Pack: Size and Weight Recommendations for 4-6 days on IR

[drobarge]

They went fast, I shared

[Spinnister]

I did it - I bought an Osprey Ariel 65 (and hubby decided he hated his pack, and got an Aether 70). I debated between the small and medium, but finally decided the small was ever so slightly more comfortable. Got it home, loaded it up, strapped the tent, sleeping pad, and rain gear on the outside, and still ran out of room with a few items left over. Panicked, trying to think what I could ditch. Poncho (redundant item with other rain gear). Okay, not enough. Thermarest pillow? It's my one luxury item that doesn't replace something else (Kindle will replace a bulkier, heavier pile of books) but I hate the hard pile of clothes in a stuff sack method, and I'll be out there a long time. It doesn't roll up very small. Anyway, I ordered a smaller compression sack, and exchanged the pack for the medium (65 L vs 62 L for the small). Much better capacity, but will still be tight. It's at 32 lbs right now, but without any water, and still have a little food and a few very small items to add. So need to reassess the necessity of some things, but I'm close, and I have some time.

[Tightlines01]

I just did a test hike on my Atmos 65 AG. I got the large due to fit. It swallows my gear no problem. Just lots of different ways to store gear vs my Deuter. I was very impressed with the Cary of the load. I was right around 40 fully wet (heavy water like on my longest days).

[Spinnister]

I pack like a girl, apparently. My pile o'stuff is pretty close to final, and I was at 41.5 lbs with my week 2 load yesterday, and still have to add the camera (pretty small one - nothing fancy), Kindle, and a few food items like Tang (heavy), poles, crocs..... But it did include 3/4 of my water. Still trying to throw stuff out, but find myself adding, instead. I seem to be afraid I'll be cold. My food for 9 days is about 8.5 - will likely add more trail mix. The first 6 days for 2 people is 13.5. Seems low compared to others, but is almost all freeze dried stuff. Similar to what we've eaten in the past, so I don't think we'll starve.

My biggest issue is still volume. Absolutely crammed full. I think week 1 will be fine - haven't done a test load for that yet.

This is not the cheap vacation we were contemplating . Lots of new gear.
New boots for me, as my old ones were giving me blisters on every hike. Added to the cost is a weekend trip to Minneapolis, after exhausting boot options locally. I think I tried on 26 pairs altogether.
New packs for both
New hiking pants for me.
New rain pants for both
New rain jacket for hubby
New sleeping bag for hubby
New H2O bladders for both (to replace the old crinkly Platypus bottles starting to leak). Wow - are the new ones nice!
Some socks
All that food!
2 seaplane tickets
Etc.

[MavTech77]

Hey all, Leave for the Island on Saturday(5days!!!!), thanks for the bug reports and all the advice. Since my last post here i have put 7 separate 4.5 mile hikes and 1 9 mile hike on the Osprey Atmos 65. Love it. As per the wise advice above i have been counting ounces. I can carry 40lbs comfortably but not as much fun at say 28 with 3 liters of water!! take out the water and i've got my pack quite light. That is not counting food though. I think it will be about 30 with 2 liters of water which is about my goal. I want a few conveniences. Couple review items on the Pack: I'm not as skinny as i once was but this pack adjusts WAY OUT on the hip belt. So great for the round guys yet adjustable for about anyone, if you are average or lean, then you could always trim the belt length. Definitely recommend the pack, suspension is amazing. For fun i tried jogging with it. Suspension is really amazing when you jog, the pack springs rather than slams against the frame. same is true when walking, just much more subtle. I am confident in this pack and excited to put it to the week long test on this wonderful Isle Royale that i hear so much about on here. Love you all for your generously given wealth of knowledge, hope to see some of you on the Trail! Peace to you! Jeremy

[Stile]

I know the feeling. We drive up Sunday and out to the island on Monday. My clients will not be getting the best of me this week.

We're going to be on The Island 11 days and opted for a little larger packs. I'll be in an Osprey Aether 85 and the wife is in an Ariel 75. Sunday's weigh in was 49.4 for me and 42.6 for the wife. That's a complete load out with food, fuel and 2L water. It's what we will have next week. Well, exchange a bit of sugar for lunch fixings and it will be anyway.

21 lbs of that is food, fuel and water. We carry a few extras. Minimalist is cool but we're there on vacation to enjoy each others company in the midst of nature. If I'm going to be stuck in a tent for a day in the rain, I want to be able to sit up. Do I need a deck of cards and a cribbage board? No. Do I need a book? No. Do I need a chair? In most sites, No. But in that one site with nothing but wet grass to sit on I will not think 17oz is too much to bear. It will all be used and the burden is minimal in my mind.

Those folks out in Cali doing 40 mile days with 20Lbs packs, in tennis shoes, using nothing but a bug net at night are cool. That's just not my thing. I don't live there for one. I'm not a mile junkie for two. It's not like they need any rain gear either. The weather report is the same 350 days a year. You can plan for that.

I do this kind of thing to get out of the day to day grind. I don't want a schedule other than "I think I would like to be here tonight and dinner would be good once we get there." Other than that let's play it by ear.

Stile

[Spinnister]

And we're leaving Saturday! Woot woot!! Drive the whole, whopping 12 miles to leave the car where I work, and then walk next door to catch the seaplane .

At the moment it looks like I'll be ~41-42 with water starting the first 6 days, and 47+ lbs with water starting the next 9. Might be able to squeeze out 1-2 lbs at Windigo, if all goes well. Pretty jealous of you, Mavteck, with your 30lbs!

Soooooo excited!