New to hiking - Backpack size

[MrCamper]

Hi All,

Pretty green to hiking and just going through the joy of doing my readups and gearing up.
I am looking to do the Great Ocean Walk with my wife and a bit of a head scracher when picking a pack size.
Pretty sure there will be a lot of different experiences from all. When going around a few stores I have heard anything from 50ltr to 85ltr, but I think I have narrowed it down to the Osprey Atmos AG 65.
I have an Osprey Manta AG 36 which I was looking at putting on my wife while I take the 65. I am guessing we may need to upsize that too?
Also in consideration is the Osprey Aether AG 60 which has a built in rain cover. Besides that and the 5ltr difference I down know how else they are different so I am considering the 65ltr back as its cheaper and I can just ebay a rain cover?

We are looking at doing more of these types of trips in the future so just wanted ot hear some opinions and experiences on pack sizes used on walks around Victoria and NSW.
Does the pack I am looking at getting sound like a good place to start? Friend of mine did Kokoda with a 50 but that was also escorted.

Cheers in advance

[Mark F]

If you are planning to keep your carried weight down but not going to the extremes then I would think something like 65 litres for you and 50 for your wife. Bigger packs just encourage more weight needing too be carried. I am into lightweight and carry a 45 litre pack and my partner uses a 32 litre which has proved adequate for trips like the Overland Track but we are in our late 60's and light weight is what keeps us walking.

Far better to use a waterproof pack liner than a rain cover.

[crollsurf]

Osprey Exos 58 isn't a whole lot smaller but about half the weight. Not sure if you can stuff everything into that.

[RonK]

Pack size is not the only consideration. Your gear has to fit into the pack, so the smaller it is, the more compact and invariably more expensive your gear will have to be.

[ChrisJHC]

I personally use the Osprey Aether 70 as that will cater for the odd occasion when I need to carry extra gear (ie for my kids). Note that just because you have a larger pack doesn't mean you have to fill it!


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[MrCamper]

If you are planning to keep your carried weight down but not going to the extremes then I would think something like 65 litres for you and 50 for your wife. Bigger packs just encourage more weight needing too be carried. I am into lightweight and carry a 45 litre pack and my partner uses a 32 litre which has proved adequate for trips like the Overland Track but we are in our late 60's and light weight is what keeps us walking.

Far better to use a waterproof pack liner than a rain cover.

Good point about bigger packs and finding more to fit in, I have had a few people in the stores mention that also. My tent is'nt in the UL range but close.
The liner is a great idea, I have seen that come up in a few youtube clips too. Thanks.

Osprey Exos 58 isn't a whole lot smaller but about half the weight. Not sure if you can stuff everything into that.

Ill have a read into it for sure, cheers.

Pack size is not the only consideration. Your gear has to fit into the pack, so the smaller it is, the more compact and invariably more expensive your gear will have to be.

Thats something i have been considering a lot too. Not trying to get into the UL range(yet), but making sure I dont over kill it.

Current gear to fill so far to give a fair idea:
Tent: Marmot Tunsten 2p
2 x Thermarest lite plus. Not sure if i overkilled it with the plus. Still on order.
2 x z-seats.
Optimus cook set
2 x 0c Batwolf sleeping bags
2 x Set of Thermals
2.5ltr bladder for each pack.
2 x rain jackets (packable).
Packable down vests (depending on when we do it).

Still looking at a food bag, pack liner(Thanks Mark), hikers med kid and what ever else I will figure I need including food.
Definitely open to any other essentials to pack in without trying to drift from topic too much

So far from what I am seeing I think the decision for the 65 is getting locked in.

I personally use the Osprey Aether 70 as that will cater for the odd occasion when I need to carry extra gear (ie for my kids). Note that just because you have a larger pack doesn't mean you have to fill it!

I had someone say to me stay away from a pack that is too roomy, people hiking with you will find a way to put their things in

[Franco]

One point you need to consider is that the size is an approximation and not all that consistent from brand to brand and even within the same brand.
By that I mean that you can have 3 x 60 L packs side by side that take a different amount of gear.
So basically you need to put your gear together with the aprox volume for the food/water and fuel and see if it does fit into a pack or not.
I have done that walk a couple of times with a (more or less) a 60 L pack. My wife had one around the same size , just with less weight inside,

[Strider]

I personally use the Osprey Aether 70 as that will cater for the odd occasion when I need to carry extra gear (ie for my kids). Note that just because you have a larger pack doesn't mean you have to fill it!


