Please would you help me with my Hiking bag selection.

[Hikerhike]

Hay there im deffinately getting a new hiking bag please would you look at the following bags and tell me what you think.

I am looking for a light and conforatable bag, that is most important im not to fussed about lots of pockets. Im looking for a pack between 60L and 70L with a price range of up to £160.

Ive listed the bags in orderof how much i like them i you would get back to me soon i would be very gratefull as i am going away soon.

much oblidged

http://www.golite.com/Product/proddetail.aspx?p=PA5257&s=1 [nofollow]

http://www.lowealpine.com/Products/Detail.asp?ProductTypeID=18&ProductGroupID=835&Position=3&SpecificActivityID= [nofollow]

http://www2.thenorthface.com/opencms/opencms/tnf/gear.jsp?site=EU&model=AJ3U&language=en [nofollow]

http://www2.thenorthface.com/opencms/opencms/tnf/gear.jsp?site=EU&model=AS8Y&language=en [nofollow]

http://www.berghaus.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=1111&Gear=2 [nofollow]

[Ridge]

Hikerhike - welcome to the forum.

My 2p worth.

I've never used anything from Golite so can not comment on them at all.
I like to have 2 compartments in a large bag, like the LA or NF-Primero70.
I would always prefer to see products in the flesh even if this means paying a bit more or getting a slightly 'inferior' model.

Hope that is some help.

[darksky]

Hi pal and welcome to this site..,Its no good me trying to tell you which sac is better than the next , as youve got to check em all out via the research thats already been done on them and just compare which would be better for you and why...i,e... low weight of sac/back frame science/floating lid/hydration compartment/outside pockets,or not/material/does it come with rain cover/ and so on and so forth.., its best to actually try them on first and see how they feel on you, But thats not always possible especially if your checking them out on the internet., but you can make very good judgements about different sacs if you do your homework on them without trying them all on, anyway happy shopping and let us know what you do decide on.

[tonyk]

 Its all down to pot luck,what might suit you might not suit someone else.Go for the one you fancy and hope its the right choice.I have often bought packs that felt fine in the shop but turned out to be right pigs on the trail.Most times you can adjust them to fit your back but some never feel quite right.When buying it its best to take some weights with you so you can see how it feels when loaded up.

[muymalestado]

Welcome Hikerhike.

Many females prefer the femme forms of pack - can't tell if this refers to you - but what has been said is true; you must try on a pack to see if it suits your shoulders, back, hips, arms and so on.  Do you want side pockets or a 'climbing' type slimline bag.  If you will go to warmer airts a framed 'airflow' type may be worthwhile.  'Golite' type packs may be less robust and wear faster than heavier types.

Was personally astounded to try on a MacPac New Zealand big pack which had every concievable option, and weighed more because of all the zips and extra flaps & straps.  But that may suit someone.

[blue]

hi, i have a berghaus C7 series 65+1. its brill

[Hikerhike]

hay

Thanks for all your help i've decided to go for the go lite quest. Because its lite fairly cheep, strong, its waterproof and its good build quolity. I read alot of reviews and all that most people could say that was negative was about the external carring capacity. I bought it for £100 ill let you guys know how  it shapes again.

Much abliged

[darksky]

A £100 you say you paid for it.,  whats the build quality like on it?  and whats it got on it?  i,e...floating lid/side pockets/ice axe or pole holders/ rain cover.., just interested thats all as its a fairly new brand isn't it? but i do know that go-lite are very high up on the brands ladder., Ive always said you get what you pay for, you cant beat spending that bit more if you know its gonna last along time, and your rucsac is one of your main gear buys., anyway i hope you enjoy your new rucsac pal., hope to see some photos of it on ya back up a mountain.

[Mr Sam]

Does anyone know the average weight of a modern 45l-50l rucksack? All the ones Ive seen seem heavy at 1.4kg or is that standard. Considering the rucksack I use now is around 800g

[snowslider]

Does anyone know the average weight of a modern 45l-50l rucksack? All the ones Ive seen seem heavy at 1.4kg or is that standard. Considering the rucksack I use now is around 800g

1.4 would be around right for that type of sack. Most sacks at that weight can be stripped more of course. There's a surprising number of sacks over 2kg in fact 

[Mr Sam]

That seems stupid to me. Why should a pack way more than a tent.

[snowslider]

That seems stupid to me. Why should a pack way more than a tent.

not sure what weight you mean there? over 2kg is plain stupid but they sell well, the more straps and toggles on the outside the more "technical" it appears and the more it appeals. Around 1.5 kg is more reasonable if we're talking about something to carry in excess of 10-15kg weights for any distance, some padding and internal structure accounts for the weight over 1kg approx.

As for a comparison with a tent, isn't that hard? Tent flys and inners are made of a pretty light material, it would not be hard wearing enough for a sack and those DAC poles wouldn't be strong enough to support a sack structure so, although I've never thought about it before, an equivalence in weight would sound about right, a 1.5kg tent and the same, or a bit less, for a sack and half that for a sleeping bag. They sound like good rules of thumb. You could probably make some more guides like that.

[Hikerhike]

I paid £100 the bag is water proof has a floating lid and only weighs 1.5kgs.

meny thanxs

[Mr Sam]

Which bag did you get and whats the build quality like on it?

[cymru09]

What is a "floating lid"?