New pack for an 18yo

[Webguy]

My son and I are going to start to spend more time together and we already do a lot of day walking and figured it was time to start to throw some overnight stuff in to the mix and he is really keen to do this.

I have an "old" Black Wolf Glacier Bay 75 and a 60 ltr "Something, can't remember now" I have been useing for canyoning for years, damn that is a comfortable pack, it has hauled some reasonable loads with wet ropes, wetsuits n more etc.

Both are quite comfortable, he is now on the lookout for a pack that would suit him. He's a wiry / skinny kid, bit like his dad I guess. I figured for him 60ltrs would be more than enough and we can split the total load between the two of us.

I'm looking at suggestions, he wants to pay for this himself but has set himself a budget of max $250.

We looked at Anaconda (Yeah, go ahead and laugh, but ya gotta start somewhere ) and that was all we had time for today.

Based in Sydney so would prefer to be able to go try it on etc.

Maybe I should just lend him the 60 ltr for now? I will check the brand tomorrow.

Cheers

[Miyata610]

I would strongly recommend the Aarn range, especially the 50l mountain magic. These packs are fantastic for balance and posture and that's v important for an 18yo.

http://www.backpackinglight.com.au/prod970.htm

Or save a few dollars and get the slightly smaller superseded version....

http://www.backpackinglight.com.au/prod391.htm

[ollster]

I know it's well above the budget, but... One Planet Mungo.

http://www.oneplanet.com.au/bushwalking ... mungo.html

http://www.kellysbasecamp.com.au/p/9011 ... mungo.html

One Planet are endorsed by the chiropractors association of Australia. They're also the pack of choice amongst my southern Tasmanian off-track walking mates - which is a tribute to their durability. They're also made in Australia, not some east-asian sweat shop, so you can give yourself that warm inner glow of supporting local industry. OP stand by their products too.

http://www.oneplanet.com.au/distributors/australia.html

Yes, I am a bit of a "fan boy".

[Nuts]

Some good suggestions. For most, for everyday walking though I would encourage starting with a lighter approach to everything.
I'm a fan of the Osprey Exos as a medium weight gear hauler especially for anywhere warmer than tassie.
Half the weight (and price) of the others. The company has sound set of ethics I hear.

AActually I'd be giving him yours and getting this for myself:

http://www.basegear.com/osprey-exos-58.html

(available from a lot of places (as well as Paddy's in Aust i believe) and often on sale, iirc i paid $160)

[Bluegum Mic]

Ill second what nuts said. I've just bought the exos 46 and its a great pack. Well made, well designed and light. Down the track when I get the chance to do more than 2-3day walks again ill grab the 58.

[Webguy]

Thanks for the replies, the Osprey looks to be a nice clean pack and the price can be about right, I'll see if I can find someone with it on special.

I'll have a look at the Mungo as well, though, it is well above his budget.

Thanks guys, I look forward to participating on these forums, I ain't done an overnight walk since I was in scouts and, well, that was a *&%$#! long time ago so even I am looking forward to slowing building up to getting into it again.

[Nuts]

Yer, I actually have that size Mic. I walked the South Coast with a 46L pack. If I can pack 9 days worth into it then its just hard to advise anything bigger or heavier (the OP did say '60L' though), packing that much into a small pack is something even veterans never 'need' to learn.

[Miyata610]

Yeah I'm with Nuts re size.... My packs keep getting smaller, the 75l only comes out now for silly jobs. It's hard to imagine I'd need anymore than 50 now.

[Webguy]

Been doing some googling on price, best I can find so far is around $225 for the osprey, anybody seen it lower in Sydney anywhere?

The 75 will do me for now, just makes it a bit easier to start with and then start to whittle the gear and weight down.

Cheers

[Bluegum Mic]

I got the 46 from my local store camphikeclimb in hornsby. They will order in whatever you need (they have a big range of Osprey ). Their prices are usually good.

