[at-l] Eureka! Eiger and JanSport Adirondack

[tmcginnis@ucclan.state.in.us (Thomas McGinnis)]

     What? An equipment review?
     Hey, for variety's sake.
     
     Short Story:
     Eureka! Eiger (3800ci? @ 3.5 lbs.? $99 from Galyans [12 store chain]) 
     is a neat little pack idea -- which should have never made it into 
     production. Suspension needs another go-round. Tight quarters for a 
     20* synthetic bag, but would be great with a silk/fleece bag, with 
     enough capacity for a summer week easy. Nice shoulder straps and hip 
     belt (flimsy little things which worked just as wonderfully as the 
     MountainSmith MountainLight suspension: the theory is to conform 
     easily to the body with minimal padding, rather than "bulking up" as 
     do most others). The problem with this pack is that the V-shaped stays 
     concentrated the weight of the pack right on the spine in the small of 
     the back -- to bad result no matter HOW lightly packed the bag. Dang! 
     I really wanted to like this one. Good construction, intelligent 
     features; keep an eye on Eureka!.
     
     JanSport Adirondack (5600ci? @ 4.75 lbs? $129 from Galyans)
     is an unreasonably great pack for the money, but no more comfortable 
     than what I already have (in my 26 year old pvc frame with refitted 
     hip belt and shoulder straps) and NOT as comfortable as my 
     fitting-fave MountainSmith. But if I didn't have what I have, I'd be 
     all over this 'un. LOT'S of capacity, more load control than the 
     over-touted "Rockies" model, intelligent features *abound*, much more 
     conventional "overstuffed" suspension padding design. I would make the 
     hipbelt padding reach farther around to the front, but liked immensely 
     the vertical sizing ability -- it would be nothing to adjust this pack 
     hour by hour, if you cared to. Well constructed, too, considering its 
     weight. Problem was it was only "just as comfortable" as my Betsy, and 
     was not the Holy Packing Grail I know is possible. But in a pinch,...!
     
     
     Longer version:
     In 1974, I bought an Alpine Designs "Expedition" pack -- a pvc-framed, 
     adjustable-height hipbelt wonder which is STILL the most comfy 
     external frame pack I've ever strapped on. Strolled it all over 
     Connecticut as a teenager, named it Betsy, then did the AT in '79, 
     then basically hung it up. (Also, in October of '79, I borrowed a Lowe 
     Expedition for a long weekend of bushwhacking in northern Wisconsin -- 
     and as loyal as I should have been to my Betsy, I immediately 
     recognized the HUGE comfort improvement with the Lowe over Betsy.) 
     
     Betsy now sports new shoulder straps (not hard to find) and hipbelt (a 
     "special" design from Camp Trails discontinued a couple of years ago 
     -- but HUGELY luckily, sporting the same height-adjustment straps of 
     the 26+ year old A.D. design. Kelty also did something similar a 
     couple of years ago, but it remains a hard piece to replace.) So the 
     frame, back mesh, and pack bag have around 3100 miles on them, most 
     before 1980, while the shoulder straps (circa '92?) and hipbelt (circa 
     '95?) are much younger. But the packbag's seams are going to burst at 
     any moment. Along with simply obtaining a new bag (and Hey! there's 
     cheap!), I have considered new packs and home build. The home-build 
     comes from joyous experience week-ending with a frameless 2800ci from 
     JanSport.
     
     Of all the brand's I've tried, MountainSmith is consistently the one 
     which just Poof! fits my back purrrrrfectly. Much like that Lowe felt 
     back in '79. And to be clear, I have tried MountainSmith, Lowe, 
     Gregory (ouch!), ArcTeryx (stiff!), Dana (stiff!), JanSport (ok!), K2 
     (oh pain!), Kelty internals (not bad!), Kelty externals (sure.), 
     NorthFace (heavy!), Eureka! (hmmmm!), and probably others that I'll 
     think of later. One's that received intensive home trial included 
     Dana, MountainSmith, JanSport, and now Eureka!. And I think I'm 
     forgetting something....
     
     The desired outcomes of these trials are that the "winners" must be 
     triumphant in handling expected loads (20 to 35 pounds), be survivable 
     in superloaded conditions (40 pounds on bare skin), and allow for 
     unfettered, separate access to sleeping gear and foodstuffs -- to 
     allow for hiking AFTER dinner without having to dump all gear when 
     stopping for the night, as you have to do with "topload only" packs. 
     (Your alternative is to repack with sleeping gear on top of 
     foodstuffs, etc; but this is NOT so comfy with lightweight packs which 
     may depend on intelligent packing and the load *being* part of the 
     suspension.....) The procedure at home involves loading subject packs 
     with identical loads consisting of sleeping bag, foam pad, multiple 
     fleece blankets, 25# bags of lead shot, and steel plates of various 
     weights. The packs are then worn around the house, doing dishes, 
     laundry, bills, vacuuming, etc, usually bare-chested wearing my hiking 
     shorts. And yes, Datto, sometimes in my robe.
     
     What I want right now is a MountainSmith MountainLight 5000 (under 
     $300, under 4#s, over 5000ci), in stealth decor -- not fire engine red 
     -- with sleeping bag access, NOT topload only. This pack is WAY more 
     comfy than my Betsy at anything less than 35 pounds, although it 
     becomes a bit of a "rack" above 38 pounds. (I suspect the engineers on 
     the list would have fun explaining precisely what happens at 38 
     pounds; all *I* know is that it gives me real incentive not to 
     entertain even an ounce more.) As the MountainLights only come in red, 
     and only come topload, I'm out of luck, and thus aim towards the 
     bag-only purchase or homebrew-frameless manuever.
     
     I know, "It's a big world." I'll find it.
     
     
     Sloetoe.
     
     
     
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