Although I really haven't done much overnight backpacking, I've had two mentors who did a great job of helping me not buy a bunch of junk so I wouldn't consider myself a total beginner. I've also been lurking on here for the past month reading as much as I can.

I'm wanting some advice on a light backpack. Right now I have a Gregory Reality 4,300CI and 5#s. It was great a few years ago when I was carrying 35+ pounds of rock climbing gear but for the 1-3 day trips that I'm wanting to start going on it's not ideal.

I'm looking at the Golite Jam2, ULA Circuit, and Granite Gear Vapor Trail.

I'm wanting this for 3 season camping in the KY and TN areas. My other gear consists of a Hubba Hubba tent, Sierra Designs Down Bag, and the old red backpacker Thermorest (but I might switch to a foam pad).

I like freezer bag cooking so my cooking set consists of a small stove and pot.

My question is about what size pack should I get? I know it would be best to take all my gear out to the store and try these packs out but the only pack I've found around here is the Jam2 so I will with it.

My other question is whether or not to get a pack without a frame sheet and use the ground pad instead. I love the idea but I'm afraid to take the plunge and buy a pack built like that. I'm not an extremist with light backpacking, I want it light as long as I'm not severely impacted.

I really like the looks of the Vapor Trail the best. No extra crap, just one big compartment. That's the way I like it. The only thing I would add is a pouch on the hipbelt for snacks.

Thanks for any comments.

I just bought the ULA Circuit, so I guess that tells you which I would choose.

See my reply on the thread, "Looking for a new (ul) pack" by jorgoz.

One way to check for fit online is to go ahead and buy two packs, try them out in your living room, and return the one you don't like. Best to know whether the seller has a good return policy first. You usually still pay the shipping, but it's worth it.

I found that compression stuffsacks help immensely to get my sleeping bag, tent, and clothes to fit in a small pack. Another common practice is to use one garbage bag to line the backpack, put the sleeping bag on the bottom, and let the other gear compress it.

My next pack is going to be from ULA. Their Circuit and Ohm use a carbon fiber hoop for suspension, which is something my old pack (Mountainsmith Ghost) has. It doesn't look like much, but it transfers the perfect amount of load to my hips. I'm confident that ULA's system would work similarly.

There are also two ways to add rigidity to an unframed pack: fold your sleeping pad & use it as a backpad, or use it like a tube on the inside of the pack, then put your gear in the middle. Some people like it one way, some the other.

Hope this helps!

Well i've been using a vapor trail for a couple of years now and i'm very pleased with it, even with it's little querks.

One hassle is the big extension collar, you could easily chop 6 inches of that and still work like a marvel, but this doesn't do anything for the carrying characteristics. Most of the time i just roll it down when putting my gear in.

I never put nalgenes in the side pockets so the strap going over the side pockets doesn't bother me, asi it does a lot of folks.

Oh yes, my second grief is the buckles (shoulder straps and hipbelt), i seem to be fidgetting with them to much to my liking. They seem to slip a bit, but there might be just some small tip that would sort this, anyone ?

I've put max of about 28 pounds in it and i found it comfortable, but everybody comfort level is different.

I picked mine up for 100$ on ebay.

For me it seems a real nice transition pack before you get into the real UL packs, but this UL thing is addictive.

First, thanks for all of the replys. Seems like my choices are getting larger though than smaller.

OregonMouse, I really like the SMD Starlite. It's my new favorite that I'll be doing some more research on.

I packed my Reality by putting the pad inside the pack as a rolled up tube. Even though it has a rigid frame and a stay, this made it more comfortable.

I really like the Starlite though to try out putting my sleeping pad into the back. I love the fact that you're using your sleeping pad for two things.

One question I have about the Starlite is how easy is it to pull the pad out for instance if you were wanting to use it to sit on during lunch?

Sometimes I focus a little too much on features that I end up really not needing but ever since I started into backpacking about eight years ago and read about Jardine, I've wanted a pack that you put your sleeping pad into the back.

On my Starlite (the 2004 model) this is trivial. In the pad pocket I carry my sleeping pad (a Thermarest Prolite 4), a CCF sit pad, and my "office" (journal, maps, pencil, guidebook pages.) When I take a break, it's easy to get into the pad pocket and take out whatever I need.

I see on the current model the pocket design has changed, though. You might drop an email to Ron Moak, the designer, and ask him directly. He's been very responsive in my experience.

Although I have yet to take a trip with my new Starlite, it seems the pad would be easy to remove for a break. My thinking is, your gear will be settled in, in its place, could be wrong. The zippered opening for the pad is quite long. I was not only able to get my new three section GG short pad in the pocket, but my uninflated Thermarest 3/4 LE fit also, not at the same time. With the dark fabric, I found I had to zip this and that and look things over slowing, like finding the opening for the hydration hose. That took some looking, but it was there.

Chris,

The main value I can add to the input you've already received is my experience transitioning from 8 years use of a Gregory Reality to a GG Vapor Trail. With only 100 miles logged on the Vapor Trail, so far I love it. I'm probably telling you something you already know, but before I bought the Gregory, I saw similar dissatisfaction with the Reality's side pocket/compression strap configuration that you're hearing now regarding the Vapor Trail. And yes, the position of the strap does limit the usability of the pockets, but I personally didn't find that to be a problem with either pack. I use 1 liter seltzer bottles for water, which are skinnier than most 1 liter Nalgenes that a lot carry. So, if you were OK with the Reality's pockets, you'll probably be OK with the Vapor Trail's.

I heartily recommend A/B testing as many packs as you can. I had a bias towards the Vapor Trail because I could try one on, and I could use my REI rebate/discount on it. The VT works for me, but you have a lot of good options.

Paul

Chris:
I have 2 ULA packs, the Conduit and (the now discontinued) Amp.
Both are very well constructed and do a great job at transferring the weight properly. The Conduit can easily handle weights up to the mid-20s. It is rated for up to 30 lbs, but I haven't had it past about 15 lbs for a 3-day trip.
I have found Brian at ULA to go out of his way to make sure that the pack you buy from him fits you properly physically and for the weight of equipment. If you have any questions about his packs, call him. He will take time to answer any and all questions that you have about his packs.
Good Luck,
Oz

Although I agree that the pockets on the Reality and the Vapor Trail are a kind of pain in the butt, I also like them that way. I like to bushwack a bit and having a more streamlined pack I think would help. Those open mesh pockets on the ULA and the SMD packs worry me that they'll catch on every briar.

I got used to using the pockets on the Reality even with Nalgene bottles. I've since migrated more to light gear and plastic soda bottles for water so it should be even easier.

I'm leaning much more towards the Vapor Trail now. The Starlite at around 4200ci is almost the same size as my Reality. The SMD Comet is the same size as the Vapor Trail. Only thing about the SMD packs is I've read multiple times that their load adjusting buckles like to slip but that may be an older issue.

Thanks for the replys.

I had the same thought when I bought my old Mountainsmith Ghost. After a total of about 3 weeks of off-trail use, the mesh pockets are a little ratty, but there have been no catastrophic failures. Yet. I've actually had more problems with compression cord getting caught on brush. (I lost a sleeping pad that way.) Now I make sure all of the extra straps and cordage get tucked in or trimmed.