Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
General => Gear Questions, Information, Reviews and Competitions => Topic started by: FairWeatherCamper on July 08, 2013
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I was just wondering what size of rucksack people carry?
I need a rucksack and don't want one that is too big, just big enough to carry my kit.
I fancy a 45L rucksack. Do you think that would be big enough to carry the following:
A lightweight 2 man hiking tent (buying one of these too so any recommendations welcome)
Tesco Micro-Lite Mummy bag
Mini-Trangia
500ml of meths
1L of water
A couple of Mugshots (like cuppa soup but with pasta for those who aren't familiar)
A tin of beans
A couple of other small bits and pieces like a knife etc.
My interest is mainly two day summer hikes (with an overnighter) - hence my username. I'll probably do a few of these solo, and one or two with a mate.
I do care about cost. If there is an army surplus option, that would be great - love that sort of thing. Anyone know if the Tesco 45L Rucksack is any use, or is it just cheap tat?
If 45L is too small, can I get away with 65L?
Thanks in advance.
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I use a 35l for normal sunday walks and a 65l for a camp weekend, although I don't travel anywhere near as light as most in here, and my tents not small nor my sleeping bag. by coincidence I have all my gear outside airing after a weekends camp and was going to try it into the 35l to see if it fits. if you find a rucksack you fancy, there are a LOT of reviews from professionals on youtube now, normally yanks though.
as for the ex army stuff, it will probably be heavier but sturdier, some of the karrimor army surplus stuff has a good following on these boards if you search, and the ray mears site plugs one particular pack/Bergen.
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Cheers. I've not seen too much of Ray Mears so I will check out what he has to say!
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I got a decent one from Argos for £25. It looks good and should fulfill most requirements :)
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9099689.htm
If money is no object I think the Osprey Talon 44 @ £100 is the bee's knees ;D
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Cheers Cerbera. Will maybe nip in and have a look at it.
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http://www.raymears.com/Bushcraft_Products/Backpacks_Rucksacks_and_Bags/
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I was just wondering what size of rucksack people carry? 44L
I need a rucksack and don't want one that is too big, just big enough to carry my kit.
I fancy a 45L rucksack. Do you think that would be big enough to carry the following:
A lightweight 2 man hiking tent (buying one of these too so any recommendations welcome) totally dependent on budget, terra nova superlite voyager (ive used extensively its great), wild country zephros, vango banshee, vango/force ten helium
Tesco Micro-Lite Mummy bag
Mini-Trangia
500ml of meths
1L of water
A couple of Mugshots (like cuppa soup but with pasta for those who aren't familiar)
A tin of beans
A couple of other small bits and pieces like a knife etc.
Yes
My interest is mainly two day summer hikes (with an overnighter) - hence my username. I'll probably do a few of these solo, and one or two with a mate.
I do care about cost. If there is an army surplus option, that would be great - love that sort of thing. Anyone know if the Tesco 45L Rucksack is any use, or is it just cheap tat?
If 45L is too small, can I get away with 65L? IMO the bigger the rucksack the more you'll stuff in it that you dont really need
Thanks in advance.
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I've just tried it out and there definitely isn't room in my 35l pack for sleeping bag AND gear, my sleeping bag 3/4 fills the 35 litre pack, so id have to wear the sleeping bag outside. just messing about with mounting stuff on the outside of bags, etc to see what I can get away with
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So you reckon 45l might be a bit small then?
Thanks for checking that out for me by the way!
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+1 for a 65l While you can get away with sticking stuff on the top or bottom of a 35l, will the rain cover fit without turning into a sail?
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Ok. Cheers guys. I will bow to your experience and seek a 65L. Thanks again! Still need to look at that Ray Mears link!
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Ok. Cheers guys. I will bow to your experience and seek a 65L. Thanks again! Still need to look at that Ray Mears link!
For the stuff you mentioned above 45L is more than enough, Ive had overnighters with a 22L and not in the summer. Lots of us only use 45 and smaller.
Why dont you just take everything you need into a shop like Cotswolds and try it. I guarantee they wont mind.
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Do you use a sleepmat as well?
