3500 Cubic Inch backpack

Hello everyone, I am considering another backpack. I am thinking about a 3500 cubic inches pack, give or take. Anyone have any good suggestions? Thanks in advance!

It has to fit YOU, not me - but you might start with the Deuter ACT Lite 50+10, Osprey Kestrel 58, and Gregory Z55, Z65, or Savant 58. I've used all three, and see a lot of them on the trails.

As glenn points out, you could buy a well-made, well-designed pack with an impeccable record of happy customers, and if that pack doesn't fit YOU, you could be one very unhappy guy. So, be prepared to test out every pack you think you want, looking for a good fit.

I think if your gear fits in the pack and the pack fits you (and carries the weight without causing soreness), it's a good pack to have.

You need the measurement between the iliac crest and that vertebrae that sticks out when you bend your head forward to dial in the size of the backpack.

If your size fits in the middle it's a guess whether to go with the next size up or the size down. I go the direction that gives me a little room for adjustment - if the straps and load lifters have to be cinched allllllllll the way up for the pack to fit, time to go to the smaller size.

Thanks for the information! I am learning a lot! When I bought the pack I now have, I thought bigger was better. I bought a 5600 c.i. pack that is only used for a 3day 2 night trip. I don't regret buying that one, I just realize that I could get by with a smaller one for those shorter trips. Thanks a lot for the information!

Knowing it's for shorter trips is a helpful piece of data. To have any hope of a helpful response, I suggest that you talk about what you prioritize in a pack: cost, durability, weight, any particular features --- you can't optimize for everything, and knowing which factors are most/least important to you is necessary for anyone to give you useful input.

Having an idea of what min/max weight loads you might anticipate carrying in the pack could be helpful too, especially if you're thinking in terms of pretty lightweight packs.

Yes, it would be for shorter trips.. probably just a weekend. Any longer than that and I'll use my 5600 c.i. pack. Price and quality are probably the most important to me, but a close second is how comfortable it is. Also, I don't have a scale, so I haven't been able to weigh my pack, but I would say that it is around 40 pounds. It should be lighter now because I purchased a new tent which saved me 5 pounds. I am also looking at clothing from Goodwill to reduce weight (looking for down jackets, ect.) and not my bank account. Thanks for the insight from everyone!

I'm always curious what the heck people take that's different on longer trips. I can get 5 - 6 days in my 40 liter pack, then I need a bigger bear canister. The gear stays pretty much the same from one trip to the next, just the fuel and food changes.... and I always have enough room left in the pack for extras of both, if I don't need a bear can.

Excellent detail, though I would quibble with the word "quality" --- is this just durability, or other aspects?

Anyway, your priorities tell me that I'm the wrong guy to reply, I have no experience in that particular zone-of-gear choice set. Hopefully you'll get some replies from others who optimize more along the line of how you do!

Lori, I don't need bear canister (or haven't up to here) but I get along very nicely on 40 litres, even on long trips. What I carry varies very little by length of trip. Weather is a bigger factor (more clothes, bigger sleeping bag, more calories of food when it gets really cold). best, jcp

You know lori, I have noticed that the more experienced someone is, the less they change their gear choices for length of trip. The only thing that changes is food and fuel. But, that is a personal observation using a small sample size.

Sometimes on shorter trips I take MORE junk because I don't need to reserve space or weight for food/fuel.

But as has been observed, in general my gear is the same for both long or short trips and the only increase for length of trip is food/fuel.

I also have exactly the same stuff for a longer trip; the only increase is food and fuel. Even for a 10-day trip (the upper limit on weight for me at 26-27 lbs.) everything fits in a 2400 cu. inch pack plus outside mesh pockets.

I too may take a little more for a 1 or 2 night trip, usually a larger tent, especially if it's a base camp type trip.

Even with a bear canister and hauling grandkid stuff, my pack contents have never overflowed into the extension collar of my pack.

To the OP--You might want to check out the articles on the home page of this site, left hand column.

Same here, only changes are amounts of food and number of pairs of spare socks.

Love Gossamer Gear! Try a GG Gorilla.

I like the REI Flash 30. Decent pack at a decent price and great return policy if it doesn't work out.

I use Osprey 60. My choice is because of hip belt system, customizable and detachable. I agree with other posters; it's about how it fits YOU! Truly, backpacks fit very differently among brands, and that is absolutely paramount. If you feel good with a brand that no one has ever heard of, buy it and don't listen to any criticisms!