[pct-l] A backpack conundrum

[minnjohn1 at aol.com]

I can't believe you got only one response to your inquiry. Every hiker has an opinion on what works and what doesn't. You can get opinions from the ultra-light to ... whatever. Any way, I'll give my feedback. I also have a Gregory Whitney. It weighs 7lbs and I love it. I like the suspension, all the pockets, its sturdiness, the hipbelt, and all the room.? I easily fit my BearVault canister into it. And - I would love to take it on my thru-hike. But I'm not.

If I thought I could easily carry - it, my gear, food, and all the water I'll need in the desert or wherever - then I wouldn't hesitate. But I'm sure I can't EASILY and ENJOYABLY carry all that weight. I'm just not strong enough.

So Joel, can you easily carry 40-55 lbs? Be truthful with yourself - are you strong enough? If so, then go with the Gregory.?It?will definitely last the whole adventure. Its a great pack. And, you already have it and don't have to shell out more money. But if you know you are going to be struggling, then get a lighter pack. If you are not an ultra-light or even a light hiker, then go for something the weighs around 3-4lbs. There are some packs in that weight range that will handle 40-55lbs..

Good luck.
John.


-----Original Message-----
From: Joel Ramey <joel.ramey at gmail.com>
To: pct <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:13 pm
Subject: [pct-l] A backpack conundrum


Alright, so something that I've really been kicking around hard lately is whether or not I should replace my pack with something lighter.

Currently I have a Gregory Whitney, which I love in terms of its suspension. The pack is fairly new, I bought it this summer before I decided to slash weight and rethink my hiking strategy.

The weight of my sleeping gear and shelter system is ~4 lbs (about 5 in the sierra's, switching to a tarptent)

I'm trying not to bring much in the way of luxury items. But I will most likely be using a bear cannister in the Sierra's (my family and black bears have a long feuding history), and wasn't sure how this would effect using a lighter pack.

I'm also not sure if I'm ready to switch to a rucksack, especially since I may not have much time to get out hike enough to learn how to efficiently use it, or if I'll even be comfortable with it.

Any thoughts?




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