Thats pretty darned good; youve cut your load basically in half. You could come out here and give me some pointers. But then, its probably too obvious what my problem is, when I insist on packing a coffee press and a half pound of Starbucks finest.
Gregory Z55 Backpack
Z55 BackpackFor the load youre looking at, there are all sorts of good packs out there. One of the best is the Osprey Aether 60 ($219; ospreypacks.com). The Aether has 3,700 cubic inches of capacity (in the medium), which should be just about right, and is light itself at just under four pounds. Yet it has a suspension that works great up to around 40 pounds or so, with a moldable hip belt and sophisticated design that puts the load where you want it, on hips or shoulders.
If youre REALLY cutting the load, then Gregorys Z55 ($189; gregorypacks.com) might work well. Capacity is a bit less than the Aetherabout 3,350 cubic inches (in the medium), enough for a multi-day trip, but perhaps on the tight side. It also has an excellent suspension and a design that combines top-load and side-access features. And its hip belt has little pockets for lip balm and the like, which is handy.
REIs Cruise UL 60 (rei.com), meanwhile, is about the same size and weight as the Aether 60, has a suspension that works perfectly fine for those lighter loads, yet costs just $130a real bargain.
Have a great summer!
The Gear Guy reports from , the bi-annual gearapalooza in Salt Lake City. Check out his top picks for gear to watch in 2007.