I have several packs and many more day packs and rucksacks. My favorite pack is really a huge rucksack at around 6,000 cubic inches with more that can be added. A big pack means not needing stuff sacks, nothing is too large to take, most things can go completely inside your pack. All a pack needs to be is a big sack with a top that closes up and has a harness so you can carry it. I can hear people now saying that I'm advocating 50 pound packs, and I'm not. You need a pack designed for carrying the gear you will need that is comfortable but for you. But what if a third member of your party goes lame and the other two have to split his gear while he carries an empty pack? Or if you have a large light pack, you don't need a summit pack, you just take your pack and its large enough to take your sleeping bag or anything that you may want to bring along. My pack isn't a good comparison as it is quite exotic,but in the stripped mode (its completely modular) it weighs 29 ounces with the full shoulder pads and a thin waist strap, up to about 39 ounces with the thick padded waist belt. I generally also attach the top pocket pack , but if the pack is really thin I'll let that fall into the pack, tighten the draw string around it and tighten the straps around the pack so the gear doesn't flop around.
In some cases people will need a larger pack to carry mission hardware, ropes, cameras, etc. The large rigid packs required for this stuff need not weigh over 4 pounds, but they do need to made of rigid enough of materials to maintain a semblance of shape rigidity when fully loaded. If you have to carry a heavy pack because you will have a 50 pound load (or greater)when youre ready to go, then live with it and get the big solid pack, even if your base weight is ten pounds less the pack, its the final real load that you have to plan for. This is my pack ready for a solo winter ski camp and probably weighs in at around 26 pounds with the Bibler tent and food and fuel and big stove.
Jim

Jim,
I know your pack is an old Kelty, I believe.

Is there anything in the same class being made today?

Just curious.

Tango61,

McHale makes all kinds of packs, this one is a modest 4,700 cubic inches which can go down to about two pound and quarter pounds total weight.

http://www.mchalepacks.com/ultralight/detail/light_speed.htm

My Super Sarc UnLtd +1 (5,500") with convertible top pocket & both side pockets is under 4.5-Lbs. The bottom fabric is a tough double layer 420D packcloth the rest of pack is 210D Dynemma grid. And my roll-top MerkiBenier pack in 140D Dynemma grid for overnights is quite light as well but can carry 40-Lbs comfortably.

Jim,

I prefer a large pack so that I do not need to compress my expensive down. The problem with large packs is "feature overload." Your Kelty Cloud is modular so that you add only the features that you are going to use on a trip. McHale packs use the same idea. The military seems to favor modular packs. I wonder why it is so hard to find one?

The ultimate large pack, without feature overload, for light loads was the Gossamer Gear G4. I tried one, early on, but it was just too large - I liked how my down didn't have to be compressed. However, when I dropped the rest of the load in on top of the sleeping bag, its own weight (even though that was only about 12 pounds) compressed the down a little, just enough that the pack was way too big. So, I guess there is a point of diminishing returns.

I, too, tend to prefer larger packs that I can use compression straps to shrink to fit the load, rather than a small pack that I have to lash stuff to. I'm currently using a 3-pound, 60-liter (+10L expansion) pack as my all-purpose pack, and find it is just the right size for anything I want to do, including winter (that's Ohio winter, which is probably more like your late spring or early fall in the mountains.) I also don't have any "mission hardware" like photo or climbing equipment to carry. The pack lacks most of the "extra" features - I find I use the features it has (two mesh pockets, a shove-it pocket, and a lid) and don't miss the things it doesn't have (hipbelt pockets, zippered access panels, etc.)

As far as modularity, I don't know why there aren't commercially-available modular packs (maybe because the packs we carry don't need mission specific components like ammo pouches, radios, and such) - but most packs are somewhat modular, in the limited sense that you can add external side pockets and pouches to the pack, hipbelt, or shoulder straps. Some also allow you to detach the lid (leave it behind, or turn it into a day pack) or even the hipbelt (though the intent is to allow you to change sizes, it also allows ultralighters to leave it behind.) I'm not sure if all that really fits the definition of "modularity," though.

Gotta agree with Food. I have G4 (GPV4)...HUGE pack, at 13oz., few features except big outside net pockets I've grown to like. I've got smaller packs, all lightweight, but not having to worry about packing details is nice. The G4
can crunch down to as small as the load requires if I need it too but will hold a very large volume as well.

A 6,000 cubic inch pack is like what, 100L, give or take? I don't think that I would go around advocating quite that big a back for three-season use unless one needs additional space for climbing or photography gear etc.

But I agree with the basis of your post, my go-to-pack is a 65L G4. I like it because I can fit all of my regular gear, fishing gear and 3-4 days worth of food inside and still have ample room left over for anything else that may occur.

I have been wanting to get a smaller pack for these trips and 1-2 day fishing trips; just because of all the additional (wasted) space that I have; but I just can't seem to pull the trigger-- I like my G4 and I like my dead-space that I will never use.

I would say that as a general recommendation, a pack within the 60-65L range is optimal for *most* three-season uses. For winter, I go with a little bit of a heavier and sturdier pack, but not necessicarly a bigger one.

CF said
"I would say that as a general recommendation, a pack within the 60-65L range is optimal for *most* three-season uses. For winter, I go with a little bit of a heavier and sturdier pack, but not necessarily a bigger one."

So what pack do you change to for winter? Have you spent much time out in the winter in Colorado? My winter sleeping bag is so huge that it probably takes up over a third of my pack. My winter pack isn't necessarily much heavier than my 3 season pack, but it contains several times more down including bibs, winter coat and winter sleeping bag and booties. The 4 season Bibler Eldorado is one pound heavier than my 3 season 3lb4 oz Flashmagic tent by sierra designs. And you see the extra closed cell pad on the side, thats because my Warmlight Down Air Mattress is inside the pack.
Jim

food
its hard to find modular packs becasue of the cost of the labor ivolved. AND then there is the "other problem". If people cold buy one pack that fit them and simply adapt it themselves to their mission, well why would they need to buy another pack?

Jim, winter is actually my favourite season. Not only does it bring out a different kind of beauty, but there is something special about knowing that you are the first, and often at times, the only person to take a certain path.

As for my winter pack, I use Golite's Pinnacle which is a 2lb, 72L pack. Granted it is 7L bigger than my three-season pack, but I purchased it because I like the way that it fits, it holds my snowshoes and if need be, it is bear canister compatible.

FWIW, I could easily use my 65L G4 to hold all of my winter gear, but I believe that my snowshoes would probably chew the pack up, hence why I use a pack which is a little sturdier and stronger. Also my full, winter skin-out weight is in the 28-30lbs range, I don't want to haul that, long distance with my G4.

I don't think any particular pack size or design really has to be defended. It's just a mater of whatever works for the individual. Personally I would love to use my Golite Ion every time I go out but sometimes I do need a bigger pack.

Jimshaw,

I believe it was Colin Fletcher once stated that if you can only have one Pack get the biggest one you can find.

Everyone of us has our own perk's, loves and dislikes concerning Packs and some in UL communities give up/compromise true comfort for Thee numbers end game.

My current big pack that I've already mentioned previously is actually three different packs in one. I can remove the convertable top pocket/hip-pack, remove the upper third stay system out, strip off the two side pockets and then it transforms into very light weight low profile 3,000" Pack.