I just made my first major purchase, that being a backpack (Osprey Aether 70 4200 c.i.). I got interested in hiking while being drug through the wilderness on a 12 mile technical trail w/ an over zealous buddy of mine. I still have to purchase the main essentials; sleeping bag, tent as well as EVERYTHING else other than a pack, boots and trekking poles.

Congratulations and welcome to the gang. I hope you have many years of enjoyable backpacking. You may get some grief about your new pack because it is not ultra light. Hang in there. I use the same pack because it is so comfortable. It also lets me have one pack for solo trips, winter camping, going with my kids where I get all the crew gear, and even going with the whole family where I get, guess what, ALL the crew gear.

Welcome. There are several good equipment lists on the main page. You won't get any grief -- the Aether 70 is a fine pack. Enjoy your hiking.

Yeah, I figured some of the weight weenies or whatever the name given to the ultra weight conscience might have a comment. I'm not too worried about it...to each his own I say. I am planning on a Western Mountaineering bag (probably 25 or 35 degree bag) and starting with a Kelty Gunnison 2.1 tent. I know the tent isn't the lightest, but it'll be okay to start with.

SC? It doesn't get cold there! Are you going to go out in the winter? 25-35 degree bag is a summer mountain bag.:)

Oh yeah, welcome aboard.:)

I don't really know. I haven't nailed down exactly what I need in terms of temperature. I figure if I get a warm bag, I can sleep with it open and a sheet or something. I can definitely see myself doing some cold stuff, but not at the beginning.

I just got the Osprey Atmos 65, so am in a similar situation as you. I love the pack - very comfortable with a great suspension system. I know some of the people around here won't be in love with your pack, but for those of us who have to haul 30+lbs (I haul the tent, the majority of the water, and all of the food for my girlfriend and I) it's worth it to sacrifice a handful of oz to satisfy comfort.

I'd say for SC hiking a 35 degree bag will suffice as long as you're also planning on taking along a sleeping pad. Just remember to cut down on those non-essentials. Also worth looking into are trail-runners rather than boots - especially if your bag weights in the sub-30lb range.


Edit: Check out the Foothills Trail - it's in North-West SC and is an absolutely beautiful trail, with a trailhead in Table Rock State Park.

I might fall into that "gram weenie" category, but I try (sometimes successfully) not to criticize other people's choices, unless they are asking for lighter alternatives.

The first and second criteria for buying a pack are will it hold everything you want to take (volume, without the weight overwhelming the suspension), and does it fit you well? I've used 7-pound Dana packs quite happily when my load was 50 pounds; I've also used a 1-pound Virga equally happily with a 15-pound load. Nowadays, it's a 22 pound load carried in a Vapor Trail. All of those packs fit both criteria for the load I was carrying.

As far as your Aether 70: since you bought your pack first, and it has a 50-pound load rating, you probably haven't limited yourself too much in what you can put in it. I'd suggest trying to stay on the lighter side of things, simply because it leaves more room for food (letting you take longer trips if you wish.) You might want to look at MSR's products - they're very good quality, extremely convenient to use, not hatefully expensive, and readily available. Pay particular attention to their "fast and light" line, which includes some more traditional choices near the heavier end of the "lightweight" range. In particular, look at the Miniworks water filter, any of their stoves and cooksets, and their Hubba Hubba tent (I assume you want a two-person tent; it also comes in a solo version.) I've used their products quite happily for a number of years, though I'm now trying some different things. (The total load is no lighter, but I'm using lighter versions of tent, stove, filter, etc., and moving the saved weight into more food and warmer clothing, which lets me ease back into winter camping.) By the way, I highly recommend Western Mountaineering bags: I love my Megalite, and enjoy the Mitylite in the summer. They're not cheap compared to other bags, but they're worth it.

The only other "lightweight" tip I'd have is to form a very solid definition of "comfort." I find I don't need a whole lot to be happy in the woods; you may feel differently. I don't need to cook pancakes in the morning, or prepare complex suppers - so my kitchen is very simple: a pot (that doubles as a mug), stove, and spoon (the Jetboil PCS, replacing my MSR Pocket Rocket and Titan kettle and spoon. Okay, it's not lighter, but it lets me eat a little better.) I found that the Katdyn Mini Filter is pretty much a clone of my Miniworks, in terms of its field-maintainable filter element; it's slower, but half the weight, and is adequate for my solo use. I don't need a chair kit, I can wear the same shorts and T-shirt for a whole weekend (my only spare clothes are a change of socks), and I do fine in a solo tent (though others find them confining.) I stay on trails, so I don't need a GPS, and find most other electronics annoying on the trail. Simpler usually equates to a lighter load, regardless of the specific brand and model. In short, don't be afraid of the "light" stuff in the backpacking stores, but don't feel like you are required to select it; also, don't be mesmerized by the "cool" factor and feel like you need every possible gadget. Take what you need, but no more than you actually use.

As you look at various makes and models, be sure to ask for people's opinions and experiences - a lot of folks here have used a lot of different gear, and can give you some insight on it.

