty-Gale and it carries stuff and is comfortable.”

“Unbelieveably comfy padding on the hipbelt and shoulder straps and tough as nails material. This terraplane will outlast me.”

“Oh, and I didn't pay full price. That was the cincher. I had a gift certificate for about half of the amount.

Gotta love those generous Boy Scouts.”

“Now yer talkin'...”

“It's nice to know you're appreciated (cue cheesy announcer voice) and nothing says I love you like new backpacking gear.”

“I have the Terraplane as well and I like it a lot. Try one on first, but then go to the internet because you can get them for 1/2 - 2/3 msrp. As for the pack itself, its a bit heavy and I would get the light weight version now but it wasn't offered when I got it. The hip belt is great, though I wish it was bolted on, and the suspension is the best I've used. Its really best for week + trips or winter camping but I use mine compressed down for overnight trips as well. The key is get what you need, not more. Figure out what gear your going to carry and try to get the pack that is comfortable in that size range. And of course, what works for one person might not fit well on another.”

“DM: The Auspex is the next bag larger than the Ghost in the Mountainlight line for men, the largest is the Spectre. The other bag in the series is the Chimera, which is marketed for women - its the same size as the Auspex.

I got a 2002 Auspex with my 20% members discount from REI (their anniversary deal) and carries very nicely for 3lb 7oz.

I think Kelty made a pack called the Vapor.. I think it was a predecessor of the Cloud --- which, by the way, is the pack I would get if money was no object. I think Snowdude has one and is very happy with it.”

“The Kelt Cloud's list around 650 and if you want to stretch your budget to get quality, thats the one I'd go for. (Note to self: Stop Drooling!)”

“Rent for now, do more research, then search the web for bargins.”

“This is all I can say about backpacks.

DON'T GO CHEAP!

8D”

“If you're willing to spend $400 dollars on a backpack then you should just get a McHale pack. His SARC, Lightspeed and subPOP packs are in that range. It will be custom built to your body dimensions with any feature you want or don't want. You won't wish for something better ever because there isn't anything better. The pack is made just for you.”

“My new pack was almost $400. It's worth every penny.”