i was wondering what size (cubic inches) packs most of you use? im not an UL backpacker, i probably carry things that would make some of you shutter but i would like to lighten my load but im wondering if my 4000cu pack is too big.

I have about four packs in different sizes that I use depending upon the trip and circumstances. If I had just one pack, it would be right around 4000 cu in, big enough for multiday trips, but, cinched down, usable for day hikes

I am currently using a Golite Pinnacle 4400 cu in pack. It's a bit large for weekends but a good size for longer trips. Like oldranger said, it has the ability to be cinched down to make it smaller which is a plus.

all i have is a 1500cu maxpedition pygmy falcon 2 pack and that works for me for a week, thats the longest i have gone so far.

Like OldRanger I have multiple packs for different purposes, but my general go-to pack is my G4 which is 4,000cu. I could easily get away with a much smaller capacity, but I need the additional for my fly-fishing gear and at a little over 1Lb it is the one I choose even when I don't need the extra space!

For winter camping, I have a 5500 ci I believe it is and a newer 4300 ci pack that has a good fraction of that space in pockets on the outside, don't care for the outside pockets, but it works. With a canister, I can use the smaller one even for week long trips.

Units of volume per units of weight, other things being equal, are greater in larger packs so I stick with my larger pack.

I like having the larger pack when unexpected things happen (e.g. having to carry a 5 gallon bucket inside the pack on a beach hike, carrying floats and ropes home which I found on the beach, carrying a friends gear because they are tired or hurt, etc.)

I also like the packing convenience of a larger pack. No need to stuff everything perfectly. Just throw it in as you would in the back of a pick-up.

Most of my stuff fits in about 4000 cu. Both my main packs have an extension that will accommodate a larger bear can/bag if my food supply gets bigger (only thing that will, on a multiday hike).

Everybody needs 6 packs, take the right one for where you're going, but it should maybe have some reserve space. The larger it is the easier it is on the gear that you squeeze into it and if you have to off load someone else's pack its good to have some extra space.

6 packs?! now thats too many.2 good packs of diff sizes would suffice

That would be the normal person's rule.

The gear head backpacker rule is different. The right number of packs is "as many as you can justify."



I currently have three daypacks and two backpacks, and a 2400 cu in pack full of my SAR gear.

ok cant argue with that. im more of a military guy/minimalist. yea i know they contrast eachother. but i only buy what i truly need to survive and my equipment especially my pack must be up to or close to military grade. but ofc for food i dont buy mre i have a jetboil.

You're right, minimalist and military are usually contradictory...

I also had to smile at minimalist and jetboil in the same post. Not exactly the lightest stove available.

I'm curious as to what sort of specifications a pack must meet to be military grade?

yes but if you think about it for most peo the fuel, stove and pan would actually weight more than a jet boil and its the most convient for me since my pack doubles as a backpacking pack and survial pack. the bag must b 500d coudra or better

Ah, wow. That's a heavy pack fabric. But I think very similar to what my Mountainsmith (SAR) pack is made of - it's all about durability.

Most people I know fall into two camps. The Jetboil/white gas camp, where the kitchen kit weighs a few pounds, and the alcohol camp, where the pot, stove and windscreen weigh maybe five ounces, add three ounces of fuel for the weekend.

Mine is a 4 oz pot, three ounce stove/windscreen combo, and about 4 oz of fuel, as I generally like hot breakfasts and dinners.

durablity is the only way to go for me, if ita not going to last 5yrs, forget it, i wait for a month b4 i buy anything and do alot of reaearch and thinking b4 i buy anything, dont want to buy anything and throw it on a bin. yes 500d is heavy but thats why i have a maxpedition pygmy falcon 2 pack, only 3lbs fits everything i NEED with a lil extra room. its a bag thats always with me so if i wanna go camping, i dont have to pack up the stuff cux its always ready to go 24/7. but i do have to wait for my buddies to catch up.

i forgot to add. when i said minimalist i didnt mean only light for certain things i also meant the amount of things i will truly need out in the open. yes im more survival over comfort but to me thats all that counts, can i survive on this items if not chuck it

My go-to packs are generally the 50-liter model, so around 3,000 - 3,500 cubic inches. (Some "50" packs, like the Atmos, are slightly more capacity in the longer torso lengths, thus the range of capacity. Others only count the main packbag, not the side pockets or lid, which also skews comparability.)

That's plenty for three seasons - sometimes almost too much in hot weather - but in winter, if I'm going to be out for more than 1 or 2 nights, I either add extra strap-on pockets or end up having to start out with my sleeping pad and its chair kit lashed to the outside, depending on the pack. (Yep, I said chair kit. I no longer consider it a luxury to have a comfortable seat; my back relaxes better, so I sleep better.)

"Justify"?? I thought the REAL gearhead rule was, "as many as your spouse will let you have."

Hi, I'm Glenn, and I'm a gearaholic...

so true, thankfully i got everything i needed b4 i met my wife and got my hammock as a christmas present

I use a Osprey Atmos 65 couldnt imagine filling it, cinches down for a nice sized daypack

Glenn
""Justify"?? I thought the REAL gearhead rule was, "as many as your spouse will let you have."

