I don't have every item of gear yet, but my hammock & tarp setup weights 2 1/4 lbs, the stove would be a Jetblast Flash, & the water filtration device would be the Sawyer Mini. So I guess I am going to be packing pretty light, but I know that when I am hiking further up north, I'll need to have room for an under quilt and top quilt so I'll need the capacity at that point.
With that being said, any sales associate I talk to doesn't know anything about Zpacks or any of the other cottage manufactured gear, and I want to buy something that will last me a long time and not tear apart. I am afraid that an ultralight backpack won't be able to handle all I can throw at it....
I had my heart set on the Arc'Teryx Altra and then I found out about the Zpacks which tip the scales at just over a pound...so I need to decide which way to go.
Lastly, I just found out that Arc'Teryx outsourced all their backpack production to the Philippines, and that doesn't fly around these parts. I want something made in North America. I am looking very hard at the Arc'Teryx Naos series of packs. They were made in Canada and are bombproof and completely waterproof. I have spoken with Arc'Teryx and they cannot defend their Altra product vs. the Naos. I need my backpack to be completely waterproof due to the changing weather and flash thunderstorms that roll through Florida.
Any ideas of weather I should go ultralight or go with a Naos? I can't find a Tall Arc'Teryx Naos for sale anywhere....help
I'm 6'3" and 180 lbs. So I definitely need a tall long pack.
Take a look at Granite Gear packs. They're very well made, and the products range from an extremely ultralight frameless pack to 3 or 3.5 pound packs with very robust suspensions. Their bags range from 50+ liters to about 70 liters, and are rated for maximum loads ranging from 20 pounds (ultralight Virga 2) on up to the Crown and Blaze, for a max of 35 or 40 pound loads. REI carries some of their packs (at least online), so if you're anywhere near a store, you could always order several of them (in two sizes, if you're not sure about that) for delivery to their store, then try them on, pick the one you want, and "return" the rejects on the spot.
As far as country of origin: I just did a quick check of my own Granite Gear packs (I own two), and couldn't find any "not made here" tags - which really doesn't mean anything. I could have missed them, or maybe they're not required. When I bought my first Granite Gear pack back in the mid 1990s, they were made in northern Minnesota. No such claim is currently made on their website - which, again, may or may not mean anything. I did a quick Google search: one source says they're American made, one source says they're American made if you count Puerto Rico as America, one source says they're made in Vietnam, and one source says they're made in China. Glad I could nail that down for you.
#191425 - 07/22/1508:06 AMRe: Finding a good backpack for the Florida Trail & AT
[Re: RollTide]
Pika
member
Registered: 12/08/05
Posts: 1814
Loc: Rural Southeast Arizona
Check out the Elemental Horizons Kalais and Aquilo packs. They are made in North Carolina and have the most comfortable suspension I have used in a light pack. I used my Kalais on the John Muir Trail last year with a bear canister and loads of up to 32 lb and never had a problem. Also, I used it on a five day hike in the Grand Canyon with up to 6 liters of water and again it rode very well.
My Granite Gear pack had been beat up pretty well and is still 100% functional, with a few tiny tears in the stretch material that don't seem to spread. However, it's made offshore. I would like to purchase local products, but am not going to buy something sight unseen and not tested for fit. I also consider the vast majority of textiles are now produced offshore, and they represent a lot of the jobs that would be associated with the outdoor industry. I would have to look where the materials are made before I declared something truly produced in North America. Maybe Cuben Fiber?
Take a careful look at Mountain Laurel Designs. http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/ Mine is very light, seems (so far) to be indestructable,carries better than any pack I've ever had, price was quite reasonable, and they are made in Virginia. best, jcp
Edited by JPete (07/22/1509:06 AM) Edit Reason: add link
Registered: 02/26/07
Posts: 1149
Loc: Washington State, King County
Hi RollTide. I've hiked the AT and half the FT, planning the second half of the FT this coming January or Feb. So I've got a decent idea of where you want to hike.
