[pct-l] Backpacks.

[Jeffrey Olson]

Figure out what your "system" for carrying your stuff is.  Some people 
use small packs, stuff their sleeping bag, use the hip length foam pad 
as part of the pack's frame, make great use of external pockets and have 
leaned their gear down so their pack looks like a large daypack.  
Others, like me, use a big 4500 cu inch sack, (which can weigh a pound 
or less) don't stuff the down quilt, use a full-length blue foam pad as 
a cylinder/internal frame in the pack, and carry the same gear as 
others.  My pack always looks the same size as the quilt expands to fill 
what room there is.  (The quilt cost me nearly $400 six years ago and I 
wanted to keep it as fluffy as possible.  It has nearly the same loft 
now, after over 100 nights in the backcountry, as it did new - almost...)

My base weight with book and three empty gatorade water bottles is about 
13 pounds now.

I recommend that potential thru-hikers think in terms of "systems" and 
fit individual items within it rather than beginning with individual 
items and fitting a style/system to the item.

Just an opinion...

Jeffrey Olson
Martin, SD

On 10/28/10 11:28 AM, Sean 'Miner' Nordeen wrote:
> Brandon,
>
> The reason you would pick a Catalyst over a Circuit depends on your gear weight and size.  Do you need the larger volume of the Catalyst?  Do you expect to carry heavier loads then recommended by ULAs website for the Circuit.  I hiked in 2009 with a ULA circuit and was happy with it.  But for my gear, the circuit was actually too big at times  (I normally backpack with their Conduit now called the CDT) but I wanted the extra room for a 10day food carry with a bear can in the Sierra and to more comfortably carry large water weights in SoCal.  My pack is still in excellent shape other then a small hole in the right hipbelt pocket from a mouse in NoCal (but I did purchase a new hipbelt since they are removable).  When picking a hipbelt size, if you are inbetween, go smaller since you will loose weight (my medium size belt barely had any adjustment left by the time I finished).
>
> I saw far more Catalysts then Circuits on the trail and almost everyone was happy with whatever ULA pack they had.  Get the rest of your gear together and see how much room and weight capacity you need and use that to make your decision.
>
> -Miner
>
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