Hi, I'm looking to buy a daypack for a 12 hour hike in the southern nevada mountains and was wondering if the High Sierra Cirque 30L will be a good pack to buy.

High Sierra Sport Company

This will be my first backpacking adventure and may not go again so I want to keep my cost low. Thank You for any advice.

You could save money and get a better pack by going to Backcountry Gear's website (use the portal on this page.) They're having a sale right now, and they have a ton of really good packs (including Gregory, Granite Gear, Osprey, and Mountainsmith) for under $100.

Another good source, usually, is REI's outlet - go to their regular website, and click on the outlet tab.

This pack would probably work, but you can do a lot better for a lot less money.

What Glenn said.

120 bones sounds kinda high for a pack like that.

I agree with the others. You can get more for less.

NO, NO, NO! You want to spend $120 on a day pack? Send me the money, I'll buy you something nice and keep the change. Even with postage, I bet I'd be $60 ahead of the game.

Seriously, way overpriced for what you want. If you really are only going on one 12 hour hike, almost anything will do. Get a cheap pack from a store like Sports Authority and have fun. Don't spend $120 on a pack you might only use once.

More points-this pack isn't very big, but fine for day hiking and UL overnights (which you won't be doing). However, do you really need a daisy chain and ice axe loops? Didn't think so. You are paying for a lot of stuff you don't need.

Here's a nice little REI pack for $60 and about the same size.
http://www.rei.com/product/778464

Here's another one, a little bit fancier, but still only $80.
http://www.rei.com/product/778467

REI sells good stuff and will take it back if it breaks, no questions asked.

I have a cheap pack made by Outdoor Products I have used a few times for winter day hikes. Don't laugh you brand freaks, it's really well made, bigger, same or more features (mine has a huge shovel pocket) and cost only $40 brand new at Sport Chalet or Sports Authority, can't remember which one. A friend of mine took it to India for 3 weeks and it was no worse for the wear.

My point again-you don't need to spend $120 for a one time or even more times day pack. Got a thrift store nearby like Goodwill or Salvation Army? Some of them may carry sporting goods, some don't. If you find something at one of them, you'll pay maybe $20 instead of $120.

My little day pack? Free, 20 years old and used all the time. Sure it doesn't have a bladder, etc. but it's a day pack.

Don't forget-take along the TEN ESSENTIALS-see list link on home page, extra food, rain gear, light, warm clothes, etc. Spend some of that $120 on that stuff, not your pack.

I always chuckle when I cheapie day packs at Target or whatever with one and usually two ice axe loops.

I share your disdain for branded stuff like that Tom, although to slightly take the other side of the coin, I have two daypacks I use for daypack and moose hunting. Both are MEC made, so I guess they are "branded" - I used to buy one or two cheap daypacks or two a *year* that cost me 10 to 20 dollars. I'd kill them inside of one hunting season usually. I think I've had both my MEC daybags (well, one's 30 litres and I live out of it for up to 5 days) for 7 or 8 years, and they cost me about 50-60 bucks each - and I think they are pretty much indestructable. Similarly with my kids school backpacks. So while you don't need to pay $120 for a daybag, and they certainly don't need "features", There's a difference between cheap and crap.

I totally agree Phat, big difference between cheap and crap, some of which is far from cheap. I'm not against buying high end quality gear. That's what I own for the most part, but for example, if I was going to play tennis once just to see if I liked it, I wouldn't buy a $200 racket, I'd borrow one or get the cheapest one I could find. Second hand stores, eBay and Craigslist are full of things people bought and used once or so it seems. I got my winter parka that way. Paid half retail and it looked like it had never been worn. Same for my ski boots-looked like new and cost about 1/3 retail. Btw, I have seen far better bargains on Craigslist than eBay.

I totally forgot to add borrowing or renting as an alternative to buying. Find a friend with a pack in their closet and take that.

I rented a pack and snowshoes when I didn't have them, and rent skis and boots on the occasional time I go downhilling. I even rented snowshoes on my last trip because I discovered I needed them. I owned my own scuba gear when I was an instructor and used it all the time for work and fun, but when I traveled, I rented gear rather than haul my gear all over the place.

REI rents tents, packs, snowshoes, etc. at most of their stores.