Do everything pack?

Hello all, I'm new to the site and getting back into backpacking. My problem is that I'm on a budget and need one pack that will handle both lightweight backpacking trips of 4-5 days at most and be light and small enough that I can use it for bikepacking. Right now I'm considering the Talon 33, any suggestions or help on choosing the right pack?

Figure out what gear you will be taking on your 4-5 day trips first - before buying the pack.

Welcome.
Phat had some good advice for you. If you know what you'll be carrying, then you'll know what size of pack you'll need. That would also give us a good idea of what to suggest.

Why not make your own pack?

Both Phat and JP gave you sound advise. It's all about where your going, what season, personal needs and knowing what you really need. Phat has a good list of what he carries. Just a suggestion and to get an Idea of what some of us do.
I use an REI UL60 I think it's about 3300 cu. in. I use a hammock and fly for shelter. 3lb sleeping bag with a closed cell foam pad. I don't carry extra cloths except 1 pr xtra socks. I tend to carry too much food but use a DIY alcy stove/windscreen with a Heine can for a pot to boil water. Meals are usually freeze dried. Add a few conviences like an Mp3 player/ GPS handheld, Petzel headlite and extra batteries. My pack weight with food and water is around 25 lbs. My next purchase is a digital scale so I can tweek extra weight.
You are probably getting the idea by now. Do a search and look at the different ways to go lightweight. It can be a constant learning experience. You don't want to suffer trying to carry lot's of weight. It's your choise though. My first trip bpacking was for 4 days. I carried way too much. When I returned home. I tossed 10 lbs of weight I didn't need. the next trip was much better.

The other posters give good advice already, so I'll keep my advice short: if I had to pick a pack for medium-length hikes like that as well as biking, I'd probably choose something from Outdoor Research; they have a few waterproof backpacks that seem like a good size, and their "Peakbagger" is a nice, bright orange that would be easily visible.

Thanks for the advice. I've been compiling a list and am looking at about a 35L pack. There are enough food caches and such around here that I can carry everything I need with that size. While biking I can cinch it down and still have a small enough pack to not seriously effect my riding.

1 Liter = 61 cubic inches
60L - 3660 c.i.

Thanks for that info. I wasn't sure. 3660 cu.in would be the max capacity? It does have the ability to compress down by way of lines intergrated into the interior of the pack. It looks kinda like an hourglass when I'm only using it for day hikes. I feel fortunate that I was able to get a decent pack that I like with the first purchase.

I'm watching this thread with interest. It will finally come down to which pack will hold both the tent that I love, and a sleeping bag, depending upon season. The other items I think I have figured out.

I happen to have 3 bags: 2160 cu in, 3100, and finally a 4850.

Likely, no one here would use the 4850 Gregory Lassen except for unusual circumstances, and the 2160 is definitely my day hiker for the maze of trails that is Acadia National Park. What I want to know, therefore, is how much I can do with the middle one.

(This is me, getting back into it after a horribly long stretch, I might need to pay more attention to the not quite over the hill sub-forum! )

I'd look at a GoLite Jam2 or Pinnacle. Both have a compression system to reduce the volume when you don't need it.

For bikepacking, starting out, I used some school book type daypacks as imporvised panniers.

I modified them by:

1) cutting off straps.
2) putting in a reinforcing thin panel of plywood or polycarbonate type plastic as a "frame" .. the type of construction in common bicycling "grocery bags". Go take a look at them in bike stores or online.
3) I copied the attachment dimensions off of a bicycle "grocery bag" and this involved some hardware style hooks to hang from the top of the bike rack as well as a section of elastic and a snap ring to attach to the bottom of the bike rack.
4) The bags were about $10 each and the parts per bag were on the order of $5.00 each. The total capacity of the two bags was nearly 3,000 cu. in. and there was still the option of strapping the tent and sleeping bag to the top of the bike rack if you had too much stuff.

I didn't care for the unbalance of the loaded backpack on the bike and I really didn't like the sweaty back that accompanies wearing a backpack on a bike.

Eventually, I bought a bicycle trailer for conveniently hauling all my bikecamping gear. With more skill in lightweight backpacking, I could probably go back to the improvised pannier approach.