I started out using a Berghaus 65/10 and it was a fair lump of a rucksack and I've had some cracking good trips with it, I grab it again when the need arises.
Then I wanted to down size a bit and now use an Opsrey Kestrel 48, in this I get
1 man tent
Sleep mat
Sleeping bag
Water proof coat/trousers
Merino wool fleece
Hat/ socks/ gloves
Prima Loft jacket
Pocket rocket stove/ gas canister/ cooking pot
1ltr Naglene water bottle
Food
And the ever present bottle of wine and firelog.
Other bits and pieces.
If you use a tesco micro lite sleeping bag they pack up pretty small and if your not carrying water proofs then you should be fine with a 45 litre, depending on your tent size.
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I suppose as long as your stuff fits in then that is what matters. If your gear is smaller packing then a smaller ruck will do. Some of it comes down to finding out how to use up all the capacity of your rucksack, filling all the wee nooks and crannies.
I have a 68L and carry more or less the same stuff as Rumblebum who has a 48L (same rucksack model). I probably have a few spare litres of unused capacity. Mine weighs 200g more than his, that may matter to you or it may not. I went looking for a 58L but the shop had the 68L on offer (last years colours) so I bought it. It was £35 cheaper than the smaller model, which was 100g lighter. I couldn't justify spending an extra £35 for a smaller rucksack (albeit 100g lighter).
It's got to be right for your needs. I may be needing to carry a bit of extra stuff when walking with young people e.g. a 4 man bothy bag so I'll maybe require the extra capacity. Personally I'd prefer to have a 55L rucksack filled, than a 35L with 20L of sleeping mat (or sleeping bag!) etc. strapped to the outside.
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65L all the way for me, and I still have to strap my tent to the outside :o (and I'm using a very compressible down sleeping bag too)
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Smaller is better but no good if you can't get all your gubbins in. I can just about get away with a 40L if I strap the tent to the outside but it always looks like it's stuffed to the brim with spanners ;) That's all year round though, obviously in the summer you might get away with less stuff. Take a wander round to Cotswolds and have a play, they're happy to help in there and you'll get a much better feel for size and comfort. Also, if they have something that you can get cheaper online don't be afraid to ask, they're very accommodating ;)
Definitely keep an eye on comfort, no point having a bag that has all the right specs but that you never want to use because it feels all wrong.
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Cheers for all the advice guys. I think I'll try dandering into cotswolds with all my gear (though I'm rarely in town). Will also check Argos for the one Cerbera suggested.
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Bit late but if you have a tresspass shop near you they are doing a sale. I picked up a 45l rucksack for just over £25. Has a main compartment, reasonable front pouch, and two lid pockets. Then two elastic mesh side pockets. Oh and bottom pocket that stores the raincover (included).
Having used ex military gear etc before I can tell this won't last me that long or enjoy real abuse, but it is handy enough if you just want a good stopgap while you get money for some of the higher end gear.
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Thanks Rich. Yeah a stopgap is fine for now. I've only started hiking again, having been into it in my teens, but as with everything I have to try to make sure I actually have the time to do it regularly before I spend a fortune on the high end stuff. Hopefully all my stopgaps will prove to be a waste of money, in that I replace them all with higher end stuff anyway - but then I'll just pass them on to friends and my son.
I'll check out Trespass.
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If you are looking for a ultralightweight option - GoLite Jam 50 is fantastic. It will hold everything you need and can reduce its volume when required. Very clever!!
http://www.backpacker.com/may-2012-gear-review-golite-jam-50-backpack/gear/16629
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I have to try to make sure I actually have the time to do it regularly before I spend a fortune on the high end stuff.
This more than anything, don't be afraid to start cheap.....my main overnight sack is a £25 Gelert that I picked up from a fishing shop. three years in it's still doing me well.
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Did you end up getting a pack yet? If not I have a 50l Trespass one unused, I got it on their sale for £20 but it's yours for a tenner if you want?
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I never did get one Rich. Yeah I'd definitely give you a tenner no bother. Ill PM you.
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Many thanks to Rich.H for sorting me out with a great rucksack. And to his GF who carried it across the country to me! Legends.
Seems like a great job. Can't wait to try it out. :-)