North Face Packs are good. Kelty internal frame packs are also very nice. Jansport, Lowe Alpine etc. Just find an outdoor sporting goods store and fine one you like.

I love my Lowe Alpine. Internal frames are great! Don’t pack to heavy though

Some relatively high quality are Arc’Teryx, Gregory, Osprey and Mountainsmith. Average quality, North Face, Marmott, Kelty, REI, Lowe, Deuter, maybe some Jan sport (but i am not a fan). These are just a few. Eagle Creek makes very durable, but heavy travel backpacks. If you live in a big city, go to REI.

One a lot of people dont know much about but they are great is Dana Design. I use the Glacier and I love it. Internal frames are great. The dana is very durable, and gets very favorable reviews. Its my personal choice, but many sotres dont carry them, it is a much smaller company.

Other then that, jsut figure out what works for you.

Is anyone familiar with the Deuter Quantum backpack? How is it and do you think the 55+10 Liter model is big enough for winter travel or would the 70+10 model be better? I know a 70 Litre backpack is getting pretty big but I will be brining a little bit more bulky clothes for winter travel. Thanks and safe travels!

These are relatively high quality backpacks with good suspension systems, not much seen in the states. They have a web-site. I figure 65 L is plenty. But i think they have pretty much gotten out of the travel bag business and most of their backsacks are now of the outdoors variety – mountaineering, cross-country etc. The cross-country packs are pretty narrow, as they all are.

What is the difference between high quality packs (ie. Arc’Teryx packs) and average quality ones(ie. North Face)?

I was at MEC and bought myself the Arc’Teryx Bora 75W pack…mostly because I liked their hip belt (compared to the Gregory packs) and I figure the cost would be worthwhile since I plan to live out of it while I live/travel through Europe, Australia & Asia over the next few years. I don’t mind paying more for a quality pack if its worth it. In my comparison of the features on packs though…I can’t tell the difference between the high/average quality ones. Do you really get what you pay for? (I’m just thinking maybe I should consider returning the one I have now for another pack)

Any opinions/explanations/comments on packs (or your own experience with your packs) would be great!

Thx,
Rach

i just got the kelty women’s satori 4700, any good/bad reviews? it’s a little late, but i still have time to return it! Thanks!

I definitely think a good pack is a smart investment. My first pack was a really horrible Jansport that was no fun to lug around.

quote:My first pack was a really horrible Jansport that was no fun to lug around.

Which Jansport? I have a Jansport Cascade 70 that I bought for about $110US in 2001. It’s been on many hiking/camping trips and doesn’t have any signs of wear or tear. (then again, I’m a big guy and the 5,000 cubic inches of space is perfect for me.)

FYI: PLEASE DONT PURCHASE A BAG ONLINE WITHOUT TRYING IT ON AT A STORE!!!

I think looks, and name brand really make all the difference in backpacking. Sure I can sometimes move faster with a no name pack (I have to be quick, lest some flashpackers see me!) but I find that the personal satisfaction of paying more for something that looks good gives me the self confidence and stamina to look myself in the mirror and rise to the challenge of walking from the train station to the hostel.

sigh

quote:
Which Jansport? I have a Jansport Cascade 70 that I bought for about $110US in 2001. It’s been on many hiking/camping trips and doesn’t have any signs of wear or tear. (then again, I’m a big guy and the 5,000 cubic inches of space is perfect for me.)

I can’t remember what the model was, but it was gigantic pack I bought in 1998(the size wasn’t a problem for me either; I have a 85l Eagle Creek pack that I love). Bad points were the suspension, the design didn’t allow for compressing loads very well, and the fact that the stitching around the bottom of the pack ripped out near the beginning of my second trip with it. I actually sewed it up with dental floss and used it for another 6 weeks

quote:the stitching around the bottom of the pack ripped out near the beginning of my second trip with it. I actually sewed it up with dental floss and used it for another 6 weeks

YOU GO, McGUYVER!!! That’s awesome.

First of all, enjoy backpack shopping. I had a blast because I met some others who were going on a similar adventure as mine and learned a lot from them as well as the folks selling the bags.

I went with an REI backpack. I found REI had a wide range of bags with a wide range of prices. Also, the salesperson was very helpful. I also went with REI because they will fix my pack for free (I believe) if something happens to it like a zipper breaks.

Happy Trails,
Rick