[at-l] RFI from novice on backpacks

[orangebug74@yahoo.com (Orange Bug)]

If you are starting out by researching your backpack, you are already
in trouble. You really have no way of knowing the correct backpack for
you, especially by going to a website. First you need to know something
about what gear you plan to bring. Next you need to know something
about the weight of your gear. Finally, you need to know what backpacks
fit you and your gear.

The danger in starting backpack first (and most us have done that
path), we find that empty space attracts gear - and the more - the
heavier. We also frequently find that fitting the pack without knowing
the weight of gear results in poorly fitting packs. It took me about 6
months and 90+ miles before I figured out how to make my Kelty Flight
become a wonderful pack rather than an embarassment of a website
purchase.

I'd like you to consider gathering your gear (or asking about where to
start), bring it down to your local gear supplier, look at a bunch of
candidate packs, load them up, and walk around the supplier's store for
a very long time. Those sacks of sand are not the same as real gear.

Bill...
BTW, welcome to the campfire.

--- Tom Hulvershorn <tkhulver@iquest.net> wrote:
> I'm new to this site.  I'm planning on doing the 1st half of the AT,
> starting in early April.  I'm looking on advice for the least
> expensive,
> yet reliable, backpack I can find.  How many cubic inches are
> necessary


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