Enjoy the journey!

Welcome, TitanDriver!

This is not for you, but for any other new folks following this thread: it's generally considered a good idea to buy the pack last, so you know that the rest of your gear (plus food and water) will fit in the pack but won't have a lot of extra room to tempt you to take a lot of stuff you don't need...

In your case, TD, you've bought an excellent pack that will have a good resale value (because of its popularity). So don't worry about the above "rule." If you eventually find it's too big or too heavy, you won't have any trouble selling it. In the meantime, you have a great pack! Just don't be tempted to fill it up with items you don't need, should it turn out to be a little too big.

My son has the Aether 85, but he not only acts as sherpa for his kids (plus food for all 4 of us in a bear canister) but carries a wet suit, since he backpacks in to surf Olympic wilderness beaches. So he has up to 45 lbs. and a lot of bulk in it, especially on the way out when the wet suit is wet!

Suggestion: do a lot of research and consider borrowing or renting gear before you make a big investment. Plan on testing all your gear in your back yard (or borrow someone else's if you don't have a yard), keeping the gear clean so you can return it if it doesn't work out. Especially practice putting your tent up and taking it down--that's not something you want to tackle for the first time in the dark on a cold, wet night! Every time I get a new piece of gear, it's out in the back yard for a night or two. Any time I haven't done this, I've been sorry!

To me, the most important items for comfort are (1) my sleeping pad (I use a POE insulated air mattress) and (2) my sleeping bag (Western Mountaineering Ultralite Super). A good night's sleep is one of the "essentials," IMHO. I have the 20* bag because I sleep cold and because I like to backpack at high altitude where (especially in the Rockies) it's often below freezing at night. I use the air mattress because my old bones need lots of cushioning. I suspect that you very likely won't need this much sleeping bag in the southeast except for winter outings. And you can determine how much pad you need first by trying it on the floor in the store and then by spending a couple of nights with it on the floor at home. Believe me, some camp sites (especially where you have to use "established" sites) are just as hard!

Yeah, I kinda had the afterthought the pack should come later. I plan on doing weekend stuff to begin but definitely would like to migrate to longer time periods. It is frustrating to decide on weight vs. X (like an MSR simmerlite vs. the dragonfly). I am somewhat concerned w/ weight. I would prefer to spend the money up front on something that will last vs. buying something less expensive and then moving up.

I hear things from both sides of the aisle on sleeping bag temps so I will end up somewhere in the middle I suppose. I sleep hot so a 10 - 15 degree bag would probably do me, where others would want a 0 degree bag.

Here's my wish list...for now:
$ WM sleeping bag - either the megalite (35*) or versalite (10*)
$ Kelty Gunnison 2.1 (I like the Hubba Hubba too but not sure if the price difference vs. weight is what I want)
$ Thermarest Prolite4 mattress
$ 11oz MSR fuel bottle and simmerlite stove ( I know white fuel isn't the lightest way to go)
$ Light material pots and pans (not really sure what size to pick on pots. I doubt I'll be camping a whole lot alone at first.)
$ I have some clothing items but need to work on adding a few additional items.

I do have a friend who camps so I have already gleaned a bit of info from him and the local shop I am using has a very knowledgeable staff. I have heard the first time I camp, I will take too much, so I expect it. I'm a gadget freak, but I am learning to use a compass and read maps as I would rather rely on that than a GPS in the woods. Kinda like in high school math where you could only use the calculator once you knew how to write it out, that's how I feel about the GPS.

Thanks for all the feedback.

I live in Greenville so I am familiar with that area and it is on my list.

Thanks!

Your instincts are good - follow them.

A hint on sleeping bags v. clothing: you can wear your clothes to bed. My Megalite is rated to 30 degrees, which is perfect since I rarely go out when it's colder than that. (WM bags also tend to be rated conservatively; my guess is that it's really a 25-degree bag.) However, when it happens to get colder than expected, I simply wear my long underwear and insulating layer (currently a Montbell UL Down Inner parka and pants) inside the bag, and have been comfortable at about 20 degrees. (I may get a chance to see if it will take me lower this weekend - lows are predicted in the mid-teens. I'm car-camping, just to test the clothes-in-bag limits.)

Also, I just found another tent you might want to look at: the Seedhouse 2 (not the SL 2 version) is only $200, which is a fair amount less than the Hubba Hubba; it weighs less, and is a highly rated tent.

Also, if my planned migration away from MSR pans out, I may have some excess gear to pass along to you; I'll Private Mail (PM) you.

Unless you need a stove for melting lots of snow during winter camping, I'd suggest a canister stove. Not only is it much lighter, but a LOT faster and far more convenient.

It has been 21 years since I went on a 9-day group backpack in the North Cascades. I was the only one in the group with a white gas stove (Whisperlite). Everyone else had canister stoves (at that time all that was available was the Bluet). Inevitably, the rest of the party had finished eating by the time my water came to a boil. The difference? No pumping!