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I've got 80L between my Aarn Guiding Light amd the balance pockets. I like to fill the extra space with light things, like bags of Doritos

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[ChrisJHC]

Re the Med kit - you will normally find that a DIY kit will be much smaller and lighter than an off-the-shelf one.

There are heaps of lists online regarding what you should include - find one that suits your needs and start from there.

Of course, a med kit is useless if you don't know how to use it.


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[wildwanderer]

other aspects to consider re carrying a heavy purchased medical kit are...

- a medical kit is not really going to help you if something serious happens. A mobile phone (if there is reception) and epirb on the other hand will.
- how much of the medical kit gear could you improvise from other things your carrying or the bush around you. Eg clothing to stop bleeding or as compression for snake bite or as sling, branches for splints, water to irrigate/help clean wounds etc etc.

About the only things I carry these days are. (in small plastic ziploc)
- adhesive medical tape - used for taping blisters, gear repair etc etc
- a couple of larger band aids (rarely used)
- latex medical gloves (in case i need to assist someone I find bleeding on the trail)
- tweezers for splinters, which is part of my 23 gram mini swiss army knife. (also contains scissors, knife and ballpoint pen)
- 6 tablets of nurofen. (may take anti-diarrhea meds eg IMODIUM and some cold/flu tablets if on a longer trip.)
- DEET/sunscreen combo.
- a couple cotton wool balls soaked in petroleum jelly for emergency firestarters and matches/lighter. (separate bag and im usually carrying anyway for cooking etc)


note.. im not a medical professional. Using above info is at your own risk and may not work for your circumstances.

[Stew63]

If you are planning to keep your carried weight down but not going to the extremes then I would think something like 65 litres for you and 50 for your wife. Bigger packs just encourage much more weight and many unnecessary items being carried.

^^^This^^^

Went hiking in the High Country for a few days with my 14yr old daughter last month. She has a 50litre pack and I have a 55litre pack - both packs were only about 70% full. We carried a tent each and each pack weighed no more than about 5 or 6kgs total - excluding water. When we stopped by at a hut there was a family of 4 there on an overnight hike. Apart from their 11yr old son they were all carrying massive 85litre Osprey packs (looked full) and each pack weighing in the vicinity of 25kgs!

In 2017 with the range of modern materials and composites around smaller, lighter, faster is the only way to go without skimping on safety - but of course there is a cost factor.

[GPSGuided]

They probably had express coffee maker, camp seats, umbrella, novels and other reading material, iPad, fresh fruits, 3 changes of clothing...

[neilmny]

Current gear to fill so far to give a fair idea:
Tent: Marmot Tunsten 2p
2 x Thermarest lite plus. Not sure if i overkilled it with the plus. Still on order.
2 x z-seats.
Optimus cook set
2 x 0c Batwolf sleeping bags
2 x Set of Thermals
2.5ltr bladder for each pack.
2 x rain jackets (packable).
Packable down vests (depending on when we do it).

Hi Mr camper, are these Batwolf or Blackwolf sleeping bags?
If Blackwolf the rating can generally be "misinterpreted" as it is not related to the EN13537 standard.
We had -8C Blackwolf bags and they were cold at +2C.
Do some research on bag ratings based on Comfort, Limit and Extreme.
Look for - The EN13537 standard which is generally trusted as a fair comparison.
In actual usage different people get different impressions of warmth. ie. Warm sleepers, cold sleepers, male, female etc.

[Stew63]

Hi Mr camper, are these Batwolf or Blackwolf sleeping bags?
If Blackwolf the rating can generally be "misinterpreted" as it is not related to the EN13537 standard.
We had -8C Blackwolf bags and they were cold at +2C.

Don't bag the BlackWolf brand too much - they have their little niche. We bought 3xBlackWolf 'VerticalLimits 950' down sleeping bags for the kids a few years ago when we were on a tight budget. They have a -15C stamped on the bag - but no EN standard rating as you say. The kids have used them many times in the snow (and frosts) at temperatures around -10C or colder (with a sleeping mat) and have always been toasty warm - they have bucketloads of loft. The problem with the BlackWolf bags is that they are very heavy (2.2kgs) and bulky (17l) when packed - so not suitable for lightweight hiking/skiing. The BlackWolves do still get used occasionally but we're slowing moving them across to better/lighter bags as we can afford it.

[MrCamper]

If you are planning to keep your carried weight down but not going to the extremes then I would think something like 65 litres for you and 50 for your wife. Bigger packs just encourage much more weight and many unnecessary items being carried.

