So last summer I took my nephew backpacking for the first time and he liked it, wants to trying doing it more. I want to give him a backpack for his high school graduation present, but I'm unsure on how big of a pack to give him. (I'm also limited by the desire not to spend much, so I'm looking at REI Outlet or Sierra Trading Post). I'm looking at a North Face Terra 50 3100 cu in model. I don't want to get him a monster hauler, but I don't want to pinch his capacity too much. Because he's inexperienced, I expect he'll want to bring a lot of stuff with him, which is ok when your 18 and have healthy knees, I guess.

At 18, they have more brawn than money, so gear tends to be heavier and bigger than when we get older and are looking to shave ounces. As such, I would be concerned about a 50L pack as that may be too small. At a minimum I would suggest 60L. What is most important is the fit, so from wherever you buy, make sure you can return it if it doesn't work out.

If price were no object, I'd recommend the Osprey Volt 60 ($180, 20% off coupons available at Moosejaw or REI right now drop that to $145.) It's a fully, easily adjustable full featured pack. Before I went on my last inspired restructuring of gear to achieve a 16 pound load (or, as my wife calls it, "midlife crisis") I used it with a 20-25 pound load for a long while; it was comfortable, supportive, roomy, and everything I wanted (with only a couple of features I found useless. All in all, a great and too-often-ignored, classic internal frame pack.

I gave one to a neighbor's grandson last year. He's a high school senior and also a newbie to backpacking, with a typical mid-range gear load (Eureka tent, MSR stove and water filter, synthetic 20-degree pad, entry-level Thermarest, etc.) that weighs about 30 pounds. He has plenty of room for gear, food, and clothing, and absolutely loves the pack.

I recently bought this one and I think it is perfect and the price is right... https://www.sixmoondesigns.com/packs/F50-CU.html

well, shoot, that might be wasted on him...maybe I should buy it for myself
I'm thinking maybe I should go bigger than I would for myself, since he doesn't really know much about packing light..or about packing much at all. He'll learn the hard way perhaps, like I did!

Buy the new model for full price for yourself... They have 65L version (and their 50L version is bigger than previous year 50L version, everything grows, liters grow too), And they have different colors for this year models.

But at the full price it is not such an awesome deal, there are other packs too to consider - such as Gossamer Gear Mariposa and others...

So... buy the 2014 version for yourself, give your old backpack to your nephew.

This is a nice macho backpack. Especially if he wants to pack a lot, or might go hunting (or just like the idea).

http://www.amazon.com/ALPS-OutdoorZ-Commander-Freighter-Inches/dp/B004R7L7YU

I love external frame backpacks... My first one was external and it's still not on sale, although I did not take it out for a few years...

A beginner 18-year old probably needs something fairly sturdy and simple. The more do-dads and zippers, the more to break. He probably would use it for more than just backpacking- road trips, perhaps take it on an airplane. 18-year olds are not know for being gentle on their gear! The more fragile UL equipment is outside your budget anyway. North Face gear is known to be sturdy but heavier than other brands.

Kids are different, but is he influenced by the "cool" factor? Maybe ask one of the younger REI employees what the young are now considering "cool". I am not one to be influenced by "cool" yet a GG pack I recently purchased (and returned due to other problems) was so ugly that I even choked on it.

If he is going to mainly do weekend or short trips, 40-50 L may be fine. If he wants to get into longer trips, I would go for 55-60 L. I agree that 18-year old guys do not need UL gear- and a 3-4 pound pack should be fine.

I too am still looking for a pack and there are a lot of good sales going on right now. Lots of close-outs of last year's models.

Missing the golden opportunity to get him a 90 liter and bring every luxury item you ever wanted to carry when you go on trips with him. I agree with durable, don't worry about weight, cool factor, like WD suggested good , too. I would target 60l as a minimum. When I was 18 I had a Kelty external frame I bought used and carried the kitchen sink in it. I could only get a small bedroom set in, it was like carrying a studio apartment.

Cant go wrong with an osprey pack like the Atmos 65 and if he beats it up the warranty will cover it.

Thanks for all the advice. Okay, I'm buying him an Osprey Volt 60. I'm even using up my very own REI 20% coupon, I just hope he's grateful! He's a nice country boy with good manners who knows the value of a dollar, so I'm sure he will. Anyhow, it looked like a nice basic pack that can carry a decent load for maybe up to 5 days. I don't imagine him doing any super long trips. I wanted to get it through REI because he and my sister can get it adjusted there, or return it if necessary...well and I had the coupon
But now I'm yearning for a new pack of my own! Unfortunately/fortunately, my present one is not worn out yet and I'm too frugal to replace it as such. I have an REI Flash 65 (or is it 62?) that I bought 2 years ago. It was an improvement over my previous pack, and it has done some good trips for me, including the JMT. On that trip I shared the gear load with my partner and it was fine. But it's a little tight for solo trips with a bear cannister. I don't like all the odds and ends of the back pouch and straps. I prefer just one large main compartment and a brain on top, and a couple mesh pockets on the side. Something simple, that can take a bulky cannister, and not be weighed down with a bunch of busy zippers and comparments and stuff. I wouldn't mind something better if I could overcome my frugality. Maybe I'll start a new thread on that (buying a new pack for me, not my frugality

Sell your current pack on ebay. If you give 20% discount off the price for the new one, people might oversee the fact it was used, if it is in a good (like new) shape.