Tough and comfortable backpack

[peter_]

Hi, I need your help in choosing right pack for long distance hiking and winter camping. Volume of pack for now it's not fixed, but probably will be something about 80-100 range. Very important thing is comfort and after that toughness. Military packs are thought but probably less comfortable that civilian ones, but with proper hip belt and right back support it will be great to.
My logic is to buy a civilian pack with same or close to military toughness of material and construction. In that way this pack will have all comfort of modern technology for back and loading support and toughness of military packs in the one package. If exist some military pack with comfortable back and loading support for my needs, it will be great of course.

For now I find out on this forum two interesting brand in that category: Crux and Aiguille.

I will be grateful for your suggestions!

Sorry if my English it's not 100% correct

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

Osprey. My kestrel is excellent and built well, too small for what you describe but just saying as a review of their toughness. A mate used an eather for ages. Excellent again. They do big packs and a lot of bow hunters and shooters use them in america now. You can also have the hip fins heat moulded for you personally on the big ones. Best rucksacks available personally speaking. For more military speccd look at karrimor or berghaus models like sabres or crusaders or vulcans. You will be buying a heavier pack tho. I also like lowe alpine for big packs.

 

[Marmite]

For a bombproof sack that's great at hauling large loads very comfortably its hard to beat either the Berghaus Vulcan 80-100 or the larger Karrimor range like their saber/ predators that go into the 80-130 range. Have both and they're very stable (don't fall over though or you look like an upturned tortoise ). Though the crux sacks are also bombproof and lighter in weight (use a crux for my climbing/mountaineering activities and can highly recommend for mountain use and hauling kit, but prefer the extra pockets for kit organisation when in the woods).

 

[caorach]

Alpine Lowe Sting - mostly available as Dutch Mil Surplus and very robust indeed plus have a very nice adjustable back etc. so all the comfort of a commercial rucksack but very strong. They are supposed to be 55 + 20 if you have the side pouches but I'd say the main compartment is as big as most commercial 60 - 65 sized bags so you might get 80 - 85 litres into one plus there is lots of molle on the front so you can attach additional pouches giving you almost infinite flexibility. The downside, of course, with it being so strong and well featured is that it will be somewhat heavier than some of the lightweight commercial offerings but in the end if you want something really robust you have to use strong fabric and that is heavy.

 

[peter_]

Osprey. My kestrel is excellent and built well, too small for what you describe but just saying as a review of their toughness. A mate used an eather for ages. Excellent again. They do big packs and a lot of bow hunters and shooters use them in america now. You can also have the hip fins heat moulded for you personally on the big ones. Best rucksacks available personally speaking. For more military speccd look at karrimor or berghaus models like sabres or crusaders or vulcans. You will be buying a heavier pack tho. I also like lowe alpine for big packs.

Thanks for suggestion! I will research Osprey for more details. I know for that brand, it is very popular in the world with few others, and I believe that are good products... Vulcan and crusader are almost deities on this forum, so I can't say anything against them I'm not against mil rucksacks in case when they have appropriate technology for what I need...

 

[peter_]

Alpine Lowe Sting - mostly available as Dutch Mil Surplus and very robust indeed plus have a very nice adjustable back etc. so all the comfort of a commercial rucksack but very strong. They are supposed to be 55 + 20 if you have the side pouches but I'd say the main compartment is as big as most commercial 60 - 65 sized bags so you might get 80 - 85 litres into one plus there is lots of molle on the front so you can attach additional pouches giving you almost infinite flexibility. The downside, of course, with it being so strong and well featured is that it will be somewhat heavier than some of the lightweight commercial offerings but in the end if you want something really robust you have to use strong fabric and that is heavy.

Heavier pack in some cases it is not the most important thing. To me, most important than that is, how will pack comfortably distribute load on the long run... And that depends of construction, frame, etc... If you can carry 20 or 30 kilos, than 1-2 kilos it means nothing...

Thanks!

 

[Limaed]

Aiguille gets my vote for several reasons: They make a lot of gear for Mountain Rescue Teams (which generally has a pretty hard life), the bags are well though out simple designs and their made in the UK so if you want any extras you just need to ask.

 

[peter_]

For a bombproof sack that's great at hauling large loads very comfortably its hard to beat either the Berghaus Vulcan 80-100 or the larger Karrimor range like their saber/ predators that go into the 80-130 range. Have both and they're very stable (don't fall over though or you look like an upturned tortoise ). Though the crux sacks are also bombproof and lighter in weight (use a crux for my climbing/mountaineering activities and can highly recommend for mountain use and hauling kit, but prefer the extra pockets for kit organisation when in the woods).

Vulcan is here like a said almost a deity With so many positive replies and reviews it must to be good and strong rucksack. Only thing which worry me is comfort on the long run... It is not a problem for me to withstand pain and some suffering if I must, but when I go in nature it will be more better to enjoy in all that, than fight with pack on my back

Does vulcan or crusader have good and quality hip belts and distribution of weights, because this is very important to me...

Thanks!

 

[peter_]

Aiguille gets my vote for several reasons: They make a lot of gear for Mountain Rescue Teams (which generally has a pretty hard life), the bags are well though out simple designs and their made in the UK so if you want any extras you just need to ask.

