camping backpack capacity image
olivia
I'm looking to purchase an internal frame backpack for the first time and am wondering what size/capacity I should get. I'm a tall woman, 5'9" with long legs and torso. I'm looking to get into backpacking, so the maximum amount of time I would be backpacking would be a week. What sizes/brands can you recommend?
Answer
If you are sure this is something you want to continue doing for a few years, I would recommend buying a decent bag from the start, so stay away from Wal-Mart type brands. The brands I have had luck with are:
- Osprey (all-time favorite, never bought one of their bags that didnt feel great and last long)
- Gregory (consistently great bags, my wife had a great experience with her Gregory bag)
- Marmot (never bought one of their bags, but all their other gear is top-notch)
- Black Diamond (especially for climbing/skiing)
- Arcteryx (heavier than others, but top quality and will last forever)
- Mountain Hardwear
- North Face (can be hit or miss)
This should be a general guideline for choosing good brands, but it is CRUCIAL that you try on any bag that you consider buying. Sizing ranges are different for every manufacturer and the specific shape and size of your back and hips will make some bags feel like a dream and others feel like a painful nightmare. Any hiking/climbing store worth its weight will have people to help you try on bags and they should even have sandbags to put in the pack to simulate a heavy load.
As for size of the backpack, it will depend on where, when, and how you backpack. For 3-season (ie non-winter) backpacking, with average gear, a 60-Liter pack is a good size for beginners and will hold enough gear for 3-5 days if you pack smart. As you upgrade your gear to smaller and lighter equipment and learn what to take and what not to, your bag will probably shrink. However, if you plan to do winter camping or longer hikes, you may need something larger. Personally, I have a 20L frameless pack for summit days, a 35L pack for day hikes, a 45L pack for ice/alpine climbing and 1-2 day hikes, a 65L pack for longer backpacking trips, and an 85L monster for expedition and gear-laden winter camping. As you get more into the sport, you will probably end up with a few packs as well, but something mid-range (like I said, 60L or so) is a great start.
I don't really want to recommend any specific packs, but I will tell what is, in my opinion, a great starter pack (and one you will keep for years, like I did). Assuming it FITS YOU well, look into the Osprey Aura-65 (womens version of the Atmos-65 pack). It is very light for the price, strong, carries comfortably, and has back-ventilation (which may not sound like a big deal, but it is nice in the summers). You can find it for as little as $170, which is a steal for a bag of this quality. Again, though, this is just a starting point and if it doesn't fit you like a glove, move to something else.
Best of luck!
If you are sure this is something you want to continue doing for a few years, I would recommend buying a decent bag from the start, so stay away from Wal-Mart type brands. The brands I have had luck with are:
- Osprey (all-time favorite, never bought one of their bags that didnt feel great and last long)
- Gregory (consistently great bags, my wife had a great experience with her Gregory bag)
- Marmot (never bought one of their bags, but all their other gear is top-notch)
- Black Diamond (especially for climbing/skiing)
- Arcteryx (heavier than others, but top quality and will last forever)
- Mountain Hardwear
- North Face (can be hit or miss)
This should be a general guideline for choosing good brands, but it is CRUCIAL that you try on any bag that you consider buying. Sizing ranges are different for every manufacturer and the specific shape and size of your back and hips will make some bags feel like a dream and others feel like a painful nightmare. Any hiking/climbing store worth its weight will have people to help you try on bags and they should even have sandbags to put in the pack to simulate a heavy load.
As for size of the backpack, it will depend on where, when, and how you backpack. For 3-season (ie non-winter) backpacking, with average gear, a 60-Liter pack is a good size for beginners and will hold enough gear for 3-5 days if you pack smart. As you upgrade your gear to smaller and lighter equipment and learn what to take and what not to, your bag will probably shrink. However, if you plan to do winter camping or longer hikes, you may need something larger. Personally, I have a 20L frameless pack for summit days, a 35L pack for day hikes, a 45L pack for ice/alpine climbing and 1-2 day hikes, a 65L pack for longer backpacking trips, and an 85L monster for expedition and gear-laden winter camping. As you get more into the sport, you will probably end up with a few packs as well, but something mid-range (like I said, 60L or so) is a great start.
I don't really want to recommend any specific packs, but I will tell what is, in my opinion, a great starter pack (and one you will keep for years, like I did). Assuming it FITS YOU well, look into the Osprey Aura-65 (womens version of the Atmos-65 pack). It is very light for the price, strong, carries comfortably, and has back-ventilation (which may not sound like a big deal, but it is nice in the summers). You can find it for as little as $170, which is a steal for a bag of this quality. Again, though, this is just a starting point and if it doesn't fit you like a glove, move to something else.
Best of luck!
What is a good telescope, for celestial viewing, that can be taken on a week long backpacking trip?
Ducky
I understand that weight and viewing quality will contradict each other in most cases here. I would also like to spend less than $300. I will be carrying the scope for 7 days as well so the lighter the scope the better. I am comfortable with lugging around something between 5-10 lbs, but am interested in large enough aperture to view star formations, milky way, etc. I understand that getting exceptional planetary views with these specs will be much less than likely and am alright with that.
Answer
I second Geoff's recommendation. For any backpacking trip, binoculars are going to be substantially more useful, usable, and less likely to be knocked out of alignment during the bumps and knocks inherent with hiking, camping and backpacking.
If you have the spare weight-capacity, you *might* consider getting a pair of ''astronomical binoculars''.
The Celestron Skymasters are a bit heavier (and more cumbersome) than you might care to take on a backpacking trip - but you can look.
http://www.opticsplanet.com/celestron-binoculars-skymaster-71012.html
(Keep in mind - you would also need to bring a tripod as well - - but you could likely get by with an aluminum camera-tripod - perhaps 1-1/2 pounds)
You might also consider a 'spotting telescope'' - - used by some of the big-game hunters - and made for hauling out into the woods.
http://www.celestron.com/sports_outdoors/spotting-scopes.html
or
http://www.optics4birding.com/celestron-c90-mak-39x90-angled-spotting-scopes.html
Or, for a ''real telescope'' - well - you might consider reading the review from the Stargazer's Lounge.
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/88436-portable-telescope-for-home-and-camping/
In any case - - you want to have a decent star-atlas or a printout for the expected night-sky. (Even a modest planisphere can be a great help.)
I second Geoff's recommendation. For any backpacking trip, binoculars are going to be substantially more useful, usable, and less likely to be knocked out of alignment during the bumps and knocks inherent with hiking, camping and backpacking.
If you have the spare weight-capacity, you *might* consider getting a pair of ''astronomical binoculars''.
The Celestron Skymasters are a bit heavier (and more cumbersome) than you might care to take on a backpacking trip - but you can look.
http://www.opticsplanet.com/celestron-binoculars-skymaster-71012.html
(Keep in mind - you would also need to bring a tripod as well - - but you could likely get by with an aluminum camera-tripod - perhaps 1-1/2 pounds)
You might also consider a 'spotting telescope'' - - used by some of the big-game hunters - and made for hauling out into the woods.
http://www.celestron.com/sports_outdoors/spotting-scopes.html
or
http://www.optics4birding.com/celestron-c90-mak-39x90-angled-spotting-scopes.html
Or, for a ''real telescope'' - well - you might consider reading the review from the Stargazer's Lounge.
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/88436-portable-telescope-for-home-and-camping/
In any case - - you want to have a decent star-atlas or a printout for the expected night-sky. (Even a modest planisphere can be a great help.)
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Title Post: What type of backpack to buy for first-timer?
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Rating: 95% based on 981 ratings. 4,6 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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