That's great news nuts on fitting nine days worth in. I fit my gear in easily with plenty of space. I've just not tried packing food for more than a couple of days. I find that's the killer on 7+ days food taking up space.

[icemancometh]

Been doing some googling on price, best I can find so far is around $225 for the osprey, anybody seen it lower in Sydney anywhere?

The 75 will do me for now, just makes it a bit easier to start with and then start to whittle the gear and weight down.

Cheers

Ospreys are ok and I've had a few

Their smalll, technical packs have improved out of sight the last few years but still not the lightest
And find their weight hard to justify for their relative flimsiness. Some of the features or lack of also baffle me.
Find people who like carrying loads like them, had a mate who loved his 90L...but he also liked boots and knee length jackets

That said, fit is more important than anything else as it'll sit on your pack most of the time

What size is your spn? Height/weight/shoulder/waist size?

[John Sheridan]

+1 For the Exos 46,58 bouncy,bouncy Edition


Good for a day, weeked,long Wekkend, Week, two weeks, nice and light and BOUNCY.

Cheers.

[walkinTas]

You do have to be careful how you distribute the weight. It is not good to have all the weight at the top of the pack. Can end up very bouncy. (Mine is a 58).

[buggeriamold]

Summit gear in Katoomba is another option. Made in Australia. I love my 55L bluegum.

mark

[Webguy]

My Son did a quick ring around to a paddy store and was told that "They don't sell pack of that size any more because they are not popular" so they no longer sell hiking packs and just do day packs and was told to go to Anaconda or rays outdoors.

What a joke....

[ollster]

My Son did a quick ring around to a paddy store and was told that "They don't sell pack of that size any more because they are not popular" so they no longer sell hiking packs and just do day packs and was told to go to Anaconda or rays outdoors.

What a joke....

Good lord... and they call themselves an outdoors store. "Outdoors, but no further than the car will go".

[Ent]

Hi

I would be surprised if PP did not sell a reasonably complete range of packs but maybe times are a changing. Never carried an Osprey pack but from what I seen they appear reasonable and tend to be light but strong with sensible harnesses. Cheapest price will be overseas mail order house and probably by a decent margin, assuming that you know the correct model and size to get. I am with the Mungo mob. You can not hand a lad a better pack as it will last a long time if reasonable care taken. Plus you have a wide combination of harness sizes to get the correct fit with the option to get a different size harness fitted later.

Nothing wrong with a lot of packs, if they are fitted correctly. Trouble is with some models the size range is restricted so your son might wind up with what is on the shelf rather than what he should have.

As for size. Some people achieve remarkable feats with small packs but this is generally after a long learning curve and also a willingness to make trade-offs. On the OLT on the weekend struck a guide more than happy to lug a huge pack and when at the campsite drag out his Hilleberg Soulo for his tent. A fine tent but tips the scale at 2.1 kilograms. He just loves the comfort that it gives. Yet another walker is happy in a Bivi bag so personal choice governs pack size. Sixty litres is a reasonable size in this day an age of modern sleeping matts and 800 loft sleeping bags for multi day trips plus you can also cram in for shorter trips less than light and compact gear begged and borrowed from friends and relatives. The beauty of the Mungo is the harness can handle 25 kilograms without killing the shoulders, back, and hips, providing that the rest of the body can handle the weight. Of course, the lighter the load the happier he will be and I would not envisage him setting out to carry this load unless he is using hand me down gear and basically force into this.

I brought a Lowe Alpine 50:60 litre Nanon which tips the scales at 1.5 kilograms and cost on special $123, normal price $319. It is rated for a maximum of 15 kilograms. A Mungo is around 2.4 kilograms and as mentioned can carry 25 kilograms. For the price the Lowe is a fine pack but give me the Mungo

Cheers

[wayno]

black diamond
something like the infinity 60 litre
1.7kilos
great ergonomic harness and shoulder straps, move well with your body, won awards

[JohnM]

Interesting. A quick look on paddy's website shows only 6 packs out of 80 are 60 litres or more. And all bar one are Osprey.

