Ultralight Packs

“I have solved my dilemma; I ordered an Osprey Aether 45 for $59.00 from Backcountry Gear and now the wait for the P1 won't be so painful. Gawd, I love choices!!!”

“If I buy another pack my wife will kill me.
If I buy another pack my wife will kill me.
If I buy another pack my wife will kill me.
If I buy another pack my wife will kill me.
If I buy another pack my wife will kill me.
If I buy another pack my wife will kill me.
If I buy another pack my wife will kill me.
If I buy another pack my wife will kill me.
If I buy another pack my wife will kill me.
If I buy another pack my wife will kill me.
If I buy another pack my wife will kill me.”

“Oy vey, you vould pass up such a deal???”

“You could always tell her you bought it for her to try. You're gonna be sorry you didn't get one when you and MDS see mine next weekend.”

“new pack, death, new pack, death....hard choice...”

“I know, but I have recently given the "We really need to examine our priorities and only buy what we really need" speech.

While it's a really cool pack, I'd have a hard time justifying it. Sigh.”

“I don't suppose you could deny ever saying that...”

“What I can justify is a new pair of boots, since my Sundowners have never fit very well. I'll probably go up to REI in Nashvegas sometime in April and get fitted for a new pair.”

“Happy feet make a happy backpacker...”

“No kidding, and my feet get unhappy pretty fast in those boots. I'm always losing toenails, lol...”

“I got the pack last night in the mail. Thanks again.”

“You're welcome - I need to go through my gear and let go of some more stuff that I won't use anymore.”

“I went to Brandon's store (Bink's Outfitters) in Muffresboro yesterday. I wanted to look at the Katahdin, but after I saw the mesh back I decided on the Vapor Trail. It looks like a great pack. I am currently trying to downsize all my gear to go lightweight as possible.”

“anyone ever try the granite gear VIRGA ?”

“Karo: I went to MTSU for 2 years, 90-92. Loved the smaller town feel, but the few times I have gotten back for a quick tour it seems the town explodes in size each time. Murfreesboro isn't so small anymore. Good luck with the pack downsizing. What is your base weight (no fuel, no food, no water) at this point?”

“Father Goose's new pack just arrived. I couldn't resist I had to open it. He won't get to see it until he gets off of work.

Sure looks small I wonder how he plans to haul all of my stuff in it! LOL”

“Hey, you coming with this weekend?”

“Nah, Mother G ain't coming with us. You want to leave Saturday morning instead???”

“You've got email...”

“Gotcha...”

“The Vapor Trail is wonderful - you'll enjoy it.”

“What is your base weight (no fuel, no food, no water) at this point?"
techntrek
10:29:50 AM



damn yall dont count that when adding up weight...my pack has got to be no more than 25 pounds...probably under that...i usually just worry about the total weight of what i planned to start with...”

“and to add to that...if i could get a new tent/hammock...it would be cut probably about 4 lbs....sold my smaller tent over the winter...now i have to get something lighter...”

“I haven't weighed it yet, I just started to pack it last night and have been gone all day today (Thur). Right now I am waiting on some seam grip to dry for my TT patch. I have it wieghed down with a book and a Dutch oven lid. Not inside tho, would hate to leave that in there and find out on a hike!”

“My 4# peak one 5500 cu. in. weighed about 26-27# when winter bping with food and water. I think I can get it under it with the Vapor Trail and cutting back on some othere things. That just lets me have one or two luxury items.”

“Has anyone tried the latest iteration of the Mountainsmith Ghost?”

“outdoor outlet has the Kelty Cloud on sale for 199.00 this pack is out of this world”

“my cloud weighs 22oz-1.3#s striped of all the bells and whistels.... dont need them any way....”

“shep: "base weight" is so important because it doesn't matter if you are going on a 1-nighter or a week out, you gotta have that gear. All the consumables are just add-ons that vary depending on how long the trip is and even then one person might take twice as much water or fuel or food as another for the same length trip. So the only way to really compare is base weight. Total weight counts, too, but only to the person that is carrying it!

big: I considered the Ghost when I was upgrading (downsizing) recently. Also considered several by Golite. Almost bought the Golite Gust or Breeze, but after reading reviews online I decided the lack of compression straps was a major problem for them. I was then down to either the Ghost or Golight Team or Speed (the Team and Speed are almost identical). Finally settled on the Team - only weights 1 lbs 15 oz, has the perfect room for cold weather gear and I can compress it down for summer gear. Just got to try it out 2 weekends ago, and loved it. The padding on the shoulder straps stops a little too high for me, I need to extend it. Otherwise very comfortable on the back and hips, even though the hip belt doesn't have any padding. Think I paid around $130.”

“The GoLite Team is on sale for $104.99 at GreatLakesOutfitters.com (4beartooth.com as an alternate address).

techntrek, the specs on the Team gives its capacity with extended collar. Is that what made it work for cold weather gear?

The new Ghost weighs about 3 or 4 ounces more than the Team and is panel loading. Just wondering how it stacks up or carries, if anyone can say. I do like that it has a padded hipbelt compared to the GoLite. The hipbelt on my Mountainsmith lumbarpack works well.”

