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CHARLES R
Guest
I heard Osprey is the best, is it??
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celtic.element
Guest
I probably have several thousand miles under my boots by now. I have done a lot of both hiking and backpacking.
It really depends what you are going to use it for. There are a lot of factors that go in to picking the right piece of gear for you.
The #1 factor for your choice should always come down to how it feels to you to carry it. Keep in mind that some packs will adjust and how you pack it will effect how comfortable it is so play around with it before discarding a pack.
Without knowing a lot about your needs I can say that you will probably want to get an internal frame pack. They are generally more comfortable to carry with reasonable loads.
There are several brands I highly recommend because I carry them and they have been good to me. My favorite brand is Osprey. Next would come Gregory. A brand I would love to try but haven't yet is Arc'Teryx. Another company I have seen represented in deep back country is Dana Design. I am sure there are some others but between those you should be looking at pretty much the highest quality packs on the market today.
Brands I would recommend steering clear of: Kelty, Jansport, North Face, LL Bean, and army surplus stuff. Kelty, Jansport, and LL Bean generally tend to make mostly adequate gear that works for most people who do not venture too far from their car. When your life depends on your gear out in back country though you want something that has been tested and engineered a bit more. And there is a lot of engineering, testing, and effort that goes into making a really good comfortable backpack to carry for long distances. Those companies don't generally spend the time or money needed to develop the products because they are looking to pass on savings and not quality to the consumer. North Face used to be a great company but they started building stuff to sell on their name and not necessarily because of good design. They still make the occasional good product but it will be over priced because you are also buying the logo. Military surplus, things like the ALICE system, works very well for what it was intended to do, which is carry heavy loads in very tough situations, for long periods of time. They are not built for comfort and do not generally carry the weight in the best way for someone who won't be taking enemy fire.
The bottom line is always buy what is comfortable and what you can depend on. It is cheaper to buy one really nice pack then to buy a cheaper pack, then after suffering for a bit realize you need to buy the nice pack as well. And believe me there is a world of difference when you carry a nice pack for any length of time.
It really depends what you are going to use it for. There are a lot of factors that go in to picking the right piece of gear for you.
The #1 factor for your choice should always come down to how it feels to you to carry it. Keep in mind that some packs will adjust and how you pack it will effect how comfortable it is so play around with it before discarding a pack.
Without knowing a lot about your needs I can say that you will probably want to get an internal frame pack. They are generally more comfortable to carry with reasonable loads.
There are several brands I highly recommend because I carry them and they have been good to me. My favorite brand is Osprey. Next would come Gregory. A brand I would love to try but haven't yet is Arc'Teryx. Another company I have seen represented in deep back country is Dana Design. I am sure there are some others but between those you should be looking at pretty much the highest quality packs on the market today.
Brands I would recommend steering clear of: Kelty, Jansport, North Face, LL Bean, and army surplus stuff. Kelty, Jansport, and LL Bean generally tend to make mostly adequate gear that works for most people who do not venture too far from their car. When your life depends on your gear out in back country though you want something that has been tested and engineered a bit more. And there is a lot of engineering, testing, and effort that goes into making a really good comfortable backpack to carry for long distances. Those companies don't generally spend the time or money needed to develop the products because they are looking to pass on savings and not quality to the consumer. North Face used to be a great company but they started building stuff to sell on their name and not necessarily because of good design. They still make the occasional good product but it will be over priced because you are also buying the logo. Military surplus, things like the ALICE system, works very well for what it was intended to do, which is carry heavy loads in very tough situations, for long periods of time. They are not built for comfort and do not generally carry the weight in the best way for someone who won't be taking enemy fire.
The bottom line is always buy what is comfortable and what you can depend on. It is cheaper to buy one really nice pack then to buy a cheaper pack, then after suffering for a bit realize you need to buy the nice pack as well. And believe me there is a world of difference when you carry a nice pack for any length of time.
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Andrew Lupori
Guest
FRESHJIVE!
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[email protected]
Guest
I would personally go with the North Face because overall it has basically no flaws and you can read these reviews if you want to find out more info. http://www.trailspace.com/gear/the-north-face/backpacks/internal/
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Adriana Y
Guest
All the brands are goood except LL Bean
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walleyeslayer1
Guest
I use the large A.L.I.C.E pack I used in the Army. Can fit alot of gear into it.