Is Lighter Better?

[hammer0419]

Packing weight can suck so it is best to have a good functioning pack that is as light as possible without sacrificing load carrying ability.....

That is the operative word. SACRIFICE!! Weight is most definitely an issue. But at what cost? Many are HELL BENT ON OUNCES. There is NOT a single person on here that can tell if their load is 90 or 91 lbs on their back!!

Buy the lightest. However buy the most comfortable. Learn to cut weight on other gear. Not the one piece that carries it all!

LIGHTER IS BETTER. BUT NEVER AT THE EXPENSE OF COMFORT!!

 

[Kevin_t]

Are you affiliated with this product or company?

My guess would be NO since as a company we do not advocate or give discounts for people to plug us on forums .

As the owner of SO you can have something light that works very well for you and answer a question without being affiliated with a company .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[trophyhill]

Lots of great replies. Currently I run the old and antiquated BT1. Can't remember what it weighs empty. But packed for the Backcountry for 10 days, I'm between 55 and 60 lbs with my sidearm attached. I do not pack all that around constantly either. I pick a spot, set up camp, and go hunt.

So the idea of humping a bunch of weight daily never crosses my mind. In hunt mode, I doubt I'm carrying 15 lbs. To answer AKTroutbum, my attitude was and is to shave Oz's in other gear. I've pretty much done that, but there are a few things I refuse to compromise as far as weight goes. My bow and arrows, my sidearm, and whichever pack I decide suits my needs for an extended Backcountry hunt when I go that route. Right now I'm leaning towards either the Reckoning, or the Ma Duece for an upgrade but doubt there is a weight savings on either of those packs in comparison to what I'm running now.

With that said, I don't see myself switching to a lighter pack that I may deem not durable enough for what I put a pack thru.

 

[Trial153]

2 pounds is 2 pounds. There are times where all thing being equal it will matter and times that I won't. For example flying in someplace in a super cub with weight reactions... two pounds is few creature comforts.
I don't see how weight has a direct correlation to comfort either in regards to pack fit and load hauling.
Money is also brought up as well, is it "worth it" to pay for weight saving. The answer is as varied as there are individuals. Some poeple have more disposable income the others and some of us part with money a little easier, regardless of income.

 

[Kevin_t]

It is all very personal.

Light weight does not always mean less durable. There is a lot of nuance in construction. It also does not make any sense to carry way more pack than you ever need from a durability stand point.

If a pack saves you a few pounds, is an acceptable level of comfort or perhaps even more comfortable, and is durable enough to last a reasonable lifetime of your expected use, then you may as well go lighter and stop beating yourself up.

Of course, a lot of it depends on country and fitness as well. In steep country, I've seen the most fit people start wondering how to save weight quickly.

 

[USMC-40]

My guess would be NO since as a company we do not advocate or give discounts for people to plug us on forums .

As the owner of SO you can have something light that works very well for you and answer a question without being affiliated with a company .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

looks like the post in question was deleted - it wasn’t somebody saying anything about SG! It was some guy plugging emergency sleeping bags...

 

[noveske4621]

When it comes to backpacks, why so much fuss over 2lbs difference in a backpack. I realize guys are counting ounces, but is a 2lb weight savings up front worth the added discomfort when coming out heavy?

Durability vs weight in my opinion is top priority, the super light packs are nice but I have seen to many failures in them vs something that's built a little better. There are many other areas to shave weight. I have made a pack list and if I do not use it more than 2 times a day it now does not come with me.

 

[gfreidy]

looks like the post in question was deleted - it wasn’t somebody saying anything about SG! It was some guy plugging emergency sleeping bags...

Thanks USMC...That is exactly right! Happy Veterans Day !!!

 

[trophyhill]

Durability vs weight in my opinion is top priority, the super light packs are nice but I have seen to many failures in them vs something that's built a little better. There are many other areas to shave weight. I have made a pack list and if I do not use it more than 2 times a day it now does not come with me.

