[pct-l] Arc'teryx backpack (it weighs 6 lbs) - advice?

[Scott Williams]

Six pounds for a pack will probably kill you over time out there.  It's
just too heavy, at least it is for me.  Why Not and I hiked with a young
German woman last summer on the CDT for quite a ways.  She was 25 and
strong, and  we are 60 but she couldn't come close to keeping up with us
mainly because of her 7lb Swedish pack.  Why Not exploded her pack in
Colorado and got rid of a lot of stuff, but it wasn't till Wyoming that she
finally broke down and bought a ULA CDT.  What a difference at one pound!
 She took off like a shot and at that point she could almost keep up with
us.  Big improvement.

The advice above is great.  With a lot less weight, almost any pack is
comfortable.  You don't need all that support and stabilizing if your base
weight is between 10 and 15lbs, or even better, 8.  Warner Springs Monty
was a wise dude when he coined the phrase, "When the weight goes down, the
fun goes up!"  In my hikes, that has totally been true.  I notice every
pound as I eat through a week's worth of food.  Five extra pounds would
kill me over time.  You do need to lighten the load however to make a UL
pack do its work properly.  They aren't built to carry a heavy trucker load
and will be uncomfortable if you try to carry too much.  That being said,
I've piled on the extra weight of lots of water at times and my ULA Circuit
does just fine.  It's me that needs the lighter load.

And make sure you come to the KO to actually try on some UL packs and
others.  ULA will be there as will Gossamer Gear and ZPacks, to name a few.

A light weight pack is one of the items that is worth getting even when
money is tight.  Plan to miss a town stop or two, or put out a call for
help, but make it to the KO and see what you can find.

Shroomer

On Tue, Apr 2, 2013 at 4:44 PM, Stephen Clark <rowriver at gmail.com> wrote:

> Seems to me that last year ULA had some used and/or refurbished packs
> (Circuit, etc) at Kick Off along with their new packs.  Some, I think, were
> around $75.  So if you are coming to ADZPCTKO...
> Snake Charmer
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 2, 2013 at 3:34 PM, L C <chugach016 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I'm planning a long CA section hike this summer, and have been planning
> to
> > use my Arc'teryx Briza 62 women's pack. I ADORE this pack and it has
> served
> > me well on previous backpacking trips (none of those were in a hot
> > climate). The problem: it weighs 6 lbs.
> >
> > Any advice on the trade-offs for a lighter pack? Budget is an issue, so
> > I've been hoping to avoid buying a new (lighter) pack, and in addition,
> > I've had problems with packs before and finding one that fit me was a
> > relief. But I'm concerned that a couple weeks in I might end up trading
> out
> > for a lighter pack anyway to save a few pounds and/or to be less hot.
> >
> > Any advice - especially from women hikers? Has anyone used a similar pack
> > successfully on the PCT?
> >
> > Thanks all!
> >
> > LC
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