“Medium GoLite Race and Speed packs $69 on sale at Northern Mountain.”

“Some of the sales I have seen were for the 2003 models. The 2004 models use a newer fabric which they claim is "29%" stronger. Probably doesn't matter much in the end, especially may not matter if you are on a tight budget since those sales are so cheap. That link from SS looks like the packs have the newer material. Good deal. Just noticed that the Team is cheaper ($119 regularly) compared to the Speed ($139 regularly). My bill must have been after shipping, etc.

The Team specs (medium) are 2200 main, 700 all pockets, 400 for the extension collar. I also have a 400 or so add-on pocket which I like because it is my day pack and gives me more packing options. With my add-on full I only had my keys, cell, cash and cards in the top pockets (the larger top pocket was empty). I barely used the large rear mesh pocket (only held my tent poles and tent pegs). I only had my Platypus in the extension collar - see below for more. I am sure I could fit the stuff in my add-on in the space I did not use and could leave it behind to save 2 ozs. Or would have room for a full week's food if I kept it. The short answer to your question is w/o my add-on I still would have had enough room for a weekender in cold weather.

Other notes from my experience with the Team:
The larger top pocket is 70% mesh on top, 30% material on the lower part. The mesh let in rain which pooled in the lower part. They should make it all mesh or put in drain holes; this is only a minor problem.
The main compartment does have drain holes, nice touch I would have added on my own anyway.
The 2 water bladder compartments are inside the main compartment against your back. No way you can refill them without removing everything in your pack. I ended up putting my Platypus on top of everything else in the extension collar so I could get to it easily, and it was still in a good place for a heavy item. They do give you 2 small slits where you can stick the drinking tube out of the pack - I could still use these slits with the Platypus at the top of the pack. I didn't worry about leakage because I don't use a rain cover, I pack everything inside in silnylon bags and forget the cover.
The lid is non-removable and does NOT float. The side against your back is sewn to the pack. The down-side is if you have the extension collar full you can't move the lid on top of the full load, it ends up between your head and the extension collar and with less room in its pockets. This is partly why I kept my add-on so the collar would be mostly empty. Acceptable for a week-long trip when the collar is full of food, but not when I had other options. Would be nice if they allowed it to float so it could be used as a day pack.
The two hip belt pockets are very usable even with the belt cinched tight. I had little problem getting a fairly large camera in and out. Those pockets were really nice for my camera, map, and chapstick. One pocket is mesh, one is material.
They give you yet another 40 ci pocket which attaches to the sternum strap. I left that at home, looked like a pain and it would trap sweat/heat on my chest, no thanks.
More than enough compression straps to make it usable even as a day pack. Hated the only color you can get - sun yellow - I prefer dark green, but I figure it will add to my safety during hunting season.
Also mentioned before that the padding on the shoulder straps didn't cover all the points that touch near my armpit - I have wide shoulders so I wasn't surprised. I am going to add more padding to fix this.”

“I weighed my pack today and was very surprised. With my tarp, cookpot and fuel, hammock and harness, 2 lb-32 degree bag, rainsuit, large First Aid kit, three legged stool, carabiners on the shoulder straps, blue thingy sit pad, and a plastic bag filled with food that I used just to fill up the pack.........
17lbs!!!!!
I was sure it weighed over 20. If I add my clothes and take out most of that food then add water, I should still be under 20#. That is going to be my target from now on. I threw in the stool for one luxury item, but with the hammock as a "recliner", who needs a 3 legged stool? I am pleased for sure. Now I need to update my website.”

“Very sweet karo. Is that pack weight for a summer trip, or with cold weather clothes? I understand the stool luxury item. I carry a Sling Light chair (www.slinglight.com). Weighs a pound, but oh so comfortable. I can pull it right up to the fire. What is the point of hiking all day just to be uncomfortable all evening?”

“Good point techntrek. That's why I just picked up the 10 oz. chair kit for my 3/4 ultralite Therm-a-rest. Looking forward to having some back support when sitting in camp.”

“The funny thing is, now that I have reduced my weight and bulk so much and have a new smaller pack, the chair is now a little bigger in diameter than my pack! Still smaller than me, though, so if I can make it through a blow-down, it will, too. Just looks a little funny now.”

“I agree on the chair issue. I have a thermarester chair kit. Super comfortable. You can't put it close to the fire or you risk a few burn holes like I got the last day of SierraPalooza (however, I rarely have a fire an more).

The slinglight is very comfortable and hard to beat for weight.

Has the ULA P-2 been discussed on this thread? I only hiked with mine once for a day hike so far, but it seems pretty awesome. The pockets in the hip straps really rock. The built in water bladder pocket and rain cover save me some additional weight.”

