[at-l] backpack recommendations

[janl2@mindspring.com (Jan Leitschuh)]

Hi Steph,

Well, I have an opinion on packs too - I'm not just about bras! I looked at
this issue closely last year, and sampled five packs. The sixth, the
Moonbow, was the ticket.

I use the Moonbow Gearskin,and gear access is amazing. I also use a fanny
pack for those things i need at hand - maps, snacks, eyeglasses, ibuprofen,
chapstick, wad of TP, etc.

In the Moonbow, you have to wrap your mind around the concept of "non-pack"
and this is hard for some traditional folks to do. (see:
http://www.moonbowgear.com/000framesets/catcamp.html )

But basically the "pack" is just a shoulder harness and some compression
straps. It works like this:

Get out of your bag in the morning, crack the valve on your Thermorest,
leave both there, drop your tent,  and fold the whole shebang in half - no
stuffing! Slide the gearskin over and start cranking in the straps. The
bottom of your tent becomes the exterior of your pack. Your sleeping bag
isn't compressed as it would be in a stuff sack. I slip a trashbag or a pack
cover over in rainy weather.

This leaves a great big "pillow" to be worn, and it carries so high and soft
I have found pack nirvana. But it is radical.

Gear access - Water and fuel bottles tuck in in the side straps. 
Otherwise:
I only carry two bags - a fleece clothing bag and a silnylon food bag. (The
tiny first aid ditty bag, the stove/kitchen and the tiny light ditty go in
one of those two main bags). These I flatten into the fold of the bag before
cinching up. If, when hiking, I need something from inside the pack (rare),
I stop, unclip one of the four side compression straps, reach in and grab
it. Then reclip and crank back down. Way easier than my past rooting
arounds!

In addition, it weighs about a pound. My old pack weighed seven pounds. Now,
my bag/groundsheet/liner/pad/tent or tarp/pack weighs six!

I have only carried loads of 26 pounds with it, and usually less, but that's
all I intend to carry on my thru-hike. Even so, although my shoulders are
not strong, I had the impression I could have humped more had the need
arisen. It is such a comfortable "pack".

The designer is a small gear manufacturer, and I like to support small
business innovators. In addition, they have a hostel on the trail
(Glencliff) and a presence at Trail Days in May, so if I need any minor
repairs they can refurbish, although the concept is so simple even I could
repair things. They have also offered to customize anything.

I got mine last year when they were $85, but they have since gone up.

I will send you a gear review I posted last fall, and if anyone else wants a
copy, e-me offline.
Best, and good luck,
Jan

Steph wrote:
> 
> Hi all.. since I got so much good info on bras, I thought I'd try to
> juice you all for some info on backpacks.  The big thing I was looking
> for was the U-zip on the front, or something similar.  I hate having
> to dig everything out of my pack whenever I need something. (maybe I
> just need practice packing my bag...)  So that was one thing I was
> looking for.  I guess other than that I wanted something fairly cheap
> since I don't have much of a cash flow.  (light weight is always a
> bonus too).