I am getting into back country adventures with my sons and through Boy Scouts. I'm no stranger to being in the woods and what I need to take with me, but I don't know what features are important in a nice 60+ liter pack. Also, how do you know if it fits when trying it on in the store? Do you add weight? Do you spend a lot of time adjusting?

Arron
Spokane, WA

All of the above! A a properly fitted pack will take stress off your back and shoulders by distributing weight to the hip belt. Get all the gears you need, load it into the pack you're looking at then strap it on, and buy the one that is most comfortable and well fitted. I've never been sore on my shoulders or on my back after a trip while carrying 30 pounds or less.

Once you find a couple packs that fits you comfortably then you can choose by features and price. And welcome to the forum.

Ok, Thank-you for your response. I'd like to try out some Eureka! packs, I love their tents, very durable and reasonably priced. Just need to find a local dealer.

Also, like the Ospry packs.

Any other great manufacturers I may not have heard of or seen much about yet?

Gregory ok? Kelty? REI?

You can't do much better than Osprey packs when it comes to "bang for the buck". Gregory packs are phenomenal and hold up well but you could end up spending twice as much. I started with a Cabelas 90L pack (weighs 6 pounds empty!) and paid for the mistake of purchasing based on price ($125). I am about to trade up to an Osprey pack that weighs half as much, costs a little more and will hold the amount of gear I will be carrying. NEVER purchase more storage than you need - ultimately you will end up filling it and carrying extra weight. To similate the weight, you can always use bags of sand or even free weights. You might look a little odd carrying them into the store but it will help you pick a more appropriately fitted pack. Good luck.

Granite Gear. I currently own a Granite Gear Blaze 60 liter and an Osprey Atoms 65 liter, I also have an Osprey Stratos 24 liter for day hikes. If I was purchasing another 60 liter pack, I'd be looking at Boreas as well. REI has Boreas online at pretty solid price. I owned a Kelty back when I first started and used it on two trips then got rid of it. It was too big for me, and little heavy compared to my Granite Gear and Osprey.

ULA and Gossamer Gears are cottage manufacturers that makes nice looking pack with raving reviews, however, I've never gotten my hands on either brands to wear. I've seen an ULA pack on someone while hiking and he said loved his. You will not see either brands in big box stores, but you can Google Gossamer and ULA it should show up at the top of the search results. GoLite is another lesser known brands you might want to look at online that priced well. You could e-mail these companies about their return policy to try the pack on, but it's a lot of hassle to deal with returns and waiting vs. going to a store and trying on Granite Gear, Osprey, and a Boreas if you got a REI near you.(Which I"m 99.99% positive you do living in Washington. )

Wow, thank you guys! Super happy and I can't wait to get out more. I'll try to post up what I end up with and why I did. There is a ton of information on this site!

The important thing about a pack is not the brand, it's fit, fit and fit. It must fit your body. It must fit your gear. And it needs to be a comfortable carry for you with your gear inside. Pack fit is almost as individual as shoe fit!

That's why it's generally recommended to buy your pack last after you've already accumulated your other gear. Box up your gear (adding the equivalent in weight and bulk of a week's food and a day's water) and take it to the store with you (call for an appointment with their most senior pack fitter and go at an uncrowded hour). When you find a pack that seems to work, hike around the store for an hour before deciding.

If you have to order via the internet, have your gear ready before the pack arrives, load up the pack (before removing tags) and hike around the house for an hour or two. Be prepared to pay return shipping charges for several packs until you find the pack that works for you. Of course check the website for the individual firm's return policy and make sure you follow it.

If you haven't discovered the articles on the home page of this site, left hand column , there's considerable material there about pack selection and fitting as well as other gear.

While many people recommend Osprey, I personally am very uncomfortable with Osprey's hip belts. There isn't a pack of theirs I've tried that hasn't been downright painful. That's one reason why I say that it's the fit, not the brand, that is critical.

Gear weight is another critical item; the pack manufacturers' web sites will give you the maximum recommended weight for each pack. I'd subtract 5 pounds from that.

There are also smaller companies that specialize in lightweight packs. Of course these will have to be ordered on the internet.