Backpack cu. inches question

“How many cu. inches is recommended by you guys for a backpack that I'd like to use for weekends and week-long trips during the warmer months?”

“4000 cubic inches? With loops to tie more stuff on if need be.”

“7500”

“4000 is plenty. I did a five-day trip with my Aether 60, which is about 3900ci. Had my sleeping pad and shelter on the outside, most everything else inside. It was a tight fit for the first couple of days, then no prob as I ate up my food.”

“I have no trouble with my 3700 cu in pack for 3 season trips up to 5 days. I need more space in the winter.”

“5,000 lets you do about anything comfortably.”

“I'm learning the hard way. My first pack was a Kelty Storm at around 2500 it was way too small.

My new pack is around 6500 and it's way too big.

I'm going to invest in a pack around 4000, then I'll have one for all occasions.

Going too big gives you room to work with, but it's harder to get everything sinched down tight if you don't fill it.”

“Oh, and that was a fall hike too, so I had more clothes than I would during the summer.”

“500/5500 should be enough to get the job done.you could go with a smaller pack and tie stuff to the outside but if you are an organization freak that will look sloppy and you wont like it,5000+ and you can stuff it all inside for a nice neat look.”

“I run pretty small; in fact I tend to feel like a Hobbit around Americans. As you've read from my previous posts, I like to conserve space and weight as much as possible. I have been getting away with a 75 litre (4 500 cu. in.), internal frame, Karrimor (Lancashire, England) Alpiniste pack since 1980.

I sometimes have to lash things onto it, for example, my Nalgenes on each side and my compass. My summer Thermarest rides under the flap. My compass rides in its case on a side strap.

In winter my biga$$ Thermarest rides in the straps under the pack, my ice axe and third tool on the loops, snowshoes and shovel on the back and crampons on the top flap. I carry my rope under the flap.

I know that carrying things on the outside of a pack is considered infra dig. by the cognoscenti, but it works for me.

What I look for in a pack is that it be a top loader and without zippers. I am of an age that I remember when the Woods Artic Five Star slepping bag could be had with snaps or buttons for those, like me, who distrusted zips (snaps are worse because they can freeze shut). Modern zips are great, but if something fails it will be the zip. I tolerate them on my sleeping bag and tent, but that's it. As an aside: does anyone but me remember when doors on expedition tents came with cloth orifices and a drawstring?

Two axe loops and double daisy chains are 'de rigueur'. It makes me crazy to see how in the shops you see many beautiful and expensive name brand packs with loops, but nothing to secure the piolet shafts to. Also, I like double daisy chains for threading elastic bungee straps for snowshoes and shovel. I like crampon straps on top, too.

I like side compression straps, as well as lash slots on the sides. They are good for water bottle caddies, compass, tent poles (mine fit inside, however) and hiking/ski poles.

I don't use a tent in winter, prefering a bivy sack - a winter tent, solo or two person would be a very tight fit indeed with my synthetic sleeping bag, but I guess it could be done.

In summer, my four man Eureka expedition tent (heavy) fits in well with my synthetic 3-season bag, but a two-person tent would be pack heaven. I like the 4-person for comfort with my girlfriend who doesn't winter pack.

Oh yes. Extra long top flap straps that wrap under the pack are very handy for - as I mentionned - bulky mattresses.

All to-gether, it's a pretty retro 70's/80's technical mountaineering pack, but I learned to use it through experience and it works for me. Of course, I use compression sacks for both my sleeping bag and my tent.

No zips, double daisy chains and ice axe loops, side compression straps and plenty of lash points, 4 500 cubic inches - that's about it.

Happy trails.”

“I already have a big pack for winter - if I remember correctly - its 4200?
Anyway - it was great in the winter - and now I'm getting a smaller sleeping bag - and warm weather requires less crap - so I want a smaller, lightweight backpack for up to one -week trips”

“Wow how do you get all the winter stuff into a 4200 cu in pack? What tent do you carry?”

“I use the REI Rising Star 65. It's 4,200 cu in and 4# 4 ozs. Works fer me. I think I could get by for a while on the trail with that amount of space.”

“well - at least I think it's 4200.

1) I pack sparingly
2) I strap stuff to the outside
3) hehehe - I get the Corp' to carry the body of the tent! (seriously though - I have and can carry all my own winter gear)”

“4,200 is plenty for winter hiking. I think it comes down to clothing. I have done so much better with pack weight and space because of clothes. It's kinda like water space and weight, the nessessary pain in the ass.”

“I wouldn't need as many winter clothes if I was packing alone. But with a group you want to stay outside talking, and I need warm pants and down coat for that. Otherwise I would be inside my sleeping bag staying warm.”

“Bingo! I'd like to lounge around the campfire in my sleeping bag, weather permitting of course. Never done that, but I think that if you can make that piece of gear have a dual purpose, it cuts done on other gear. I really don't know if this would work, but I'm gonna try it this fall/winter.”

“There really is not much "lounging" going on if there is no campfire (Loyalsock, PA trip) and/or no shelter (Harriman trip rocked because we had both).

Extra cloths without dual purpose in the winter? ha!

One thing I learned from the beast (sleeping bag) was how to cut out the unneccessary while still having all the absolutely neccessary.”

“There are sleeping bags that have sleeves and the bottom zips open. Don't know the brand.”

“sleeping bag + fire = uh-oh”

“We use 4000 cu in, summer and winter, and that is with everything inside, except snowshoes. Sleeping bag and pad, tent, clothing, food, and misc gear. I hate snag it on tree branches. I'll also bet that I pack em better than most. In the summer we have room, in the winter we do with less. I guess it all comes down to what you feel you can do without. The smaller the pack, the less you have to carry....”

“Limpy I think it's an Exped. Not sure. It's in one of my catalogs, but I was thinking it's called a Nannuk or something like that.”

“i like my osprey crescent 75”

“Zero.

Who wants to backpack when it is warm?”

“it just depends on how much gear you carry.

mine is about 3800 and I can fit 5 days food plus gear in it easily.”

“you will fill it. Conversely, if you have a smaller pack, you will figure out what you don't really need and leave it behind. Your gear choices will be made with the understanding that they have to go into your small pack - so you will choose lighter gear. If you want to enjoy your hiking time, carry a smaller pack. My current pack is 4000 ci - for a weekend or a week. On short trips there is a lot of room. In the winter it is packed to the brim. But we do few winter trips that are over a weekend, so there is a tradeoff. Larger sleeping bag, less food.”

“Twinks - I used a 2000 cu in GoLite Day pack on last weekend's 4 day, 3 night Smokies ridgewalk.
I did use a small fanny pack for my first aid and safety stuff.

UltraLite Baby!”

“I have no problem filling my pack with light, yet bulky items (like a fleece top for around the campsite). I believe my pack is 4600 cu in. Last trip it was around 33lbs total. UltraLite is an alien language to me”

“I have no problem filling my pack with light, yet bulky items (like a fleece top for around the campsite). I believe my pack is 4600 cu in. Last trip it was around 33lbs total. UltraLite is an alien language to me”

“"If you want to enjoy your hiking time, carry a smaller pack."
~Ginny

Ehh, I can take this advice or leave it.”