Hi, I'm Glenn, and I'm a gearaholic...""

Thank you Glenn. But a real gerarhead doesn't tell the spouse...
Jim

But that means you have to beat her to the mailbox, to intercept the Visa bill!

SUMMER > REI Cruise UL 60 4,000 cu. in. (including 2 add-on side pockets)3 lb. 4 oz.

WINTER > a 1990 Dana Terraplane at 6,500 cu. in.!! 7+ lbs

BTW, also 2 internal frame "Day-and-a-Half" packs. each around 3,000 cu. in. W/ side pockets

Three packs just about suit my needs: The G4 is my typical 3-season, 4-5 day, backpacking/fly-fishing pack. For regular 3-season backpacking I use the ULA Conduit (53L)-- it is a little bigger than the Golite Jam and Exos 46, but at a little over 1LB, it is hard to beat-- although GG's Miniposa keeps tempting me

For my winter needs I prefer something a little more durable, that provides better support and Granite Gear's 62L, 3lb. 8oz Meridian Nimbus is the one I go to.

Your 4000 CI pack is too big if you're not carrying 4000 CI worth of stuff.

I go up to about 4-5 days tops with an 1800ci "daypack" with my sleeping pad strapped on the back. though. Technically now I'm using a 50 litre (3200 CI) pack most of the time, with my sleeping pad as the frame - basically a tube on the inside that everything stuffs inside for most three season lightweight backpacking, trips up to about 7-8 days. I'm betting I'd max out at about 10 days food in that pack, with the gear I carry.

In winter I carry an enormous 70 litre jobby.

So the answer is "it depends". Your pack size shouldn't matter as much as how much weight you are carrying.

Ah, but I don't have a spouse. So I have to justify it to my inner penny pinching self.

There are 3 basic specs.

1.) Heavy
2.) cheap (as in cost to the government, not an aftermarket consumer)
3.) uncomfortable

You forgot "poorly designed."

That's what I gathered from a visit to a military surplus place but was not sure if there were additional criteria...

There was a whole setup inclusive of pack, sleeping bag, poncho, bivy, mess, canteen, etc for sale - only 145 bucks. A dollar per pound.

i dont buy anything at the military surplus stores. nothing there worth your time. i buy what military people consider "aftermarket". yes military issue stuff normally sucks in backpacking scnerios but you have to remember thhe size of their equipment and it cant fail in the field

My "main" pack, or the one I find most comfortable, is a BD Shadow, that is rated at 55L, or 3356 Ci. I have heard that this pack is kind of lousy at it's upper weight limit, but I have usually kept it at 25 pounds or less and it has done great for me. I also have a couple other packs for vehicular hikes, and I must admit the Gregory handles more weight better, but it just doesn't "feel" as good as the BD.

My pack is an older model Six Moon Designs Comet, unfortunately discontinued, a "little brother" of their Starlite. It's about 2700 cubic inches (~45 L) in the main bag and weighs 27 oz. with the "optional" (mandatory, IMHO) aluminum stays. I use the outside pockets a lot (tent in one side, water/snacks in the other, rain gear and a few other odds and ends in the front) but so far have never had to use the 400 cubic inch extension collar. I do have that space available should I have to carry bulkier gear. It has held up just fine to considerable use over the past 5 years. I did have to have some stitching redone after its first summer, but SMD did that for free! It has a Dyneema main bag and silnylon extension collar.

The ideal pack size, though, is the one that fits your gear plus the equivalent in weight/volume of a week's food for you and that feels good to you when you're carrying it for long periods. That's why it's important to get the rest of your gear first! If the pack is only part-way full, it usually won't balance well. The same happens if you have to tie stuff on the outside.

Now c'mon - we're not talkin' the Vietnam era ALICE packs & external frame.

The new military packs ARE well designed. The MOLLIE (Modular) pack is big (around 7,000 cu. in.) and has internal stays. The top compartment detatches & becomes a "Patrol Pack" (butt pack on a separate harness).

Many of the smaller packs are Camelbaks of one size or another. Others for special units are Blackhawk packs, which are very well designed.

SOME for certain special operations forces are even packs made by Dana's new company (whose name I forget). The man is no slouch at designing packs.

Eric

Actually, I am sure you are right. My perceptions are warped by the wonderful time I had carrying the junk that was military gear back when I kept you all from growing up speaking Russian.

Winny
hey man, you could soundlessly slip your Alice pack off with the noiseless strap release. The first sound you heard was a loud BANG. I always wanted an Alice pack but couldn't afford it. My wife made me tell you all that I only have 4 major backpacks and maybe another 6 or 8 day packs. I do have 5 tents, but one is her big 8x8 car camping tent and I just sold one.
Jim

300, all those packs aren't standard issue, even now. For an infantry soldier, the MOLLE is standard issue. But for the rest of the troops, ALICE. Special Forces have their own gear acquisition system and own budget. They don't count.