My Dream Hammock Sparrow is almost here and my HG top and under quilts (both economy) arrived, and now i’m starting to look for a backpack. What size do y’all typically use for overnight and weekend trips with all your hammock stuff? Also can you just stuff the under quilt and top quilt to the bottom of a pack to save space or can that be harmful?
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I use a Zpacks Arc Blast. The main body is 42L and I also have econ HG quilts. The 20F Incubator/Burrow combo is bulky, but not terrible. Being in Florida, I can get away with my 40F Phoenix/Burrow combo, which probably takes up a little more room as the 20F Incubator alone. The biggest variables are your food and clothing. I can push 5-6 days for mid 40s temps where I don't need a whole lot of extra clothing layers. For a weekend trip, 42L is more than enough for at least the 20F set.
How much stuff you typically bring? Do you plan on camping in your Michigan winters? I would assume then you'd want a 0F set. I dunno how bulky they are packed down, but I'm pretty sure it'll be beefy.
A lot of people just stuff the quilts into the pack bottom and the rest of the load on top of them. I sometimes use the stuff sacks, sometimes I don't. I find on multi day hikes, I get lazy and stop using the stuff sacks and just cram them into the pack. Haven't had any issues.
My pack is too big, 65L, but it’s the only one I have and compresses well. Once I got my base weight down to 12-13lbs, and consistently had leftover space, I knew I could go to a smaller volume pack - especially for 1-3 night trips. I could probably manage 40-50L now. I’ve always been hyper vigilant about keeping my quilts dry and used 2 compactor bags - 1 for the quilts and 1 for everything else. What I didn’t realize is that it was acting as a big stuff sack. Once I nixed the 2nd bag and just put “everything else” on top of the loose quilts at the bottom, I was blown away by how much room it saved.
Just went through this thought process. I have been a big fan of Osprey as they fit so well. The problem is they are heavy and not as functional as I wanted (hip belt pockets, side pockets and access to water without taking pack off or being super flexible). I a, planning on some longer backpacking trips so I decided to switch and got the Gossamer Mariposa 60. Just got it and have not used but so far love it. Wow, is it super light and the top design allows me to compress the pack down if not full. The advice of others is do not put more that 35lbs in it or it will pull down on the shoulders but I can do that. It has the belts pockets for snacks and small misc, I got the should ouch for my phone and love the side pockets ( yes, I can get my water). So selling my Osprey packs to find it so it was a wash cost wise. Get rid of two packs but have one that meets the needs of both.
Yes, you can stuff quilts directly into the bottom of the pack, which I've been doing for about 10 years now with no problems. You just have to make sure that the pack doesn't get wet when it rains by using something like a poncho that protects the whole pack when there is serious precipitation. If water runs down between your back and your pack suspension, stuff will get wet, so a regular pack cover alone is not sufficient. In which case most people add a pack liner in the form of a trash compactor bag or a Nylofume bag.Originally Posted by petoskey
Econ quilts take up more space than premium so I'd look at something in the 60L range. Most packs have some sort of side compression webbing or cords to reduce volume.
Of course this is all hugely dependent upon what else you're carrying in the pack. A dedicated ultralight fanatic will need a LOT less volume than someone who's carrying a chair, saw, heavy stove kit, lots of food and clothing etc.
Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton
My go to is a 35, but often find myself taking my 60 on longer trips or winter camps.
In reality, most people should be closer to 55-60 till you figure out your pack more. This size is useful for anything for overnights, week longs trips and winter camping.
The 40 and below crowd is not a place most people want to be in when starting. Space is too limited and these packs are often uncomfortable if your base weight is over 15-20 pounds.
I have an old Gregory Shasta that I got when I was a teenager. It's over 6lbs and has something like 85L. Since getting back into backpacking over the last 6 months and doing research on gear and proper packing, I've found that it's way too big for anything I'll ever do. I'm nowhere close to ultralight at this point, but I still had nearly every strap on that pack (and there are a lot of them!) pulled as tight as they were able to go. Right now I'm seriously thinking about picking up the ULA Circuit: https://www.ula-equipment.com/product/circuit/
It still has the volume and carrying capacity to hold extra gear (either for a longer trip or if I need to carry extra gear for family members) without requiring me picking up all the high end lightest and most packable equipment.
I remember going a bit nutty with research on this subject. Most backpackers use something in the 55-65L range. I went to the bigger end with a 65L Gregory Baltoro because I like a few luxuries. Something a little smaller would have saved a few ounces, but it didn't seem worth it to me.
You can stuff TQ & UQ in the bottom of your pack without damaging them, just like a sleeping bag. Heck, you could unhook your hammock, quilts and all from it's suspension and stuff THAT into the bottom of your pack. HYOH, but I actually HAVE fallen into a river, so both top and under quilts go in the same dry compression sack.
One suggestion I have is to bring your camping gear to REI and see how it fits in various packs. There's really no substitute for hands on. I felt silly but they genuinely encourage & assist that level of try before you buy. Not sure how receptive Dicks sporting goods or Wal-Mart would be to that approach, but they won't throw you out of the store for asking.
Whatever you wind up choosing, enjoy you hammocking adventures!
Or, if you can find a box with dimensions...calculate the cubic footage volume and convert to liters. For example, the small U-Haul box is 1.5 cu ft = 42 liters. A 2.3 cu ft box equal 65 liters.
Cram your gear in the box and see if it fits.
60L is a good place to start. That will fit 3 days no problem and more depending on how UL/minimal you are. Some people use 60 for a thru hike, so a lot depends on your level of luxury.
I 2nd the Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60. Its a sub 2lb pack, very comfortable up to 30lbs, and has lots of pockets for organizing. Can be found like new 2nd hand for under $230. The main compartment is only ~40L, then the pockets add another 20ish.
If you want to spend more $, the ULA circuit was rated the best pack by Pacific Crest Trail thru hikers last year.
I personally will never go under 60L as I see no benefit to smaller packs unless you are walking through heavy brush. Your quilts will take up as much volume as you let them, so under stuffing the pack is rarely an issue.
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