looking for a BIG pack

[vtlukekultv]

i'm planning some big adventures in the coming year, and i'm going to need a big pack to haul all of my stuff around in. i don't want to go any smaller than 5000 cubes, and nothing would be "too" big. i was looking at the mystery ranch g series, and they all look very nice, does anyone know about these packs? there are some solid looking gregory packs too (denali and whitney) that intrigue me. any experience/advice having to do with big packs, of any brand, would be super helpful. the main 2 things i am looking for are support of monster loads (80+ lbs) and compressability for smaller loads.

luke

 

[Sherpa John]

LOWE ALPINE ANYTHING! 4 LIFE!

www.lowealpine.com

DO IT DO IT!

 

[dug]

Osprey.

I'm in the process of dumping my 10 year old, stiff as a board Lowe Alpine. Bomber pack, but not particularly comfortable. It has treated me well, however.

 

[Rick]

I can't help you with the Mystery Ranch packs, but I have Dana's older line - a Dana Designs Astralplane that has been used about 20 times (only winter or summer if my little one is backpacking with me), it does have a sleeping bag compartment that zips closed, in the event you don't need the full 7,000 CI's (or about 115 liters).

I have been pretty satisfied with it except for the monster weight of 8 lbs and that it has everything overkill on it. It was built in the waning days of big packs, just before ultralght started to take over the scene.

The pack rides very comfortably with 55-60 lb loads in the winter. What I really like best about it is that once it is on your back, it stays right there. Though it took a while to finally get a good fit.

I really wanted the Denali Pro as I think it is a little more comfortable, but I could get the Astralplane for $230 (50% off the $459 retail price) whereas the place I was working didn't sell the Gregory pack, which is also $459.

You can sometimes find both cheaper. I know Killerdeals.com had Astralplane closeouts for a while.
Hope this helps

 

[Warren]

Dana always comes up when huge loads are mentioned....

But you don't mention what type of hauling and hiking you will doing. Looking at trail workers and hut crews who regularly haul massive loads they use...pack boards. I guess it's because their loads are frequently oddly sized as much as the benefit of the pack frame. Regardless external frames may be worth looking at if it fits your use.

If you're going to stay with internal frames the two deciding factors after the fit will be the ability to compress less than house sized loads and a suspension that will handle 80lbs. Osprey excels on compressibility, I found the Lowe Contour to be floppy with small loads, Dana and Gregory (from checking them out in the stores) seem to do OK in this regard.

 

[percious]

Out of curiosity, why do you need 5000 cu in? Seems overkill to me, but I am an ultralighter.

-percious

 

[dundare]

The Kelty 50th Anniversary pack sounds just like what you are looking for - as long as you dont mind an external...Review here

 

[McRat]

FWIW, when I'm lugging in everything including the kitchen sink, I've had great luck with my Gregory Palisades. Pricing not bad, pretty sturdy, very comfortable with large loads. Can compress for smaller loads, but I really dread wearing it as a daypack. The thing weighs near 7lbs EMPTY.

It must be the suspension system - with loads under 20lbs you REALLY notice the weight of the pack, at over 40lbs it really seems to feel more comfortable than other packs I've tried.

/$0.02 + 1 grain NaCl

 

[dundare]

the kelty weighs in at 4 pounds 11 ounches empty...

 

[Whiteman]

A vote for Dana

Large: Terraplane
Monster: Astralplane

The terraplane will easily hold a lot of winter gear and is good for up to five days (or more) I would think for a winter adventure. You should not need anything as large as the astralplane unless you plan on trekking a long long way. The trade-off, as pointed out above, is extra weight for the pack itself. Figure out your size and buy one used on e-bay or someplace like IMC (I think that's the name) in N. Conway, where you can find a few in the consignment center downstairs. details on the pack specifications are www.danadesign.com

The terraplane is unbelievably comfortable, even with 50 lbs.

 

[giggy]

80 pounds?? - where are you heading - mt vinson?? I only ask becuase I remember you posting about 2 months ago saying you were a newbie in college and "heading up washington" - which I think you were talked out of due to a storm that weekend. Please take this reply as freindly advice as I wish I head boards like this to get info from when I started out.

I do think that it is great that you are starting young and have big goals. I wish I started while in college instead of being a drunkard - but thats another story.....


Here is some advice I wish I had when I first started years ago.

Like others - am a light traveler. 80 pounds for mountaineering/hiking trips (for the most part) is way too much unless your hitting denali or something in which you will be probably be towing a sled anyway. Most guides that I have asked on this issue have said 50 pounds - tops. I may stir disagreement here - but that what this board is for.

I always liked lowe alpine packs - the one I have for big trips is the countour IV - it is actually too big for most trips and I wish I would have bought a 4500 -5000 ci pack. I am going to rainer this summer and I think it will be too big for that. But my 3000 ci will be just too small. But I made my bed and I have to sleep in it. Not buying a new pack till these wear out.

The countour I think is 5500 or maybe even 6000. not 100% sure. For most everything I do - its way too big. I also have one that is 3000 ci - perfect for the whites on weekends trips (even winter) and probably even summer longer trips.

learn from my mistake - only buy the huge pack if you really need the space. 80 pounds is alot to be lugging around on your back. But - to answer your question - I like the countour IV as far as fit, etc....

good luck.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Looking at trail workers and hut crews who regularly haul massive loads they use...pack boards. I guess it's because their loads are frequently oddly sized as much as the benefit of the pack frame. Regardless external frames may be worth looking at if it fits your use.

