Backpack suggestions

[Dippa]

I thought this would be the best place to post this with it protecting our gear, if not then please remove

I'm looking for a backpack for the mrs if anyone could help.

Looking for something small but capable of holding enough stuff for a few nights, having it be versatile would be great.

Only looking for something around 30-50l so having external webbing for stuff would also be a bonus

 

[Nomad64]

Lots to choose from but unless you want to be deluged with suggestions, it might be useful to give an idea of your budget, how tall and how "womanly" Mrs Dippa is (a serious question - if she is after a pack specifically tailored to a womanly shape, the choice is much more limited), how much shoulder padding/waist/hip support required, colour preferences (if Mrs D is not keen on the Combat Barbie look, that will rule out a lot of the MTP, DPM, OG options) and how far you will be walking.

Some people swear by platypus style hydration systems and insist on compatible packs, others think they are an unnecessary hazard to health.

Weight, durability, external pockets etc are all factors.

IME, Osprey, Exped and (if you want old school bomb proof made to order in the Lake District), Aiguille all make fine packs but making sure the pack fits and is comfortable when loaded is more important than anything else.

It is a while since I've been there but I was very impressed with the staff at Snow & Rock in Brum who were very patient and helpful while I faffed about over the course of several days before choosing a pack.

Good luck.

 

[Dippa]

Mrs Dippa haha - Thanks for the reply Normad64

Fortunately we're from Brum so will pop in to snow and rock when we get the chance!

Trying to stay under the £100 mark tbh but if the right one comes up, well it's an investment imo.

She's only 5ft 4 and womanly, but isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. She's petite but has strength through her dancing if this helps.

Shoulder padding and waist/hip support is essential for her I think, we'll be doing some walking but nothing too major. It's more for woodlands so preferably after a dark olive green but any dark colour will do.

Thanks for your help

 

[IC_Rafe]

Have Mrs Dippa try on packs, and tell you which fit her well and which handle the weight well for her. Just like you'd do if you yourself got a new pack . A great pack for me, might be a terrible pack for someone else.

 

[Ben Y]

We bought two of these .........35L , made by Haglofs , military issue (we got A+ grade) . Bomb proof, and perfect size (my wife is 5' 1'') .

http://www.militarymart.co.uk/swedish-army-lk35-rucksack.html

 

[Quixoticgeek]

As always I recommend the Exped Lightning backpacks I have the 60. But they also have a 45l version. I reviewed it [thread=138101]here[/thread].

J

 

[forest_girl]

I personally swear by external frame packs. Even smaller ones. Depends on the users build but as a skinnyish girl I find them the best fit.
I hate that on most modern packs the waist belt sits on the hips rather than above, so can never support any decent weight. On external frames the belt is designed to sit above your hips, resting the weight on them. I find this so so much better.
I'm not the fittest but have happily carried 10kg in an external frame for a full days hiking.

Difficult thing is finding them, they aren't very popular in europe (they went out of fashion when mountaineering packs came in, despite being superior in most terrains). Kelty are really good, but expensive as they are imported. I found my winter (50l) external frame second hand on eBay and fitted molle straps and belt, and use a LK35 for summer.

In my opinion, unless you are skiing, hardcore mountaineering or going through very dense undergrowth, an external frame is a much better choice, and is only not more widely used because of fashion.

 

[Old Bones]

I hate that on most modern packs the waist belt sits on the hips rather than above, so can never support any decent weight. On external frames the belt is designed to sit above your hips, resting the weight on them.

Any decent pack of 55L plus should have hip belts that do sit on the hips, to transfer much of the weight from the shoulders. And they will generally have a back system to allow you to get the back length/shoulder/hip measurement spot on, plus of course decent brands will also make a narrow version for women.

Externals died out (or at least became an endangered species) for lots of reasons, but it wasn't just fashion. They are chunkier, more like to catch on branches, etc, and its more difficult to protect stuff from the elements - an internal makes using just one or two dry bags possible. And manufacturers have started to look at airflow to the back, which makes them less sweaty than before (which has always been an externals selling point), plus back systems have become more adjustable.

The reality is that finding an external (or at least a non surplus one) is very difficult - Kelty is pretty much the only game in town. And since you really should always try on a rucksack first, I doubt that in the UK anyone will find all that many in a store.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Any decent pack of 55L plus should have hip belts that do sit on the hips, to transfer much of the weight from the shoulders. And they will generally have a back system to allow you to get the back length/shoulder/hip measurement spot on, plus of course decent brands will also make a narrow version for women.

