Seeking backcountry backpack recommendations

Hello all,

Fall is fast approaching and we all know that means that there are some gorgeous larch in them thar hills waitin' for us.

Looks like I'll be doing some overnight trips, and I'm in the market for a new backpack. I did do a search, and came up with this thread: http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/bbs.cgi?a=vm&mr=26453&CGISESSID=275195d6392b04d3bf67d069c60b85ba&u=13898, but it did not have all the information I was looking for. I know there are some pretty active folks here, so I thought I'd see what people recommend. Luckily, I'm shooting a digital body (the LF will be at home). I just plan on taking a few lenses and at most the normal camping stuff: light tent, sleeping bag, pad, food, some light utensils, small burner. For single overnighters (which I will normally do), I'll leave the burner at home and as well as most utensils, and I have a meal that I cook in advance that is delicous cold: keftathakia (small Greek meatballs). If anyone wants the recipe, please let me know. And if you don't want to take my word for it, ask Kevin Piper. That's going to be our dinner when we do a trip in the North Cascades.

Anyway, I hope this gives an idea of what my needs might be. I won't be doing weeklong backcountry trips, just a few days at most.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
Kosta

Choosing a backpack is a task that is a lot like buying hiking boots. You just have to get out there and try them on. What feels like heaven for one person could be hell for the next...

I recently bought a new pack for this years' hiking season and spent a fair amount of time researching and fitting different packs. After trying on everything that REI offered, I ended up with a Gregory Baltoro 70. Its a little heavy itself, but it has a great suspension system that really handles heavy loads well. Although my typical photo weekend pack weight is in the 40 pound range, I've jammed nearly 70 pounds worth of gear into it, and it handled the load easily.

As for carrying my gear while backpacking, I keep experimenting. Right now, I'm attaching a holster bag to my chest harness for my cam and one lens. The rest of my gear goes into a small lightweight daypack that I keep inside my big pack that only comes out once I set up camp. My CF Gitzo gets strapped to the side of my backpack while hiking. I usually bring a 3 lens kit consisting of a 12-24, 24-105, and a 70-200f/4. I also carry a basic array of extra cards, batteries, filters, lens cloths, and a cable release.

All of the above gear, plus a 1 man tent, a light sleeping bag, pad, stove, clothes, and enough food for ~3 days easily fits inside my pack and weighs in at about 42 pounds on average, depending on where I'm going and what the weather forecast is.

Hopefully that helps a little. There are about a million and one ways to pack your gear. Hopefully some others chime in with their methods as well.

Good Luck!....I can't wait for fall, my favorite time of year.

Kosta,
I second Aaron's suggestion of going to rei and trying on some different packs. You can load them up with some sandbags and get an idea of how they feel. For me, I really like the Osprey packs. I have an Osprey Atmos for a backpacking pack (that I haven't used yet...), and an Osprey day pack. They fit me well, pretty light, and very comfortable.

Oh, and the meatballs...Nothing's better after a long day of hiking! :)

You really do have to try them on to find one that fits right while offering the features you desire. I've used a Works @ Mystery Ranch pack for the past few years. It carries very comfortably, is bombproof and has all the features I wanted. You can even pay extra to have things added to the packs, like a tripod carrying system. I haven't done that yet but am considering it for next year. W@MR packs aren't cheap and they're not ultra-lightweight but they sure are comfortable.

Highly recommend ULA Backpacks out of Utah. Lightweight, sturdy, and the one I purchased years ago still holds and I've hiked over 10,000 miles. Perfect for an overnighter, and you can check it out here: http://www.ula-equipment.com/ . Oh yeah, it ain't made in China either, one of the few still made here. Also try Six Moon Designs online, made by a friend of mine and similar to ULA, but out of Portland, Oregon. The link is here: http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/ . I use ULA in tandem with some Think Tank holsters. There is also a long discussion of this in on the Landscape Photography link, you may have missed it.

I'd like to say thanks to everyone. My climbing buddies recommended Gregory. I'll check out the offerings of REI and Marmot this weekend. I'll look into the Six Moon Designs as well, as I do like to visit Portland once in a while. I do treat this as an investment, as this is something I will enjoy for 20 years or more (so what's an extra $50 for a better model?).

Thanks again,
Kosta

Dang. I didn't know Six Moons was in Portland. I've been eyeballing their "wild oasis" tarp shelter for a while now. Knowing now that they are fellow Oregonians, I might just have to pull the trigger...

Gregory is a good pack Kosta, but also your pack weight begins at 4-7 pounds more than ULA or Six Moons. Price for packs is like shoes, you're paying for their marketing and advertising more than anything else.

David M. Cobb