“Just got back from the Firey Gizzard with MDS and bitpusher. This was the maiden voyage for my new Osprey Aether 45 and, I have to say, I'm impressed. The closure system is like a boating dry bag. The pack has a reinforced lip which the user folds over as far as possible. It then locks down with two side buckles and a top buckle. The pack is coated (urethane, I assume) on the inside, so it is completely waterproof, obviating the need for a pack cover in inclement weather. The compression system is a single pullcord connected at eight points across the front of the pack and pulled tight at the top. With a 20 lb. load, the pack compressed to a nice, tight, compact bundle which was comfortable to carry. At no time during the hike did I find it necessary to fiddle with any of the straps after the initial adjustments. At just 1.2 oz. heavier than the ULA P1 (adding the shock cord and top lid) and with a list price about $60.00 cheaper, the Osprey is an incredible value, in my opinion. The only thing that I would add is a D-ring on the inside from which to hang keys, a photon light, etc. It will be a while before ULA gets my money, considering the features of this pack. I highly recommend the Osprey Aether 45 for anyone looking for an ultralight pack.










No, this was NOT a paid endorsement.....:D”

“I have to agree with da Gooseman on this one. I picked mine up on a whim, it was only $60 and I can blow that much on a bottle of wine or on a few cigars by accident. I had mine loaded up with almost 4 liters of water, pushing 26-28lbs and never did it feel uncomfortable. The compression system works well, and the feature I initially thought I wouldn't like (the roll top) has become my favorite feature of the pack. I love it because of it's oversimplicity, and wonderful attention to detail (i.e. the hydration hole and hydration tube clip, the way the help belt cinches, etc). If they had made the side mesh pockets slightly bigger so it would hold a 32oz Nalgene it would be a near perfet UL bag for me.”

“Father Goose, could you comment on the durability of materials used in the Aether? I tend to be somewhat snag prone anytime I'm in the woods, so it's always a concern with ultralight materials.

The significant difference in capacities between the ULA P-2 and the Aether 45 certainly raises the issue of what you get for a weight, and what ultimate weight you might end up with on the trail. If the goal is to go ultralight, how much capacity is really necessary to achieve that goal?

Phil, with your P-2, are you counting on the larger capacity for specific purposes, such as bulkier cold weather gear?”

“weighed my pack at amicalola and with bag, sleeping pad, some of the food, stove, fuel, cookpot, and other small misc. it was about 15#...if i get another tent/hammock thats worth a damn ill really be smoking along the trail then...i think the #&%!$ty temporary tent i have is about 7 or 8 lbs. god i cant wait to get rid of it...”

“pekka - I am planning on using my P2 for winter hiking and week-long trips, as well as weekend trips. I wanted 40 lb capacity for the longer trips.

I carried 50 lbs with my external frame on long trips...no more of that.”

“Pekka, the P2 is analogous to the Aether 60, the P1 to the Aether 45. The 45 has a capacity of 2800 ci in a medium, which is more than enough for an ultralight pack, IMHO. I would feel comfortable taking this pack on a week-long hike in moderate temperatures. With proper planning, maybe even in the mild winters we have in the Southeast.

Osprey packs are made from their proprietary 420D Chainlink fabric, which strikes me as pretty tough stuff. I like both of my Ospreys a lot. At $60.00, the Aether 45 is a steal.

Well, gotta get ready for work...”

“This pack has missed my attention somehow. Good looking pack.
I've had got spoiled by the BIG mesh pockets on my GoLites and kinda ignore packs without.
This is a very small pack? Correct?

Give me a reason to replace my much lighter GoLite 'Day' pack with this one for loads of about 15 #. For these loads, I don't have the slightest need for a hipbelt.
Not being negative, I just don't see any reason to change. Educate Me!”

“Ok, I'm looking for a new pack - I've read through some old threads and looked at endless websites and reviews and would like to get some fresh opinions. I'm looking for something much smaller than what I have now(gregory palisade), around 3000 cu in(I'm wondering if less might not fit my needs), that still has a frame and is fairly lightweight. Sticking with the same brand I've been looking at the gregory G-pack, who has opinions on that and what compares to it?”

“simer

i like this website for it's gear reviews. tons of packs, very detailed reviews.

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Packs/”

“Granite Gear Vapor Trail is the pack I just bought from Binks and used on the Wind River trip. 2 pounds and it has a framesheet and good padding.”

“The Vapor Trail seems to be uber popular, and I'm sure with good reason. I think most people consider it superior to the G Pack.

Two more to consider:
Mountainsmith Ghost
ULA P-2

I have the Ghost and really like it.”

“I'm a Backpack Gear Tester in training! Woo Hoo! Soon y'all are gonna see my reveiws there. Yay!

Simer, I got my GoLite Speed for really cheap on Northern Mountain Supply. It's very light and has a water bladder pocket inside (came with 3l platy) and lots of outside mesh pockets handy for wet or dirty items. Also the hipbelt has little zip pockets in them for lipbalm or whatever. It's great. My only bug is I'm a woman and have hips. The hip belts are not padded and tend to roll/bunch due to my shape. Then they sort of dig in and cause bruising. This weekend I'm going to put my spare socks in those little zip pockets and see if it adds enough stability and padding to rectify the issue.

Great pack though and 1/2 price!”

“hey pix

i did the "training" period on the site too.

i was thinking i was gonna get some cool free gear.

in the end i decided it's not worth all the time spent writing the inquiries, the reports, editing the reports...”