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Chockstone Forum - Gear Lust / Lost & Found

Rave About Your Rack Please do not post retail SPAM.

 Page 2 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 31
Author
Looking for a decent hiking pack - suggestions?
patto
19-Jun-2011
1:48:57 AM
On 18/06/2011 dave h. wrote:
>Patto, sorry but I have to call BS on this.

Wow. Strong and unnecessary. Furthermore totally misrepresenting what I said. I never said canvas was lighter! Different packs, different weights. Most of WE's larger packs are around 2.5-3.2kg. Lowe Alpine's Cerra Torra sits on 3kg.

Besides since when was I advocating canvas!? Personally I think canvas is unnecessarily heavy.

Paulie
27-Jun-2011
6:37:18 PM
Macpac have gotten us through thick and thin over the years and with regards to a proper heavy duty hiking pack you won't buy better IMHO, the Cascade and Glissade are just brilliant, especially now with the extra sizes...my caveat to that statement is that we have the NZ made ones from a while ago...can't comment on the products now it's manufactured OS. You also won't go wrong with One Planet (Aiking), Lowe Alpine, ME, Osprey etc. I also have a lovely 40lt climbing pack from Mountain Technology (handmade in Glencoe, Scotland) that is probably the most practical and bombproof thing available anywhere, leaves my other 2 climbing packs (Arcteryx & Grivel) for dead.

BoulderBaby
27-Jun-2011
10:44:27 PM
On 27/06/2011 Paulie wrote:
>Macpac have gotten us through thick and thin over the years and with regards
>to a proper heavy duty hiking pack you won't buy better IMHO, the Cascade
>and Glissade are just brilliant, especially now with the extra sizes...my
>caveat to that statement is that we have the NZ made ones from a while
>ago...can't comment on the products now it's manufactured OS. You also
>won't go wrong with One Planet (Aiking), Lowe Alpine, ME, Osprey etc.
>I also have a lovely 40lt climbing pack from Mountain Technology (handmade
>in Glencoe, Scotland) that is probably the most practical and bombproof
>thing available anywhere, leaves my other 2 climbing packs (Arcteryx &
>Grivel) for dead.


you make me feel good about my pack collection.

evanbb
29-Jun-2011
8:10:44 AM
On 18/06/2011 Decoy wrote:
>On 18/06/2011 evanbb wrote:
>>I lopve my Wilderness Equipment... umm, Mountain Expedition I think it
>>is? The gigantic red one. It is enormous, light and tough. Excellent
>for
>>hauling large loads.
>
>
>I've been thinking about getting one of these for a while. How good is
>the compression system? Like, if you wanted to only fill it with 75L of
>stuff, does the pack hold a proper shape and is still comfortable/balanced?

Yeah, I used it as my crag pack for years. It's fine, good even for loads down to 40L. The back is quite long though, so even when almost empty it will restrict your movement. Terrible canyon pack.

This one isn't canvas, and is very light as a result.
Wendy
29-Jun-2011
8:31:47 AM
I have a 10+ yo WE 55l alpine pack and it has done shîteloads over the years - it's been my guiding pack, been on every os trip i've done, climbed mountains, been hauled up climbs, been a large capacity cragging pack (i do prefer a smaller one most days), done 30+ hiking trips, including some multiweek bush bashes, been thrown in rivers, down canyons, a few ski trips - this thing is unstoppable. It was on a walking trip to NZ with me a few years ago when it people commented incessantly on how much love this pack had seen, and it's still with me on this trip now. I'd buy another one without hesitation, but I don't need to because it just won't die. It was a nearly $400 pack at the time though.

For a cragging pack, i recently got an osprey varient 37. It's got a great waist belt. A few too many bells and whistles. Expands to carry heaps. Got wear patches in it on it's first trip to buffalo. I don't expect it to die any time soon, but I don't think these lighter weight nylon packs will last the way my canvas WE pack has. It was on sale from bivouac for $100. free postage to Aus. I think bivouac are generally good value.
undercling mike
29-Jun-2011
11:45:27 AM
>On 18/06/2011 evanbb wrote:
>>I lopve my Wilderness Equipment... umm, Mountain Expedition I think it
>>is? The gigantic red one. It is enormous, light and tough. Excellent
>for
>>hauling large loads.


