Author Topic: Right Size Rucksack  (Read 3165 times)

hoffman

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Right Size Rucksack
« on: 22:24:38, 11/01/20 »
I will be going to Denmark in a few weeks for a one month walking and camping trip. I will be taking a one kilo tent 2 kilo down sleeping back an Expedia down blow up underlay, change of clothing 2 phone an IPad plus toiletries and a small stove etc What size rucksack would other members recommend. I have my eye on the Osprey Atmos 65 AG.


Regards
Brian

ninthace

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Re: Right Size Rucksack
« Reply #1 on: 22:35:48, 11/01/20 »
Unless you intend to shop online, why not go to the shop at which you intend to make your purchase along with your major items and try them in the pack of your choice, then you will know how it feels and how much spare space you have.  I have only used Osprey packs for the past 10 years and they have been excellent  Also, if you do have a snag, their after sales service is very good.
Solvitur Ambulando

hoffman

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Re: Right Size Rucksack
« Reply #2 on: 18:16:33, 12/01/20 »
Ninthface


Thanks for the help. I will try that.

vghikers

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Re: Right Size Rucksack
« Reply #3 on: 20:10:34, 12/01/20 »
Much depends on how frequently you can restock supplies along the route. Also A 2kg down sleeping bag must be really voluminous - our old ME Iceline bags were for serious winter conditions and were around 1.8kg, one of those would almost half-fill our old quite big packs!. The Atmos packs are relatively heavy by modern standards, if weight is important, as it probably is on a month long trek, there are lighter choices that are as comfortable.

I agree that it's essential to try packs with your intended load, preferably in a shop where several types are available. Everything about a pack is personal and everyone is different. Osprey packs are very often seen on the hills here largely because they are ubiquitous, almost every outdoor retailer stocks them (at least the heavier ones). Again it's personal, many walkers find them excellent but many don't, including us. We knew immediately they weren't for us when we tried them on, they just didn't feel right. That much touted air gap at the back pushes the load farther away from your centre of mass which is bad for stability and biomechanics.

Unfortunately the only retailers we know that stock very light packs are all online only.


Bigfoot_Mike

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Re: Right Size Rucksack
« Reply #4 on: 20:11:23, 12/01/20 »
Ninthface
Oops. It is bad enough to imply that someone is two-faced, but nine!!!!  :D

gunwharfman

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Re: Right Size Rucksack
« Reply #5 on: 20:26:58, 12/01/20 »
My maximum rucksack is 50L, never have needed any more space even when carrying 2L water and food for a few days. I just can't imagine why anyone would want anything much bigger? What do people carry in a 65L - 75L rucksack??? And what about the overall weight? My rucksack weighs about 8kg and I have everything I need for example for a two-week hike and with space to spare!

Owen

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Re: Right Size Rucksack
« Reply #6 on: 20:50:27, 12/01/20 »
My rucksack weighs about 8kg and I have everything I need for example for a two-week hike and with space to spare!


Maybe so but you always make a point of telling us you never cook or carry food.


For long trips I use a 60lt rucksack in summer I can go for fifteen days. That breaks down to 9.7kg of food, 850g of fuel and 7.5kg kit. But the volume of one person's kit won't be the same as another's. How long you intend to go between re-supplying is another big factor, so it's hard to give a definitive answer.   

gunwharfman

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Re: Right Size Rucksack
« Reply #7 on: 21:14:59, 12/01/20 »
I do agree with you but as you realise I just wouldn't plan to hike perhaps in the way that you plan to do so. I do note however that our 'kit' weight is about the same. I'm a hiker that prefers when possible to eat daily in pubs and restaurants rather than preparing it myself in camp. Or to be more accurate, I have no idea how to cook, so carrying such gear would be useless to me.

ninthace

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Re: Right Size Rucksack
« Reply #8 on: 21:18:35, 12/01/20 »
And if you can afford it, a credit card is a lot lighter than cooking gear.  Not for everyone though. Fending and cooking for yourself can be part of the fun.
Solvitur Ambulando

Owen

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Re: Right Size Rucksack
« Reply #9 on: 21:20:08, 12/01/20 »
Thinking about it, my memory of Denmark is a little hazy. We used to invade it on a regular basis back in the cold war, we always played the bad guys. The Jagger Battalion had to try and catch us. But if I remember correctly it's all very rural, nowhere is too far from the next village. You shouldn't need to carry any more than a couple of days food. It really depends on how bulky that sleeping bag is but I'd be looking for something around 40 to 50 lts.

gunwharfman

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Re: Right Size Rucksack
« Reply #10 on: 21:22:03, 12/01/20 »
Sorry, even the thought of cooking is not fun for me, I just like the eating bit.

gunwharfman

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Re: Right Size Rucksack
« Reply #11 on: 21:25:33, 12/01/20 »
I once tried the idea of a smaller rucksack on my back and another, even smaller on my front but I just couldn't get a good enough front one at the time. I tried the OMM model for a while but it just didn't seem to work well enough for me.

richardh1905

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Re: Right Size Rucksack
« Reply #12 on: 22:54:30, 12/01/20 »
I would prioritize comfort and good design over pack weight, and as most packs have compression straps, there is no harm in being conservative in your choice when it comes to volume. 65 litres sounds about right to me for what you have in mind.
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richardh1905

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Re: Right Size Rucksack
« Reply #13 on: 22:56:21, 12/01/20 »
One thing I will be looking for when I do buy a new larger rucksack is pockets on the hip belt - just the job for stashing small items that you might use frequently (phone, camera, compass etc).
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

hoffman

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Re: Right Size Rucksack
« Reply #14 on: 08:43:32, 13/01/20 »
Thanks everyone for help


 My winter sleeping bag is 1.7 kilos (Mountain Equipment Snowline) Tent is 1kilo and underlay is 1kilo. Be taking a light change of clothing and an iPad with protection just under a kilo. Light rucksacks are nice but if the weight increases it is easier to have a slightly larger rucksack for shoulder and waist comfort. I came to an approximate 65 kilo bag because it is not too large but accommodates ease of access. In the past I have used cheaper bags but decided to get something better. My own experience with the light bags I have had is that access can be time consuming and one is always thinking about room and the lightness imposes many restrictions. Really a lighter larger bag is I suppose the best of both worlds

 

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