I think it matters a lot by just what you mean when you say that you want it to last "a long time". I initially used a pretty lightweight pack, the Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus. Fully loaded with bear can and extra clothes etc for a snowy hike in the Sierras on the PCT it was somewhat overstressed. My sense is that I get a couple thousand miles out of one of those, after which it's still useful for short truly ultralight trips or day hikes, but not for general purpose backpacking any more. I had two of them where after a lot of miles the waist belts got somewhat wonky, and of course the inevitable patches with duct tape, or dental floss repairs of ripped external mesh, that sort of thing.
My Mariposa was in poor enough shape on the AT that halfway along the trip my trail partner convinced me to replace it with a ULA. ULA packs are pretty widely used by long distance hikers. They're made in the US (in Utah), and the folks at the company are very friendly and will work with you --- i.e., instead of buying online (these aren't sold in stores or at least very rarely if so) --- you can call them up and order. In my case, they shipped my new pack to a trail town a few days ahead, and that worked out great.
ULA packs aren't the lightest but they're lighter than most of what I still tend to see on the trail. They're a lot more durable than the really light packs; I have perhaps 5000 miles of backpacking on my ULA Circuit and I'm starting to think about replacing it, but don't need to yet. They have IMO just the "right" mix of features --- nothing I don't want to weigh it down, but shoulder-level load adjusters (which my Mariposa lacks) and nice pouches built into a substantially nicer/better waist belt.
I still use my worn Mariposa for some trips, including longer ones where I know I can keep the load level down. They can be a fine choice too as, IMO, for people who don't do more than a few hundred miles of trail per year and are reasonably careful with their equipment, I find that very little wears out.
Best wishes in your search and your choice.
Oh, and I certainly agree that you'll need a decent under and over quilt for "up north" with your hammock! In my limited experience with hammock hanging, it's very very tough to get a setup that's not both heavier and bulkier than a tent unless you're hiking in reliably warm conditions. Throwing a lot of money at it can help of course! I assume you're familiar with the places to look, such as JacksRBetter and so forth, and of course that for those sorts of questions you're much better off on a hammock-specific forum.
Take a look at Granite Gear packs. They're very well made, and the products range from an extremely ultralight frameless pack to 3 or 3.5 pound packs with very robust suspensions. Their bags range from 50+ liters to about 70 liters, and are rated for maximum loads ranging from 20 pounds (ultralight Virga 2) on up to the Crown and Blaze, for a max of 35 or 40 pound loads. REI carries some of their packs (at least online), so if you're anywhere near a store, you could always order several of them (in two sizes, if you're not sure about that) for delivery to their store, then try them on, pick the one you want, and "return" the rejects on the spot.
As far as country of origin: I just did a quick check of my own Granite Gear packs (I own two), and couldn't find any "not made here" tags - which really doesn't mean anything. I could have missed them, or maybe they're not required. When I bought my first Granite Gear pack back in the mid 1990s, they were made in northern Minnesota. No such claim is currently made on their website - which, again, may or may not mean anything. I did a quick Google search: one source says they're American made, one source says they're American made if you count Puerto Rico as America, one source says they're made in Vietnam, and one source says they're made in China. Glad I could nail that down for you.
Granite Gear has outsourced all their production to China and Vietnam except for their military gear. Just got word from the horse's mouth, at a Granite Gear's headquarters in MN. Looks like they have great packs too, I think the local store carries some of their gear, so I'll have to give it a look.
I understand completely about the hammock being a little heavier than the ultralight tents, however I'm hiking the Florida Trail and half of that is swamps and the trails can be a foot or more deep in water at certain points. So a hammock is the only option on certain portions including the Everglades where you need to be elevated.
Originally Posted By BrianLe
Hi RollTide. I've hiked the AT and half the FT, planning the second half of the FT this coming January or Feb. So I've got a decent idea of where you want to hike.