Bushwalking is a very niche activity, if even outdoor retailers struggle to justify stocking extended-walk packs. No surprise though - anecdotally it would seem that the vast majority of customers are travellers, not hikers/trampers/walkers.

[Webguy]

Thanks again all.

I went home for lunch and ran a tape measure on him LOL

waist 86cm
45cm across the shoulders
180cm high
71kg

he rang a few other places I suggested and none of them had "larger" packs either. I would have thought the medium/large harness would suit him?

[Miyata610]

His dimensions aren't a million miles from mine. I use a large in Aarn with an M hipbelt and a size 3 in macpac. Not sure how the others work. Good retailers are invaluable but no longer exist. Lol.

[ollster]

he rang a few other places I suggested and none of them had "larger" packs either. I would have thought the medium/large harness would suit him?

Come for a trip to Tassie! Pretty much all the outdoor shops stock plenty of multi-day packs, and you can give yourself an extra few days to get out and use it as the manufacturer intended.

[ILUVSWTAS]

he rang a few other places I suggested and none of them had "larger" packs either. I would have thought the medium/large harness would suit him?

Come for a trip to Tassie! Pretty much all the outdoor shops stock plenty of multi-day packs, and you can give yourself an extra few days to get out and use it as the manufacturer intended.

True. and you dont see many "Aarn" packs here.

[ollster]

True. and you dont see many "Aarn" packs here.

I'd suggest that putting on a pack with a pair of what could be safely called "boobs" attached might not be the best thing for a (typically self-conscious) teenager.

[Miyata610]

It might be worth trying camp hike climb in Hornsby. They used to be pretty good and had a wide range of packs including osprey and one planet.

[Webguy]

Thanks, I had a quick look at their website a short while ago, and they no longer listed the exo 58, they had other Osprey models but since nobody has mentioned their other models around the same size, I did not ring to enquire any further.

[gayet]

Others have recommended the One Planet Mungo - I'd suggest having a look at the WBA as well. 60 litres, weighs bugger all (hence WBA) and while not using as strong a canvas as the Mungo, it should be more than adequate for what you are likely to do with it. OK may not survive a Tassie extreme bush bash unmarked but.....

It has the truly excellent harness system, multiple configurations possible and a fitting by someone who knows is recommended. Able to carry significant weight easily or isn't over the top weight wise for a day or overnighter - compression straps work well.

[ILUVSWTAS]

I'd agree with Gay. Now have a OP shadow thanks to a forum member, great packs, light comfortable. But as the poster already said, OP are out of the proce range.

[Bluegum Mic]

Thanks, I had a quick look at their website a short while ago, and they no longer listed the exo 58, they had other Osprey models but since nobody has mentioned their other models around the same size, I did not ring to enquire any further.

Greg doesn't stock the exos but as I said in my earlier post call him and he'll order it in. He had mine in the shop in two days (I only purchased it two weeks ago). Camphikeclimb is a great store and he'll order anything your after. If you sign up to their membership card you get 10% off all purchases (free to join). They'll also post things if you don't live in the area. I've moved up north in the last few days and they're happy to post anything I need to order. Note I've not got any affiliation with the store beyond being a very happy customer who's spent lots of cash in their local store over the last few years They also stock the aarn packs, some WE and maybe some mont packs. Either way theyve got a good range of packs (many that aren't listed on the site). Might be worth a visit if your not too far away.

[icemancometh]

Thanks again all.

I went home for lunch and ran a tape measure on him LOL

waist 86cm
45cm across the shoulders
180cm high
71kg

he rang a few other places I suggested and none of them had "larger" packs either. I would have thought the medium/large harness would suit him?

So still growing then. Forgot to ask back length...that would determine the pack 'size' he would need. Normally 20" and above (or thereabouts depending on manufacturer) and he would need a large, otherwise a medium.

OT How does the BD pivot system compare to Aarn?