85L for thru hike?

[Deesk06]

Hey everyone. So I bought my first true hiking backpack. I have a smaller one, about 20L that I use for day hikes. However I went to REI and on the clearance rack was an REI XT85L backpack. I picked it up and knew it was a lot. However I figured that I do not need to fill it up. I bought this pack for 3 reasons, first was the price...it was on clearance for $143, down from $300...second was how comfortable it was, I loved the straps compared to every other backpack. Last was just the colors. It was a cool grey and fire orange. 

Anyways, was this a good buy? I know it is bigger, but could I just pack it regular and keep it around 30lbs? Maybe just throw extra food in. I am just worried I got one too big. However I want more opinions. I plan on hiking the AZT in 10 months when I have time off. I don't know if I would be using this, probably buy a smaller 45-50L eventually instead. 

[jay]

At the end of the day, if you're happy with it, then it was a good buy.  I stay away from larger packs, personally, as I have a tendency to fill up whatever I have.  An 85 liter pack would probably have me carrying about 20 pounds of stuff I really wouldn't need.  If you can avoid doing this, then I think you will do well. And face it, 50% off a comfortable pack isn't anything to be ashamed of.

[toejam]

You may have a use for the 85L pack, but it won't be thru hiking the AZT.

Last week I got out my old REI Mars 85L and hauled it to base camp for an 11-day trail maintenance project. It was not fun hiking up there with that big pack stuffed with all the cool gear I wanted for an extended stay, i.e., big tent, extra clothing, chair, ukulele, booze.

For crunching out lots of miles every day and enjoying it, you'll want something lighter & more compact filled with just enough lightweight gear to get by. I used a REI Flash 62 on the John Muir Trail that I got for something like $94.

[PaulMags]

Wowsers..yeah, 85L is rather large for a thru-hike with its typical (fairly) frequent resupplies.

with the water caries, a 65L would be about right.

[TxAggies]

I had almost the same discussion about a month ago, one fellow basically tried to force me to go lighter, ignoring that I will be traveling with my two kids. 

If if it works for you, do it. Will extra weight slow you down? Possibly. But it depends on your own conditioning. If you like the pack, keep doing what you're doing. The fact is, thru-hikes weren't always "ultra lightweight" and plenty of people hiked even the AT with 40-60 lb packs before the days of ultralight packs/tents/bags and freeze dried foods. Personally, I think the push to be ultralight is more of a status symbol than anything. Kind of like having the newest and fastest car on the block just to show you could afford it. 

FWIW, I ended up just ordering another of the same 90L military pack I already had, even at 8 lbs empty it ended up fitting my needs better than a new 65L lightweight I tried. 

[PaulMags]

65L pack is pretty standard and far from "ultralight".

Saying a 90L pack is normal is like calling an Ford F350 a standard sized vehicle that you happen to be using for ranch work or construction. And then saying a Toyota Corolla, that people use for groceries, is a very compact economy car.

Glad your using of a large pack and packing for two children is working for you.  

For most people, there is no reason to lug something that large on a thru-hike with frequent resupplies and not packing for two children.

I can lug a Dutch Oven on a thru-hike successfully. Does not mean I should.

[TxAggies]

I never said 90 was "normal," but considering I have an F-250 and grew up on a farm as well as a Ford Fusion as my daily "city car," I'm probably in a different league than others.  And we're nor addressing "most people," we're addressing one person's individual question. 

[PaulMags]

Quote

 have an F-250 and grew up on a farm as well as a Ford Fusion as my daily "city car,"

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 And we're nor addressing "most people," we're addressing one person's individual question. 

Exactly! Thanks for agreeing.  The gentleman is doing a well established trail with good support and infrastructure with regular resupplies. Not spending extended time in the wilderness and/or with the children.

Your real world example further illustrates my point. The guy does not need an F250. A Fusion will be just fine.

Edited June 3, 2016 by PaulMags

[TxAggies]

Never said it wouldn't, I only said if it works, keep using it, but don't be pressured into thinking that one "must" have a 65L or smaller to do a thru-hike correctly. He already has an 85 that he says fits perfectly fine and is manageable with a 30 lb thru-hike load, so why buy another pack simply because it's the "right" size?

To the OP:

If the pack works for you and feels good, then yes, it was a good buy. If you load it up with all you need for a thru-hike and it only ends up being 25-30 lbs, but the pack compresses well enough and still feels comfortable TO YOU, then the only real reason to buy a new pack is because you want to, not because you need to. 

[Deesk06]

okay awesome, thanks everyone. I will just go out and try the 85L and see how it feels when I am actually hiking. I know its a bit overkill, but i like the bag a lot.