I plan on doing short overnight hikes, of 1-3 nights, and so I think I need to aim for about 50-60L capacity (my sleeping bag isn't super compact).
What are some good value packs that are good quality?
Thanks
Good Value and Quality Hiking Backpacks?
nuttapillar on 21/06/2022 - 22:13
Comments
$220 aint that cheap, seen them for <$100 before on sale
Atmos AG with a retail over $400? I doubt you’d find one at $100.
Maybe a lower tier model.
Edit: actually paid $190
i guess $190 aint too bad considering a 50L would cost a bit less than the 65L (i think?)
was it worth it, i am also looking for a decently priced quality pack in the $100ish range@s1Lence: The AG is excellent for comfort, because it really does feel like the pack isn’t on your back at all. It’s what is probably missing on the cheaper range but I would still say you can get a regular backed pack just as comfortable if you take the time to adjust and set it up properly.
That being said, I came from a 50 to the 65 because I found that I’d rather just tie the top down a little on a smaller 2-3 day hike than try and stuff it like sausage on a 4-5 day hike. The 50 I had was just a regular Osprey without the AG back and I personally wouldn’t go back now that I’ve had both.
@Pelicannn: sucks that they dont seem to be posted that often here, would probably get one if they were <$200
How do you personally determine price/quality trade off. E.g. if (just humour me) you could get a Macpac Torlesse for half of what you paid, would you get it?
https://www.macpac.com.au/macpac-torlesse-65l-hiking-backpac…
@ihbh: As in, if I found a Macpac Torlesse for $85? Yep I'd have considered it. Most of my other gear such as wet weather stuff and clothing is Macpac and I think they are a tier above Kathmandu imo. Again though, I wouldn't pay full price for Macpac either. My rain jacket in particular was some stupid RRP of $500 or so, which i got for half price, but it keeps me dry even in a TS downpour.
The reason I went Osprey was my original 50L was also an Osprey was the best fit for me when I tried it on at a Paddy Palin or similar (few years ago now). I then realised I needed a bit more space and whilst its not ideal to use a 65L on a short 1-2 day hike, its a lot easier than using a 50L on a 4-5 day hike. The AG I saw in the shops and tried it on and was wow'd but I wasn't prepared to pay retail prices. @ $190 though, it was a bargain and after using it I'd argue it is worth the retail price for the comfort. I also have a friend with an Osprey that has seen 18 straight months of backpacking across many countries and countless flights and still holding up (Fairview 70 I believe).
@Pelicannn: Cheers. I was in Salvos last year browsing kids used clothes and found a brand new Macpac with tags for $95 and a used Kathmandu of similar size with day pack (but not included) slightly cheaper - both there probably due to COVID restrictions. I tried the Macpac harness and it felt really good and the reviews were good and made an unplanned buy.which has turned out well. We haven't gone on multi day hikes but as the kids are small, the adults have to carry most of the stuff. I do wonder at the back of my mind what an Osprey equivalent would be like, hence the question.
@ihbh: I think you hit the nail on the head of: If it's comfortable and feels good, it's right for you.
I tried a few brands but even across Osprey, a few models were not comfortable for me at all, and the staff were quite knowledgable when it came to knowing which ones would fit my body shape best. I would rather a Macpac that fit me well, than an Osprey that didn't. Plus the Torlesse is a very good pack so at $95 you got a steal!
65L Osprey for $100?? I don’t think so
I have the 46L and it cost me $110
where are you located? and what outlets are near you?
osprey. arcteryx.. salomon.. never pay retail though!
I'm an hour from Adelaide, so I could get to Kathmandu, Snowy's, Macpac, or whatever other related stores are in Adelaide. Snowys is good in general, but they barely have any backpacks in stock. Kathmandu and Macpac are more expensive.
Try Ebay. You may be better going into some stores to try on for fit.
Mountain designs, Anaconda, wildfire sports, seven horizons.