Real handy. Best thing if youi want to carry 24 bottles of beer with you. Quite versitle, too. You can lash all your stuff onto it, then tie on a smaller day pack, if you're going to be setting up a base camp, or going to a hut.

Here's a picture of me with something like 80 pounds on my back:

http://newmud.comm.uottawa.ca/~pete/trailwork/Gothics/PetePack.jpg

Here's my son with all kinds of junk on his (including HIS axe, which is better seen in my avatar)


http://newmud.comm.uottawa.ca/~pete/jr_pack.jpg

And here's an even weirder assortment of things, including a garbage can strapped on.

http://newmud.comm.uottawa.ca/~pete/jrpack.jpg


Oh yeah... And if you have one of those big Dana packs... Just fill it up and lash it onto the frame, then add the stuff that wouldn't fit into your pack.

"If you can lift it, then the pack isn't too heavy." Jean-René

 

[Jean]

I highly recommand Osprey packs. The Crescent 110 should do the trick for you:

http://www.ospreypacks.com/crescent_110.htm

I have a Crescent 90 that I have loaded up to 72lbs for a traverse of the Groulx Mountains and it did not flinch and remained very comfortable for the entire expedition.

 

[rongon]

Oh no, another boring GEAR QUESTION...

I couldn't resist, I'm sorry...

How do you fans of external frame packs rate the Kelty Trekker 3950? OK? Junk? The reason I ask is that I've got one and I'm in the "fuss with it to get it to fit my weird back" phase... and it's taking longer than expected.

I was talked into it by a salesman who steered me away from the Kelty 50th Anniversary (??!), saying that the Trekker has a good, strong frame and that the 50th Anniv's was weak and could deform under a big load. I didn't know enough at the time to "question authority"...
---

 

[bobmak]

Here's another vote for the Dana Astralplane. I have used this on 3 week trips and have also found it useful as a travel pack. I have always thought it better to carry a large pack than to overstuff a smaller pack. This pack carries BIG loads very comfortably. One year when I was training for a trip I used the pack to carry several loads of firewood up to Grey knob from the wood lot just past the log cabin. This pack will carry a lot of weight without sagging. But let me say this.... unless you are planning to go somewhere for an extended period with no intent of restocking, save yourself some money and weight and get something smaller.

 

[vtlukekultv]

i'm planning on using this pack when i'm working in the huts for the AMC this summer, as well as for a semester long NOLS trip into the pacific northwest. i already have a lowe alpine pack that's about 4000 cubes (guessing) but i need something larger for getting all my stuff around in for NOLS. i like the look of osprey packs, they appear to be very form fitting.

luke

 

[Ken999]

How about 8500 cu. in.?

http://www.kifaru.net/LHrendez.htm

 

[Rick]

VtLuke,
I should qualify my earlier statment about the Astralplane.
Prior to it I carried a Lowe Alpine Contour IV which was my main workhorse for about 11 years. It is 5400 CI plus 900 extension. Before that I had my trusty '74 Eureka Lake Cruiser External Frame Pack - Which is still ocassionally allowed to go out for a trip here and there (squeaking all the way).

The Contour IV always seemed slightly too large in the summer and slightly too small in the winter which made it perfect if you could only have one pack. It was great for loads under 55 lbs, but not too comfortable for loads greater than that.

Also, 5500 was a pretty good size for carrying gear before the ultralight craze - Whisperlight stoves, stainless steel 2 qt cooksets, 5-6 lb 2 man tents, 3-4 lb sleeping bags and the like. I have since replaced my Contour IV with a lighter Kelty Haiku 4200 CI pack for summer trips with ultralight gear.

I assumed with an 80 lb load you were trail working or heading to Alaska. I can assure you that with today's emphasis on smaller and lighter gear, I would be hardpressed to fill up the Astralplane unless it was with 3 weeks of food - It is even difficult to pack it full in winter, unless I am solo with no one to split gear with.

Then again, if I were 25 years younger with more brawn than backache, I too might want the largest expedition pack I could find to carry off on all those trips I'm was dreaming about.
Seriously, good luck with your backpack!!!

 

[Warren]

Pete- I've never even seen aluminum pack boards, are those yours or part of the trail crews gear? Even when I've seen the DEC fellow from the outpost hauling it's always been those wooden ones that look as if they were last made 50 years ago or came out of someone shop.

Luke- the hut workers I've seen all haul on pack boards and I think they are supplied by the hut. Truly, external frames will be handier with large ungainly roads and they are said to carry better than an internal frame. I wouldn't know I've always used an internal frame. For large hauling I've used the Osprey Aether 90, great pack but the shape does not really help with ungainly loads as much as, say, the Dana's mentioned above. For my use (winter) I very much like it. Decide if you want an internal or external, then find a good pack fitter (some will even perform bending the stays voodoo for you) and look in the 90 liter plus sizes and spend time trying them on with more than 40lbs of gear in them. Get the one that carries best. All the packs mentioned here are likely choices, though arcteryx has not yet been mentioned.

Oh, I would never carry 80lbs of gear. I would sled, or choose another trip. Ok, if I ever do start doing trail work maybe I will eat those words...

 

[Tuggy]

Dana Designs makes really good packs. The suspension systems really spread the weight comfortably. I used my brother's 6500 cubic inch one and carried about 60 pounds worth of junk. I decided the pack worked fantastically but I'd never , ever carry that much junk anywhere again unless I was driving. Switched to a 4000 cu in with an extension collar by Deuter. Not as many bells and whistles but a whole lot easier to carry and I try not to fill it either.