Definitely this brand is on my top list of priorities... I never heard of Aiguille, before this forum.

Thanks!

 

[sandbender]

"..something about 80-100 range....Crux and Aiguille..."

The biggest Crux pack is a seventy litre model, I have used one in the past to walk some quite long distances, ultimately I was larger than I needed and these days I use the 47 litre model.

They are very tough, ridiculously tough in fact.

I find them very comfortable, however they only come in three sizes, you cannot adjust the back length like you can with a Lowe Alpine pack or similar, so you really should try before you buy.

I used to like having lots of internal and external pouches on my pack but these days I find using various sizes of rubbish bags and rubble bags keeps me just as organised and save many kilograms, which when you are old like me you'll be grateful to your younger self for.

Crux

 

[peter_]

You are mentioned Karrimor packs with Berghaus from mil lines. I was look and read some reviews about them but like in case of vulcan, if person is not in good shape or military train, maybe such person can have a problem with them

 

[peter_]

The biggest Crux pack is a seventy litre model, I have used one in the past to walk some quite long distances, ultimately I was larger than I needed and these days I use the 47 litre model.

They are very tough, ridiculously tough in fact.

I find them very comfortable, however they only come in three sizes, you cannot adjust the back length like you can with a Lowe Alpine pack or similar, so you really should try before you buy.

I used to like having lots of internal and external pouches on my pack but these days I find using various sizes of rubbish bags and rubble bags keeps me just as organised and save many kilograms, which when you are old like me you'll be grateful to your younger self for.

Crux

I read your posts here on forum and because of them I notice this brand That means a lot, when someone write from own experience about something. Organization is good thing... maybe is this something why I like in army packs... I don't have to open my main compartment to use something... But it's not a big deal when you choose pack for durability and comfort... Like you say, with bags this problem is solved...... It is shame they not have little bigger packs... With such quality they will be great for expeditions and winter camping...

I think that will be to expensive for me to fly in Britain to try proper back length, so... If I decide to crux or similar pack with fixed back length, it must be everything on line...

Thanks!

 

[Nice65]

Another vote for the Lowe Alpine Sting. It's a very well thought out bag, one of the best kept secrets in the rucksack world IMO. The back adjuster and wide waist straps make it very comfortable, allowing much of the weight to sit on the hips rather than pulling at the shoulders.

Here's a brief look at mine in a mini review I did on BB:

http://www.britishblades.com/forums...ck-look-plus-pics&highlight=Lowe+alpine+sting

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

I did get a sting and had it for about an hour before I realised it wasn't for me. The hip fins on mine were very floppy and I had discovered the floppy hip belt on my old crusader bergen was too soft on a lake district trek and seeing the same problem I got rid. I also found the shoulder straps quite narrow and just felt I was going down the wrong route. I bought a lowe alpine outback, and though not big enough for the op's litre requirements it had mega stiff hip pads and it provided amazing support and rigidity. I would never use a large rucksack without those rigid hip fins again. The sting is so close to being perfect, it really is. But if you are carrying 100 litres worth of what could be heavy load, I think you need the strong back system that eliminates twisting of the pack, and strong hip belts or fins to stop it sagging on the hips.

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

Arcteryx is also worth a look, they also make the US marines bergen which is of epic quality. Im not talking about the olf cfp 90 its the new one. Give it a google.

 

[sandbender]

"...I think that will be to expensive for me to fly in Britain to try proper back length, so... If I decide to crux or similar pack with fixed back length, it must be everything on line..."

Mine is in Scotland for now, otherwise you could jump on a bus to Budapest and I'd let you try one.

 

[peter_]

Mine is in Scotland for now, otherwise you could jump on a bus to Budapest and I'd let you try one.

You know that saying, to little time or money In any case thanks for your effort and advice! I collect information and money for some good outdoor kit... First thing is pack because I don't want to buy few of them and spend a lot to find fault on them or something else what it's not proper for my needs...

 

[peter_]

Arcteryx is also worth a look, they also make the US marines bergen which is of epic quality. Im not talking about the olf cfp 90 its the new one. Give it a google.

I think I know what that pack is. I read good reviews on them...

 

[peter_]

Another vote for the Lowe Alpine Sting. It's a very well thought out bag, one of the best kept secrets in the rucksack world IMO. The back adjuster and wide waist straps make it very comfortable, allowing much of the weight to sit on the hips rather than pulling at the shoulders.

Here's a brief look at mine in a mini review I did on BB:

http://www.britishblades.com/forums...ck-look-plus-pics&highlight=Lowe+alpine+sting

Thanks for advice! About mil packs I heard about them many good things and not so god in terms of comfort and loading distribution... I don't want to sound like a old women because I'm in good shape and can be out in many kind of weather conditions or situations, but it is different thing to withstand something and be relaxed and enjoy in something... Personally military rucksacks is something what is very dear to me, but if I must walk with weights on my back for longer period of time... and fight with that weight...

 

[peter_]

Does anyone know something about Bergans alpinist backpacks? They looks like a great combination of strength and comfort...