I think it matters a lot by just what you mean when you say that you want it to last "a long time". I initially used a pretty lightweight pack, the Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus. Fully loaded with bear can and extra clothes etc for a snowy hike in the Sierras on the PCT it was somewhat overstressed. My sense is that I get a couple thousand miles out of one of those, after which it's still useful for short truly ultralight trips or day hikes, but not for general purpose backpacking any more. I had two of them where after a lot of miles the waist belts got somewhat wonky, and of course the inevitable patches with duct tape, or dental floss repairs of ripped external mesh, that sort of thing.
My Mariposa was in poor enough shape on the AT that halfway along the trip my trail partner convinced me to replace it with a ULA. ULA packs are pretty widely used by long distance hikers. They're made in the US (in Utah), and the folks at the company are very friendly and will work with you --- i.e., instead of buying online (these aren't sold in stores or at least very rarely if so) --- you can call them up and order. In my case, they shipped my new pack to a trail town a few days ahead, and that worked out great.
ULA packs aren't the lightest but they're lighter than most of what I still tend to see on the trail. They're a lot more durable than the really light packs; I have perhaps 5000 miles of backpacking on my ULA Circuit and I'm starting to think about replacing it, but don't need to yet. They have IMO just the "right" mix of features --- nothing I don't want to weigh it down, but shoulder-level load adjusters (which my Mariposa lacks) and nice pouches built into a substantially nicer/better waist belt.
I still use my worn Mariposa for some trips, including longer ones where I know I can keep the load level down. They can be a fine choice too as, IMO, for people who don't do more than a few hundred miles of trail per year and are reasonably careful with their equipment, I find that very little wears out.
Best wishes in your search and your choice.
Oh, and I certainly agree that you'll need a decent under and over quilt for "up north" with your hammock! In my limited experience with hammock hanging, it's very very tough to get a setup that's not both heavier and bulkier than a tent unless you're hiking in reliably warm conditions. Throwing a lot of money at it can help of course! I assume you're familiar with the places to look, such as JacksRBetter and so forth, and of course that for those sorts of questions you're much better off on a hammock-specific forum.
#191441 - 07/22/1504:47 PMRe: Finding a good backpack for the Florida Trail & AT
[Re: RollTide]
OregonMouse
member
Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6800
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
Brian has used/will use a tent on the FT (I followed his online journal on Postholer), so you two can compare notes afterwards. Better yet, maybe you'll meet each other on the trail!
I am definitely not a thru-hiker, but I have been researching packs (although the one I bought in 2005 is, so far, still holding together, with occasional rescue stitches here and there). The two I'm interested in are the ULA Circuit and the Elemenetal Horizons Kalais, both of which have been recommended above. Both firms are noted for excellent customer service. I know nothing about ZPacks' packs, but their shelters and miscellaneous items are outstanding. They also have excellent customer service. I've gotten a lot of great email advice from Joe Valesko, the owner.
One thing with online or phone ordering, you do have to be prepared to pay return shipping costs if the pack doesn't work out. Also, you want to have all your gear ready (including the equivalent in weight and bulk of a week's food and a day's water) before you order. As soon as the pack arrives, load it up and spend several hours' "hiking" around the house. The idea is to keep the pack clean (leaving the tags on) while giving it a good test, so you can return it for a full refund (except shipping). Pack fit is almost as individual as shoe fit, so you may have to order and return several before you find the one that is just right.
Very few packs are completely waterproof, and even those advertised as waterproof may not hold up to a big wetting, especially from immersion. I actually prefer a pack that isn't waterproof so that if I fall in the creek, the water will drain out (yes, it has happened!). A waterproof pack liner does a far better job of keeping your gear dry, and is generally cheaper and lighter than the extra cost and weight of waterproofing a pack.
Edited by OregonMouse (07/22/1505:02 PM)
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