Pack Choices ?

[wayno]

you'd need radical new materials to be developed to reduce weights a lot further.

Is there still much room to move in terms of material? It's already near transparent.

in theory yes, you have graphene which is extremely strong and light and atoms thick and can be used like a fabric but it hasnt been developed enough to be cost effective on its own, it gets combined with other materials at present. its been around for years but its difficult to manufacture and real progress hasnt been made to ramp up its production cost effectively.
carbon fibre doesnt seem to be used much in pack frames , that could save weight... but it can be brittle.. a lot of manufacturers have steered clear of cuben fibre or been very cautious about its adoption, its not as resiliant to abrasion as nylon, and its a lot more expensive and difficult to sew..
the lightest denier of nylon is at the limit of what the milling machines can deal with to create fabric without breaking the thread.. and then there's the issue about its durability.

[Mark F]

There is actually very little fabric in a basic pack - about 1 sq metre so going light on the fabric is not going to save a heap of weight. The weight in packs comes from frame, webbing, buckles, pockets, zips etc.

[GPSGuided]

There is actually very little fabric in a basic pack - about 1 sq metre so going light on the fabric is not going to save a heap of weight. The weight in packs comes from frame, webbing, buckles, pockets, zips etc.

Yes, this makes sense. It’s a completely different set of development. Replacing the heavy canvas all those years ago was the big leap.

[trekker76]

whatever they come up with next it will probably be sold 10-14% more expensive than what we are currently using and have item life engineered for similar rate of replacement. Not many price breakthroughs these days from corporations.

[Orion]

My old 75 liter pack weighed 1.7kg. It had to be retired a year and a half ago. So I went looking for a replacement and discovered that nobody made the pack that I wanted. I found large packs that were heavier, even when the volume was less. They invariably included features I found unnecessary while at the same time lacking things I desired.

My old pack was pretty simple. A big, framed main compartment and a floating lid with pockets. That's basically it. Why couldn't I find a version of this pack with some modern improvements?

I almost bought one pack. I had a list of modifications for it: Removing a zipper, adding a pocket, fixing the way the lid was attached, and even using a hacksaw to cut away the part of the frame that pushed the pack away from my back.

But then I thought -- wait a minute. It's probably easier to just make a pack from scratch. Well, maybe that's not true. What I ended up doing was pulling the stitches from my twenty year old pack and completely disassembling it. Then recreating it with brand new fabric and materials. I was surprised at how complicated it was. There were dozens of fabric pieces. It took months and I didn't really save money. I spent over $100 on various foams trying to find the right ones.

But eventually I had my old pack again, reborn. By sheer coincidence it ended up weighing within 1 gram of the original spec. I like my new pack. I have some pride in my work. But I really didn't want to make a pack. I was hoping to just go buy one, preferably one that improved upon my older pack. But I couldn't find that pack anywhere.

[CasualNerd]

My old 75 liter pack weighed 1.7kg. It had to be retired a year and a half ago. So I went looking for a replacement and discovered that nobody made the pack that I wanted. I found large packs that were heavier, even when the volume was less. They invariably included features I found unnecessary while at the same time lacking things I desired.

Knowing it's possible to make my own pack is so tempting, but I already know it will join my other half finished projects cluttering up the house Nice work recreating the pack you wanted !

At the moment I can't find a better option than the osprey Volt 75 litre, but I'm really close to ordering the massdrop GG Crown 60. It's smaller than I was hoping, but at such a reasonable price I'd like to make it work - I just don't want to end up carrying my tent strapped to the outside The idea that I could shave more than 2kg just off the weight of my pack is incredibly enticing.

[davidf]

Stop using a tent?

[wayno]

Stop using a tent?

depends how many biting insects are around at night.. a lot of places i wouldnt be caught dead without a tent, i'd never get any sleep, just the sound of mozzies close to your head is bad enough

[CasualNerd]

I bit the bullet and ordered the Granite Gear Crown on Massdrop. I'm really not sure if it's the answer to my particular situation, but I decided I might as well aim for the best case scenario, and if it doesn't work out it's less outlay than most packs in that class.

I made a few lists on lighterpack and compared to a year ago, this pack and a few other gear purchases have shaved almost 5 Kg off my pack/mat/sleeping bag/jacket... So there's a good chance I'll join the lightweight ranks soon enough, and with a few more upgrades I'm hoping 60 litres is plenty.

[crollsurf]

Is there still much room to move in terms of material? It's already near transparent.

There will be but it couldn't be as dramatic as we have seen over recent years, where packs have gone from 2kg+ to under 500g
We're talking grams now, not kilograms

[crollsurf]

I bit the bullet and ordered the Granite Gear Crown on Massdrop. I'm really not sure if it's the answer to my particular situation, but I decided I might as well aim for the best case scenario, and if it doesn't work out it's less outlay than most packs in that class.

I made a few lists on lighterpack and compared to a year ago, this pack and a few other gear purchases have shaved almost 5 Kg off my pack/mat/sleeping bag/jacket... So there's a good chance I'll join the lightweight ranks soon enough, and with a few more upgrades I'm hoping 60 litres is plenty.

Once you get UL you should be able to get 5-10 days (without resupply) no worries. Must say I'm a little bit jealous. Enjoy

[pulseevents]

Imo. Consider comfort over weight. (Too a point) once yoh find a pack that sits right with a harness that fits right an extra few grams here or there are irrelevant.
I found my utopia in a OP pack and i dont even feel like i have had 20+ kilos on my back after long days now. Gone the dread of putting pack back on after lunch stop and no more lower back aches.
It really comes down to horses for courses and budget but a wise man once said that a poor man pays twice
Good luck and i hope you find your utopia.

[wayno]

Imo. Consider comfort over weight. (Too a point) once yoh find a pack that sits right with a harness that fits right an extra few grams here or there are irrelevant.
I found my utopia in a OP pack and i dont even feel like i have had 20+ kilos on my back after long days now. Gone the dread of putting pack back on after lunch stop and no more lower back aches.
It really comes down to horses for courses and budget but a wise man once said that a poor man pays twice
Good luck and i hope you find your utopia.

I agree, there comes a point where cutting weight can be counter productive.

[CasualNerd]

It really comes down to horses for courses and budget but a wise man once said that a poor man pays twice

I make this mistake often enough

In the end it was $170 including shipping so it's not as big a risk as buying a very expensive lightweight pack. It's been shipped already so hopefully I'll find out soon enough, and it's a bit of encouragement to cut down on my carried weight overall.

[north-north-west]

I wonder if I could make one of those work. It's a well-designed, well-made, light pack, although I doubt it can carry the weight I pack when the camera gear is included.

[CasualNerd]

I wonder if I could make one of those work. It's a well-designed, well-made, light pack, although I doubt it can carry the weight I pack when the camera gear is included.

Just wait 6 months in case I can't make it work and put it up for sale

[north-north-west]

Or I could try to meet you somewhere when you're using it and try it on. Did you get the big or the regular?

[CasualNerd]

Or I could try to meet you somewhere when you're using it and try it on. Did you get the big or the regular?

I got the large. Short was sold out anyway, but by my measurement I'm just over the 21" torso. I think the non-massdrop version might have different sizing anyway, and massdrop was supposed to be finished that sale now. Either way you're welcome to try it on when it arrives.

[north-north-west]

It'll be too big. I'm a shortarse. But the pack does look possible. 15kg load is fine for a week or so in summer, except for the camera/lenses.