Posted: 2/2/2009 10:19:23 PM EDT
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I am looking for a new pack.
I am with the line to purchase a Kelty Eagle 7850 or Falcon 2850. Has anyone had any experience with these two packs? The Falcon is $60 cheaper ($260 compared to $199), but that really has no impact with me. I appreciate your opinion and or experiences. V OUT |
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Quoted:
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what are you planning to use it for? Hiking and overnight (2 night maximum) camping with my 14 year old son and maybe a dog. He will have his own pack as well. V OUT get your torso sized. Then pick a pack that has the options you like. That smaller keltyis one i was looking at if its the same one im thinking of. IMHO 1-3 days all year use pack try to keep it around 3-3500ci. hard winter or longer stays go up to a 4-5000ci. stay away from the mega packs imho unless you plan on humping the house...lol |
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Great advice so far, but I'll add my $0.02.
Read this: http://www.granitegear.com/PDF/topoflex_manual.pdf Then consider one of Granite Gear's "Topoflex" internal frame packs in the right torso size, with shoulder straps the right size and width for you and the right hip belt for you. I can't say too much for Granite Gear. They are great packs for the money. YMMV (but I doubt it  )
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I've been pack shopping myself. I can't say that I was overly impressed with Kelty (lack of padding, poor reviews and tales of zipper failures in the field). I ended up getting a +/- $340 '07 osprey for $150 on ebay. (If they'd had what I wanted, I would have bought it at my local store). I tried on a some Lowe Alpines and a Northface crestone that didn't feel comfortable or well padded and North Face Primero and some men's Ospreys that felt great.Your best bet is to try on as many as possible. If that's not an option, go with something that gets consistent good reviews. I also considered Deuter, Arcteryx and Gregory packs. Whatever you do, don't buy anything until you know your torso size. Height is not an indicator of what size pack you need. |
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REI has their yearly members-only dividend 20% off sale right now. They carry both Granite Gear and Osprey, which are both great choices.
If you're not a member of REI I think it is a one-time 20$ membership fee. I didn't buy much last year and still got $50 in dividends to go with the 20% off sale. I'm actually going to be trying a Granite Gear pack myself... |
| That's cool, but REI tried to talk me out of the Granite Gear hip belt and shoulder straps I needed/wanted (based on the Granite Gear manual). They wanted me to buy a size "Regular" off the shelf with the default straps and belts they order. REI didn't even carry the different belts and straps. I ended up ordering through http://www.backcountrygear.com/, who were great about helping me get exactly what I wanted. |
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I just got the Granite Gear Nimbus Meridian with the correct belt and shoulder straps. I love it. The feature that really stood out to me on my recent test run with full pack weight was the pivoting hip attachment. My other packs always rubbed at my hips unless I cinched them down like a girdle. This one lets me keep the tension comfortable and I can loosen the load stabilizers and it sways with my as I climb or descend. Not to mention that it was still plenty comfortable after finishing the 3 mile test hike. I'm very pleased with it. I added two of their small external pockets since my gear can get a bit bulky to keep all of it inside so it's not as light as I would like but it's still 3/4 of a pound lighter than my old pack and 3 times as comfortable. I'm sold. I'm planning to get the larger model for use when my little kiddo wants to come too because I will have to carry some of her gear and food. No way around it. Yeah, the picture sucks because there was a chance of rain when this was taken so I had my trash bag pack cover on it but I had no problems bending over, reaching the ground, etc with it on. The flexible frame sheet is very nice.  |