Packs

[Trebork2]

What's your favorite pack for multiday trips???

[Hig]

Right now I'm using MLD's largest pack. Here's their site:
http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/index.php?cPath=25
Overall I like it... but for use packrafting I think it's good to cut off the little plastic hooks that can grab hold of any string that might be about and become an entanglement hazard.

[Fishdejour]

I have 2 packs I use for packrafting trips
1. Berghause Dart 45 for straight packrafting trips
2. Golight Pinnacle - Medium for walk in/packraft trips up to 5 or 6 days.

Everything inside gets put into Sea to Summit dry bags. Not had a problem with anything getting wet....yet. The camel back in the Pinnalce can be inflated to add some bouyancy to the pack. I like the GoLight the best. It weighs in at about 850 odd grams so is not to heavy. I prefer a lightweight approach to compensate for the 3kg of raft and paddle.

Steve

[DaveChenault]

Thus far I've been using a ~55 liter pack I made myself. All ballistics nylon, very simple. It works well for summer trips, but I'll need a bigger pack for multiday trips that require more insulation. I'm thinking of making something along the lines of the Pinnacle, though perhaps a big bigger.

PS I've experiemented with a smaller version of the sandwich style drybag packs (a la the Arctic 1000, ULA Epic) and have found the packing to be too darn fiddly for my taste.

[Shaggy]

Recently, I've used the ULA Epic, Mammut Trion and a pre-production version of the Arc'Teryx Naos

General obs:

ULA Epic: Good packrafting pack. It's basically a drybag-holder, made out of mostly leno lock mesh and webbing. I liked it for canyoneering (I used it on the dirty devil), where I'm scraping my pack a lot, because of the durable components. I like the "drybag holder" aspect because it lets me switch out the waterproof part inside, & makes it easier to patch holes. It does use several working zippers, on back pocket and hip-belt pockets, so you need to take care of those, esp. w/ respect to sand and grit.

Mammut Trion, 40 liter: This one isn't really "packrafting" in any special way; just a big daypack / small multiday pack that I've taken packrafting. Nice streamlined the design, seems pretty functional so far, but no unique advantages for packrafting over other packs in its class. If you're getting pack immersion, an interior drybag is necessary.

Arc'teryx Naos This was a prototype I borrowed, NOT the production version, which I haven't used. Production version has more bells & whistles. As an engineered "holds-no-water, is-always-dry-inside", this thing was spectacular. The webbing is tight-woven poly, body totally seals up, nothing on it holds water. In that regard, it knocked everything else I've every used out of the park. The downside: the way I truck around out in the wilderness, I end up with half my gear wet all the time. A "big drybag and nothing else" doesn't work great for me because I really need both dry space & wet space. That, and the production-version price of the Naos is very high. It's the kind of pack I'd literally consider scuba diving with, and at one point I used it as a raft while crossing swamps (probably not recommended by Arc'Teryx). I loved the Naos for it's part, but the way I travel I got much more utility & flexibility out of the Epic.

[farm]

I use Golite Jam 2

[DaveChenault]

After a bunch of experimentation and thinkering, I made a pack with packraft trips forement in my mind.

This is it: http://vimeo.com/15764558

[remoteriverman]

Down here in Australia we tend to have some different brands to yours in North America. For my month-long solo wilderness river journeys, I have used the Mountain Equipment Freycinet, and more recently the excellent Macpac Cascade expedition 90-litre canvas pack. It's a big thing, but it gives a nice counterbalance up the front of the raft with about 30 kilos in it.

Macpac is a New Zealand-based company that makes some fine outdoor gear. There's a brief video of the Cascade pack in use on a recent northern Australian packraft adventure on my river exploration website: www.remoteriverman.com

Cheers,
Kevin Casey
remoteriverman.com

[Chris S]

After doing a few days with my regular 65LTNF backpack plus a mass of roll-top 'dry' bags, I got myself a Watershed UDB. It's a plain 90+ litre submersible seam-welded duffle with a dry suit zip and a basic backpacking harness (and even a purge valve). Lacking a frame, you carry it all on your shoulders which has its limits, but with just one bag, everything inside will stay dry.

Chris S

http://apaddleinmypack.files.wordpress. ... 09/udb.jpg

[exaurdon]

Since its been a little while since the latest posts in this thread, I would like to solicit input again for best packrafting packs for 5-7 day packraft trips. I'm an avid backpacker, but just starting packrafting. For backpacking, I have most recently been using an REI Flash pack.

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Current Pack (Not Ideal)
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REI Flash (A couple year's agos model).
Similar to: http://www.rei.com/product/778468
Size: 60L
Weight: <3 lbs
Cost: $170
Pros: Relatively low weight, low cost
Cons: A bit on the small side for an extended trip with a packraft. I'd definitely be strapping extra stuff to the outside. I'm also a little worried about durability.

=========================
Pack's I'm considering:
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Mountain Laurel Designs Ark 4400
http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/sh ... ucts_id=97
Benefits: Lowest weight (~17.5 oz!), Reasonable price. Sounds like decent durability?
Cons: Limited weight carrying capacity (at least according the the website). Might be painful loaded with a raft and food for 6 days? Probably ok for shorter trips, or trips with reasonable weather? Can anyone who uses this pack pipe in to state their opinion on weight carrying comfort.
Cost: $195
Size: ~72L

GoLite Pinacle
http://www.golite.com/Product/ProdDetai ... 76&t=&lat=
Benefits: Also low weight, slight cost savings
Cons: ?? How's the weight capacity/durability?
Cost: $175
Size: ~72L

GoLite Quest
http://www.golite.com/Product/ProdDetai ... 75&t=&lat=
Benefits: Better load capacity
Cons: More weight (obviously)
Cost: $175
Size: 72L
Weight: 3 lbs 1 oz

ULA Epic
http://www.ula-equipment.com/epic.asp
Benefits: Designed for packrafting?! 'Waterproof', Light, but still has 'stays', Durable design (don't tear up your pack as much at least)?
Cons: Most Expensive, relatively low recommended weight?
Cost: $275
Weight: 2lbs (Does this include the weight of the drybag? Guessing not?
Size: 65L (DryBag) + (~ 5-15L 'other' including packraft strapped on the bottom?

Other suggestions, and any additional input on the above packs would be appreciated.
http://www.ula-equipment.com/catalyst.asp)