What Rucksack?
- Thread starter jon r
- Start date
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I'm pretty much a bushcraft and outdoor newbie, but having just had to go back to a shop to exchange my bergen from a short back to a long back, I think the following is sound advice:
Work out what you're going to take before you buy your backpack, and then take as much as possible of it to the shop with you and put it in the pack before you try it on.
A pack that feels quite comfy empty can be horrible when fully loaded. Also make sure the hip belt sits on your HIPS and not around your waste.
Work out what you're going to take before you buy your backpack, and then take as much as possible of it to the shop with you and put it in the pack before you try it on.
A pack that feels quite comfy empty can be horrible when fully loaded. Also make sure the hip belt sits on your HIPS and not around your waste.
A pack of around 65L should be fine for a week when carrying all food with you, depends most on the size of your sleeping system.
I started with an 88L Highlander Forces which I now use for bulkier trips (got more compact gear and better selection of gear over the years) and now use a 50L Lightwave Fastpack whenever I can. I'm looking to buy a 30L pack to play around with going as light as comfortably possible now, quite addictive
A weight of around 15kg should be no problem if you can refill your water reserve on the way (springs are often indicated on maps). I usually carry 2-3L of water after a fresh refill, depending on how far the next spring is. I count with about 0,5kg food/day, try to keep it tasty and healthy while going for high energy density food. On longer trips the food becomes a big part of the load but I find it quite a challenge to optimize the food without buying expensive specialist pre packed meals... I might need to start cooking properly at home to learn more about preparing food myself
Don't buy a pack that's way too big, it probably won't be very comfy when it's only half full. Better buy a bit smaller, makes you think more about what you really need and will probably end up comfier on your back.
I'd advise against buying a very expensive pack the first time, it's very likely that you'll be buying an other pack that suits your use better in a couple of years when you know better what you really want/need on a trip...
Whatever you do, have fun!
I started with an 88L Highlander Forces which I now use for bulkier trips (got more compact gear and better selection of gear over the years) and now use a 50L Lightwave Fastpack whenever I can. I'm looking to buy a 30L pack to play around with going as light as comfortably possible now, quite addictive
A weight of around 15kg should be no problem if you can refill your water reserve on the way (springs are often indicated on maps). I usually carry 2-3L of water after a fresh refill, depending on how far the next spring is. I count with about 0,5kg food/day, try to keep it tasty and healthy while going for high energy density food. On longer trips the food becomes a big part of the load but I find it quite a challenge to optimize the food without buying expensive specialist pre packed meals... I might need to start cooking properly at home to learn more about preparing food myself
Don't buy a pack that's way too big, it probably won't be very comfy when it's only half full. Better buy a bit smaller, makes you think more about what you really need and will probably end up comfier on your back.
I'd advise against buying a very expensive pack the first time, it's very likely that you'll be buying an other pack that suits your use better in a couple of years when you know better what you really want/need on a trip...
Whatever you do, have fun!