(my sleeping bag isn't very compact).
get one of the ones that have straps on the bottom or top to tie around your rolled up sleeping bag, or you could buy some straps and attach to existing webbing / straps on pack. superior option to wasting space inside back.
i was about to recommend fjallraven, but holy shit their prices have gone up since i last checked, and they weren't cheap to begin with
Depending on your sleeping bag, you can also stuff your sleeping bag in the pack without the carry bag. That’s what I do as I can then adjust its shape to better fit where I want it.
Osprey - fair few second hand, barely used packs on Facebook marketplace
can vouch for osprey quality
my go to travel bags - porter 46 and farpoint 40
So you ask for advice and lots of advice on good brands are given and then you share an Amazon link to a non-branded/non-recommended one?
This is OzBargain but a hiking bag (similar to a tent) is not something you want to cheap out on.
Is teton unbranded?
It’s a brand, but I’ve never heard of it. Last thing you want is a strap stitching breaking halfway along a trail.
For that price range. Have a look at Denali or Mountain Designs. They have some very good sale prices right now at Anaconda
Second hand for all the brands recommended above.
I have been browsing my local Facebook marketplace, and there's very little in the way of Osprey. But I'm seeing a lot of Kathmandu, and Macpac. There's a few of the Macpac Ryolite 47L, but idk if that'll be big enough, or what the packs are like.
Go into a few stores to try the different brands at the weight you think you’ll be carrying. I found the osprey and deuter harnesses didn’t fit me as well as Lowe alpine and Gregory ones did. Once you know what pack you want then you can look for a good deal. As mentioned above, if you are going to be walking for a few days at a time with it, it’s not really worth skimping on one that fits you well and is comfortable.
I found this Kathmandu Entrada 65 on FB for $200, still new apparently, but worth over $400: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1377752422659505/?…
There's literally only a couple of Ospreys in all of adelaide, and most are way off the size I need.
Kathmandu @ $400 retail is worth $200 any day of the week. So I wouldn’t call it a discount haha.
more like under 100..
Good Value and Quality Hiking Backpacks
Good value depends on timing. There was a lot of good value during COVID restrictions. You've probably missed out on good value so go for good quality for you (need to try out first) based on recommendations above and buy like an Ozbargainer - e.g near the camelx3 low.
someone, somewhere linked me to an apparently rare warehouse sale at Snowys in Adelaide from tomorrow. perfect timing. I'll go check them out, and try out some bags and have a look at what the best size will be. but they dont actually have a good range, so ill probably have to buy elsewhere.
what did you get?
I got a Blackwolf travel pack. I didn't realise it wasn't a proper hiking pack at the time, so it ended up being not very good when I did a hike with it. So I will have to find something better soon.
yea im looking too, holding out for some good bargains but they are few and far between
Concur with all the posts about not scrimping on a good hiking backpack. I learnt the hard way and went through a whole bunch of cheap ones from amazon and other online stores before I just coughed up for an Osprey Exos 48. That journey of discovery was not pleasant, I had plenty of back and neck pains that really destroyed the great outdoors for me.
I recently completed a 145km 6D5N hike with my Exos 48 and had no aches or sores because it’s got a support frame that suspends the load away from my back. I’m of the opinion that the exos is the best designed osprey bag for the light to ultralight backpacker which is something I’m moving towards. Compared to the other more traditional models out there, you can remove the brain of the exos to reduce weight even further and it has a whole bunch of tiedown straps (removable as well) meaning you can configure the way you carry your load in a variety of ways outside the pack. It’s also made of lighter weight materials and cost less than most of the Osprey range.
Be warned, if you take throughiking seriously and do it more frequrntly, it can be a deep rabbit hole upgrading your gear. I’m already in the process of offloading my exos 48 only after 4 trips with it (about 12 overnights total). There are some wonderful products on offer in the cottage brand industry but the lighter they go, the more costly it gets.
I ended up getting an Osprey Atmos AG 65 in the end. It was hard to find, and I paid a lot for it, paid extra for express postage. But We didn't end up doing any hikes on the trip we just did lol.
Osprey you can find pretty cheap from Amazon. I got my 65L at just over $220 or so.