Backpack advice

[CountryRD]

I know this is cheating a bit, but check Campmor.com for a pack you might be interested in, then go a retail store and try one out; this gives you a price comparison. Sometimes Campmor has closeouts and discontinued packs for a fraction of retail. They currently have (at least it was still in stock). The Granite Gear Vapor Ki womens pack. capacity for size small/medium is 3300 ci and 3600 ci in size large. Pack weighs 2 pounds for size small. This pack originally sold for $169 but is on sale for $99 and a lot of women really like this pack. I do not have one, but it is a nice pack.

[TollerMom]

Home from REI and pack fitting. The REI guy was able to get the frame back in the pack. My garage sale pack does fit my 15" torso but the frame digs into my shoulder blades. Maybe it was the adjustment. . I did get some good insight on sleeping bags and tents...but stopped myself from making any purchases. Turns out the tent I thought we had was a sun shelter. Pretty worthless. I'll look at the outlet packs. Their anniversary sale is also May 18-24 so might get some deals there. 20 percent there and another 20 percent with a coupon..and my cashing in my dividend.

Probably should follow all the advice so far and focus on bag and tent first.

[Stick]

If you're able to get the rest of your gear down to a reasonable level of both weight and volume, I would suggest looking for a pack that's under 3lbs or so, above that weight I haven't seen much benefit unless you'll be carrying really heavy loads. (Like climbing gear, etc.) Especially if your target trip length is in the overnight or weekender range. However, opinions will definitely vary.

Until you have an idea about the rest of your gear, we are still a bit ahead of ourselves here, but since you said you wanted to keep the price low, the old / discontinued versions of the Flash 50 & Flash 65 packs (Women's & Men's versions) are on sale over at the REI Outlet for about $100 which might be worth a look.

I second this. In my opinion, ULA makes a very good pack. Their packs are simple, well thought out, and made with durable, yet light-weight materials. The first ULA pack I was able to put my hands on was a rangers up in the Smokies. He showed me his Circuit that he had already thru hiked with and then also had a couple of years use afterwards...the pack looked good. I was definitely impressed! As well, the customer service at ULA is top-notch.

Also, as Aaron mentions, those REI packs on clearance would be a good deal too. They got pretty good reviews and these are being closed out simply because there are newer, updated models. But these are well worth it at the prices on the clearance site. And of course keep in mind, since these come from REI, they also come with a lifetime warranty...

And congrats on getting your torso measured. At least now you know where to start looking!

As far as the other items (tent, bag and pad) I would suggest hitting up those REI garage sales as often as you can. I hear of people scoring great deals there!

Good luck!

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

Stick said:

My ZPacks Blast 30 (50L, 8.6 oz) is now my go-to pack for solo trips and in all but the hottest months.

My ZPacks Zero pack (24.5L, 4 oz) is my go-to pack for solo trips when the temps are warm to hot.

Stick,

The Zpacks pack lineup is pretty interesting (and light!). How's the Zpacks Blast 30 with lighter loads like a summer overnighter or even a long day hike where you might have to carry some gear? Having both the Blast as well as the Zero to choose from is really nice - Just wondering if the Blast can be tightened up when needed for shorter trips without it seeming like too much pack...

[TollerMom]

I would suggest looking for a pack that's under 3lbs or so.

The old / discontinued versions of the Flash 50 & Flash 65 packs (Women's & Men's versions) are on sale over at the REI Outlet for about $100 which might be worth a look.

So I opt for the Flash 65. Should be here in a couple of days. The sale was on for a couple days and I used up my dividend, a great deal I must say. If it turns out not to fit, I still have time to return it. Our trip is planned (hopefully) for later in June. We will hike up from Carson City to the Hobart Reservoir in the Carson Range in the Toyiabe National Forest. It's about a 2500 foot climb (not for the faint of heart), about 5 miles--taking us up to 7650'. Hope to see a bear!

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

Sounds like a great choice, you can't go wrong with the Flash series for a nice pack at a good price. Hopefully it works out well!