^^^This^^^

Went hiking in the High Country for a few days with my 14yr old daughter last month. She has a 50litre pack and I have a 55litre pack - both packs were only about 70% full. We carried a tent each and each pack weighed no more than about 5 or 6kgs total - excluding water. When we stopped by at a hut there was a family of 4 there on an overnight hike. Apart from their 11yr old son they were all carrying massive 85litre Osprey packs (looked full) and each pack weighing in the vicinity of 25kgs!

In 2017 with the range of modern materials and composites around smaller, lighter, faster is the only way to go without skimping on safety - but of course there is a cost factor.

Wow that sounds like they packed everything! lol No I am definitely looking to pack just essentials and enjoy simplicity.

Current gear to fill so far to give a fair idea:
Tent: Marmot Tunsten 2p
2 x Thermarest lite plus. Not sure if i overkilled it with the plus. Still on order.
2 x z-seats.
Optimus cook set
2 x 0c Batwolf sleeping bags
2 x Set of Thermals
2.5ltr bladder for each pack.
2 x rain jackets (packable).
Packable down vests (depending on when we do it).

Hi Mr camper, are these Batwolf or Blackwolf sleeping bags?
If Blackwolf the rating can generally be "misinterpreted" as it is not related to the EN13537 standard.
We had -8C Blackwolf bags and they were cold at +2C.
Do some research on bag ratings based on Comfort, Limit and Extreme.
Look for - The EN13537 standard which is generally trusted as a fair comparison.
In actual usage different people get different impressions of warmth. ie. Warm sleepers, cold sleepers, male, female etc.

Oops yeah, it was Blackwolf hehe Originally Got them for camping at the start of the year but now I want to go walking.
I am a pretty warm sleeper and my wife, well, im her heater We can join our bags apparently, tho we haven't tried this yet. See how they go I guess.


As for the medkits, great idea actually, have watched a few youtube videos now. Will definitely put a kit together. Starting to remind me of my St John Ambulance training from childhood
Also now considering if I should drop to a 60ltr. Better on the bank too

[Gadgetgeek]

When it comes to packs, the suspension handles the weight, the bag handles the bulk. So I would not recommend an Exos, as you would likely carry more weight than what the suspension can handle, where as the Atmos and Aether will handle the heavier load. I'd go with the Aether and just waterproof the gear inside, built in pack covers are a cool feature, but are often annoying and create a heavier weight. Plus using small dry-sacks is a great way to keep organized inside the pack.

I think you are pretty well on track, its the nickles and dimes in weight that get you. And as long as you are willing to learn from your mistakes, and try again, you'll do fine. Everyone walks their own walk. Just don't be tempted to push your weight, start with 25% of body mass as a hard limit until you know you can carry it, and only up it once you have the conditioning and experience. It seems like not much, but a kilo can be the difference between a good and bad walk if you have knee or back problems, and sometimes those don't show up until you push just a little too hard. Better to sacrifice comfort for safety (and that includes muscle strains) at the beginning so we don't read about you via the news, but once you get some trips under your belt, you'll know how to balance that. I think a big factor for rookies is that they get a few good trips in out of luck, and the temptation is then to cut back on safety stuff, where as you will find folks that have certain pieces of gear that they only needed once, but it comes with regardless, because its proven its worth. And you'll also know what you are willing to shell out cash on, and what you can skimp by with.

[Johnnie Walker]

We did 6 days on the OLT with a Mammut Hera 55 ltr (12 kg packed), Osprey Atmos AG 65 ltr (14 kg packed) and a Mont Bell shoulder bag for camera & equipment (1 kg). We carried 750 ml of water each in a drink bottle, two Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm, a Kelty TN-2 tent, a JetBoil Flash Light and dehydrated meals. Both packs performed very well and everything fit in them.

[flywire]

+1 for light weight. I did the full larapinta trail in 6 1/2 days over winter with a 35l pack. Many sites show that lightweight can be pretty cheap. My pack/sleeping bag/closed cell mat/tyvek tarp/mug/led headlamp (yeah a light these days) was probably worth $200 all up. PLB for safety, codine for first aid and super glue for repairs. Next time I'd use the phone as gps, hexamine tab stove and bleach to treat water.

If you're carrying 5kg and you pick up 500g of peanuts you will feel it - it was enough for me to unload them. I didn't carry a camera either. Water is a killer, drink it when you find it. I carried 0 to 1l depending on circumstance. The faster you travel the quicker you get to the next water source.

[Neo]

Is it time for a fresh thread on 'what's in your diy first aid kit?'?