It depends a bit about how you define "on" in relation to the hips. There is above the hops (at the waist) so that the belt sits on top of the hip bones, or there is at the hips so they go round the hips. Personally I go for the former rather than the later. Much more comfortable.

Externals died out (or at least became an endangered species) for lots of reasons, but it wasn't just fashion. They are chunkier, more like to catch on branches, etc, and its more difficult to protect stuff from the elements - an internal makes using just one or two dry bags possible. And manufacturers have started to look at airflow to the back, which makes them less sweaty than before (which has always been an externals selling point), plus back systems have become more adjustable.

It's just as easy to protect, if not easier, you have one big compartment attached to the frame. Same as you do with an internal frame pack...

The main argument these days against the external frame is weight. These days with materials like titanium, you can have an external frame pack for about the same weight as a very light internal frame pack, i.e. Vargo Ti-arc vs Exped Lightning 60. Note that the exped has a single stay on the back, which is external to the main pack compartment, and functions similarly to an external frame pack.

Compare then with the 2.7kg empty weight of the tatonka external frame.

The only other major downside is that an external pack gets caught on branches a lot. But then so do many internal frame packs that prefer a taller, narrower profile vs a wider shorter one. But I would say this is secondary to the weight issue.

The reality is that finding an external (or at least a non surplus one) is very difficult - Kelty is pretty much the only game in town. And since you really should always try on a rucksack first, I doubt that in the UK anyone will find all that many in a store.

Kelty, Vargo, Tatonka, ALICE... Google throws up a few others too.

J

 

[Laurence Milton]

Mrs Dippa haha - Thanks for the reply Normad64

Fortunately we're from Brum so will pop in to snow and rock when we get the chance!

Trying to stay under the £100 mark tbh but if the right one comes up, well it's an investment imo.

She's only 5ft 4 and womanly, but isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. She's petite but has strength through her dancing if this helps.

Shoulder padding and waist/hip support is essential for her I think, we'll be doing some walking but nothing too major. It's more for woodlands so preferably after a dark olive green but any dark colour will do.

Thanks for your help

LK 35 or Alice pack????

Ooops seems like several have already recommended either I have both, put a hip belt on the LK35, or the large Alice (already comes with one) which has loads of pockets etc.....a little too easy to overload!

 

[Mowmow]

The Russian veshmeshok!
Cheap, simple, comfortable, tough and very unique looking! Plus it can carry (comfortably) a lot more than you'd think.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GGTBod]

I'd maybe take a look at the berghaus female specific rucks, they have a huge range in all sizes n colours, they are great for the smaller shapely figures and indestructable

 

[petrochemicals]

Truthfully I would look at the osprey anti gravity bags (not all of them have it. They are basically external frame rucksacks, with the qualities of an internal frame. The frame which is a bent thin tube is on the extremity of the bag and runs around the outside edge, and down to the hips where it attaches to the hip belt at the sides rather than the rear, with the hipbelt being the tension band like in externals of old. I am thinking of getting one quite seriously as it should give the hip belt better distribution without the twisting effect and the riding up as compared to the other internals where it's loaded at the rear.

 

[bigbear]

Canmot stress enough the need to try a range of different packs loaded, hence you need a shop that stocks a few. The way it feels when loaded and on your back is the best recommendation.

 

[caorach]

As always I recommend the Exped Lightning backpacks I have the 60. But they also have a 45l version. I reviewed it [thread=138101]here[/thread].

J

I bought one, in part on the strength of your comments and reviews, and have been using it just over a year now. It must be said that I'm happy with it. Because it is so light and flexible in terms of compression etc. I use it both when camping and also as a day pack when I'm out and about and it doesn't seem over big for that job - especially if I'm carrying wet weather gear and I just stuff it in rather than packing carefully. It is also comfortable and despite being a simple and very lightweight bag it has survived well and seems more robust than you'd expect. It doesn't have much in the way of features but to be honest I suspect that with a bag features are invented by the marketing department rather than on the basis of need and it has everything I've needed. My only complaint is that the webbing is made of a very slippery material that is almost impossible to get to stay tight around anything you lash to the bag. I suspect most take the webbing off and I've simply replaced it with some cord and cord locks where that works for me.

Of course I can't say I've tested every bag on earth and I only actually own a few day bags plus the Exped but if I was buying again then I'd have another Exped Lightning as, apart from the slidey webbing, I can't see how to do it any better or to make it more comfortable. They are also reasonably priced, around £120 for mine when I got it, as often in the outdoor marketplace the minute you mention "lightweight" you get another £400 stuck on the price.

You might not be able to get to try one but with distance selling laws I think you have a fortnight to send anything back - so order one up and give it a test with some weight in it and if it doesn't work for you send it back.