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Re: boots, packs, etc
I have a Gregory Wind River (retail just under $300 or so) and I like it a
lot. I had the chance to use it on the AT for a week before buying it,so
I knew it was the right pack for me. It is a top and panel loader, so it
is easy to get to my gear quickly. It is also huge, which might be a
downside. I like the rigid hipbelt, I have narrow hips, and the
rigidness prevents it from slipping down.
Also, the old design, where the top came off to be a daypack by attaching
the shoulder straps was _way_ to difficult. I don't know anybody who has
actually been able to do it sucesfully (I gave up after 20 minutes of
frustration). I was happy to see that they have just made it into an
independent fanny pack on this years model.
The Gregory models that are "for women" (like the Lowe Sirroco, which
women tell me is much more comfortable than the womens packs that were
just small mens packs) are similar, but the hipbelt actually has a brass
screw (you have to take off the padding to get to it) which has 3
settings of flare for womens hips. On all Gregorys, the padding is
velcroed to the straps and is infinitely adjustable (this really helped
me avoid chafing, when one part of my shoulder starts to get sore, I shift
the padding so the weight falls elsewhere.
I also find I get very good transfer of weight to the hips. I think the
higher end Gregory packs might have an intergrated CamelBak type drinking
system, with a bladder attached to a tube you can drink from w/out
stopping (I don't know if this feature is worth the extra $$)
I think that the lack of a sleeping bag zipper on the Arc Teryx is a
carryover of an Alpine-oriented pack design philosophy (remember they make
very good climbing gear, and their packs started out as climbing accessories).
The idea was that zippers just snag, freeze, etc, which can be
disastrous at 14,000 feet hanging off a cliff. I forgive them, and
still like the packs, but it might not be the most convenient for an AT hike.
I have heard great things about Osprey, also worth checking out.
Good Luck!
-jeff
PS - as far as $$ goes, my philosophy is that it is worth the extra one
or two hundred bucks to get a pack that is going to make my hiking more
enjoyible for the next 5-10 years. You would spend that much more on a
better couch, why not your most valuable piece of gear? Again, just my $.02
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeff Mosenkis,
University at Albany - Psych, Anthro, Judaic Studies
jm1360@cnsvax.albany.edu
"Welcome to the psychotherapy hotline. If you are obsessive-compulsive,
please press '1' repeatedly. If you are co-dependant, please have someone
else press '2' for you. If you have multiple-personality disorder, please
press '4', '5', and '6'. If you are paranoid, don't press anything, we know
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