I have one of these too and like it quite a lot but you have to really know that you want a pack that big. It's probably quite light for the capacity and comfort level but it's still 3kg empty and it's a monster to dig around in if it hasn't got much stuff in it (i.e. you're a bit worried about falling in and not getting out. I sized mine based on the instructions on the Wilderness Equipment website and got a large, which fits perfectly (somewhat surprisingly as I'm not that tall at 178cm or ~5'10").
dagdamor
29-Jun-2011
1:43:48 PM
I have the 45+10 version of Robb's Lowe Mountain Attack and it has held up well so far, bar the top pocket zip seal getting ripped to shreds since it's often the highest point on the pack, and so gets the odd scrape on low branches etc. Doesn't affect the function at all and from the start I didn't believe the pocket would be waterproof. The pack has seen 2+ years of walking, skiing, a couple intensive months skiing and pick swinging in the Canadian Rockies etc. I have loaded it up to the gills for multi-day ski tours and it does just fine. My Macpac Ascent has been gathering dust (and mildew as I recently discovered!) under my bed since I bought this.

Buy some shock cord and a couple of keyring biners to thread the crampon patch with and you're laughing.
gfdonc
29-Jun-2011
2:08:02 PM
On 29/06/2011 dagdamor wrote:
>I have the 45+10 version of Robb's Lowe Mountain Attack

Nothing to do with Rob Lowe's mountin' attack of a few years ago, I trust.
widewetandslippery
29-Jun-2011
2:52:32 PM
I've used one of those WE packs. I picked it up for wallwombat when he bought his via chockstone a while back. Since I was going shopping I decided to try it out. 2 30packs of cans, 2 large bags of dog biscuts and groceries, meat, veg later the pack still had room in it. One problem, I nearly died trying to put it on my back. Once on the harness system worked really well.

I currently have a smaller version of the Lowe Mountain Attack and really wish I'd got the one dagdamor describes. That said the one I've got I've used for 3 day walks and as a crag pack with no problems. Bought it a few yers back but remember it being reasonably priced.
ClimbingNT
30-Jun-2011
10:05:41 AM
Well looks like I have now aquired a Kathmandu Altai Pack and 20lt dry bag.
I had a friend head down south for work, and brought me back one of these as a suprise. The place she was staying was just around the corner from a store having a 50% - 70% off sale.



Pack seems more narrow than my previous pack and is basic with 'no frills'. I think that being more narrow is a good thing though, as it wont get caught as often when pushing through the scrub. It doesnt have any zips to break, and under the lid is a clip then 2 draw cords to keep your gear inside the bag. Its obviously not as heavy duty as a canvas pack though, but it is lighter.

Will have to see how it goes. It was a gift, so I am pretty happy. Going to test it out this weekend to see how handles when filled with climbing gear and what not.


IdratherbeclimbingM9
30-Jun-2011
8:31:14 PM
On 29/06/2011 Wendy wrote:
>I have a 10+ yo WE 55l alpine pack and it has done shîteloads over the
>years - it's been my guiding pack, been on every os trip i've done, climbed
>mountains, been hauled up climbs, been a large capacity cragging pack (i
>do prefer a smaller one most days), done 30+ hiking trips, including some
>multiweek bush bashes, been thrown in rivers, down canyons, a few ski trips
>- this thing is unstoppable. It was on a walking trip to NZ with me a
>few years ago when it people commented incessantly on how much love this
>pack had seen, and it's still with me on this trip now. I'd buy another
>one without hesitation, but I don't need to because it just won't die.
> It was a nearly $400 pack at the time though.
>

Arrr, ye ar oll softe!
Go wit th hessian bag I sez!!
Why when I wer a wee lad we-

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There are 31 messages in this topic.

 

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