Thank you! And that is my thought as well. Although I haven't looked into the 2 times a day of use thing yet I heard Snyder talking about the phenomena of light weight or regular vs ultra light in pack technology on a NGB podcast a while back. The weight savings really is negligable when you think about what you lose vs durability and comfort packing heavy loads. The durability would be my biggest concern considering the amount of denero's we are dropping on today's packs. This BT1 has stood the test of time, and I'm looking for the same type of stamina in my next pack.

 

[noveske4621]

I personally watch a kuiu pack come apart from the frame, while on a highcasecade hunt, with 8 miles back to the trail head and 70 lbs of meat on board it became a mess. Not saying anything bad about kuiu they build great gear but when a guy is going ultra light on a pack and expecting it to work the same as a pack almost twice the weight but the same price one has 2 question what's going on.

 

[brsnow]

I run a seek outside revolution with a Merlin pack. It is sub 4lb. If I use the peregrine 3500 it is right at 4lbs. What durability and comfort issues should I be concerned about?

 

[noveske4621]

I run a seek outside revolution with a Merlin pack. It is sub 4lb. If I use the peregrine 3500 it is right at 4lbs. What durability and comfort issues should I be concerned about?

Seek builds a bomb proof pack, I see no issues with that set up. I have seen failures when a pack and frame separate at the yoke.

 

[Jimss]

Before going on my first Alaska sheep hunt I went through all of my gear and weighed everything...including clothes. It's possible to upgrade to lighter products but it usually comes at a pretty high $. Obviously the heavier items you use on hunts (tent, pack, sleeping bag, rifle/scope, spotting scope, tripod, etc) will likely make the most significant drops in weight if upgraded. Every item you bring adds up quickly. A pack is one of the heavier items I've listed that can make a significant weight loss when upgraded....which makes a difference in overall weight on your back.

Like a lot of other guys on this website, I don't get anything from Kifaru or Stone Glacier for bragging about their products. I just believe they are currently 2 of the best quality packs available.....just as I brag about Swarovski and Leica optics! If you want the very best I would highly recommend them!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Just my $0.02.

I think the ability to haul a heavy load of +50# and occasionally a super heavy load of +100# for packing out meat is a good benchmark for a backpack hunting pack. My new MR sawtooth pack will do that fairly well at 6# or so. I don’t have any direct experience but a few brands can do the same and be 1-2# lighter. My old MR wolf pack ona NICE frame can do it but starts at a 10# empty weight.

IMO the lighter you go the better up to a point. I think if you go too light you sacrifice load control or durability. The NICE frame pack is a tank but hardly gets used these days because of the extra empty weight. If other brands haul as well and have similar durability at a lighter weight then great. However, there are limits. At some point lightweight just has to give up something on load handling and possibility in the durability category.

Inspired by my brothers featherweight hyperlight mountain gear pack, I bought a Gosamir gear pack for backpacking. It is 2.5#. Hauls 30# reasonably well. 40# is doable. More than that is unpleasant and I think there is a legit chance you could blow a shoulder strap. Construction is fine but not on the same level as the sawtooth or other packs of that class. It is great for lightweight backpacking but a decent hunting trip would shred this thing even if it could handle the weight, which it can’t.

 

[brsnow]

Are you affiliated with this product or company?

if this was directed towards me, I am not affiliated at all.

 

[*zap*]

I wish I was affiliated with Stone Glacier so I could get free chit...

I am available.....

 

[Mannsbuick]

My lightweight Kifaru packs like a dream

Which model Kifaru pack do you use?

 

[JG358]

if this was directed towards me, I am not affiliated at all.

It wasn't... The post that was being questioned has since been deleted.

 

[kiddogy]

I personally thinks that its easier to loose two pounds of body weight rather than spending the extra money and chasing the ligthweight craze.

easier ? maybe … but probably , better to add 2 pounds of muscle mass.

 

[rodney482]

Which model Kifaru pack do you use?

Timberline T1 “old school”