One week trip - Pack Size

[Hbgg]

What size backpack would you recomend for a 1 week spring/summer backpacking trip in New England?

Thanks!

[Quoddy]

Originally Posted by Hbgg

What size backpack would you recomend for a 1 week spring/summer backpacking trip in New England?

A lot depends upon what you normally consider taking. For an entire weeks food and a moderate amount of gear something in the order of 50L (3000 cu/in) to 60L (3700 cu/in) should be plenty.

[Miner]

Lay out all the gear you want to take for that week including food and then see how big a pack you need. I use to need a huge pack >4500cu in. just to go on a 3 day trip, now I need <3200 cu. in. for a week long one. It all depends on the gear you take.

[Hobbit]

I got to look at my packs used for a full week and Quoddy's numbers are right on for I usually take along.

Here are my packs just for example what cu/in I end up using:
Fanatic Fringe Thompson Peak is 3600 cu/in total, this includes outside pockets and extension collar. The main body is 3200 cu/in and every thing goes in there except for rain gear, day snacks, cook kit and water bottle. They all easily fit in the outer mesh pockets.

My Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus is 4200 cu/in total. This is a larger total number but in this case the inside main body 3700 cu/in and I end up not requiring the outer pockets but use them for convenience.

I find that both packs with a range of 3200 to 3700 cu/in, inside, have plenty of room for a jacket, hat and gloves if needed. The extension collar on both close up easily. So when considering spring & summer, the 3000 - 3700 cu/in Quoddy suggests is a range that certainly has worked for me with some room left over.

I must say that the extra room provided on the Mariposa in the outer pockets comes in handy for dry hikes where water is scarce. I can carry allot of water if needed.

[nogods]

The only difference between what I pack for 1 overnight and for 7 overnights is the amount of food (and water if I don't think field water will be available.) everything eles is exactly the same. Oh wait...I'll take a little more toilet paper for a week versus 1 overnight.

[Hbgg]

I like the idea of laying all the gear out and then deciding on what size to use. Seeing it all in one big pile will also be a wake up call to reduce and prioritize!! Thanks for all the replies.

[Benwaller]

Good idea, lay it all out. Still, it depends on where you are going; weather expectations, water availability/quality, bugs, what kind of gear you're actually using (synthetic bag vs down etc). There is no right answer, but there is a right method.

Lay it out. Good method.

Ben

[Tipiwalter]

On Jully 4th I got back from a 9 day backpacking trip and carried a 6400 cubic inch pack with a hefty food load(6 eggs, loaf of bread, 8-10 veggie patties, etc)and my usual 8 pound tent. At the end of the trip my food load was quite low but I had enough fuel and cookables for another 2-3 days(mac&cheese, oatmeal, etc).

I like the big pack cuz I can stow the Crocs and the thermarest inside along with everything else. I also took 2 fairly heavy books(a weeklong backpacking trip means catching up on my reading), but like always they are burned page by page during the trip(gotta lighten the load).

I used to use smallish packs for long trips but they ended up overstuffed and I ended up frustrated. There's only some much gear you can strap on the outside of a small pack.

[ultralighthiker]

I agree with Quoddy. I use a 50L/3200 cu. in. ULA Conduit and can easily fit a week's worth of food and gear inside of it and still be under 20 lbs.
Laying things out before hand not only lets you see all your gear as the "big picture", but it also lets you cull things out that you don't need to take with you on that particular hike.
UL

[PBF Support]