Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General The Mountain by a fair means Backpacks

I'd like to hear from the ladies about backpacks and any other gear. I am planning to purchase one in the near future for my summit attempt - if I can squeeze in by *Sept 08*. I am 5'10" and have had lower back issues in the past.

Thank you in advance for any input you may have to offer.

Blotty, I really liked my Gossamer Gear pack. It is the lightest weight pack I could find and it was sturdy enough for the trail.

I purchased the lightest weight gear that I could find and took a course on light backpacking at A16. The gentleman who taught the course is the man who makes the Gossamer Gear packs.

http://www.gossamergear.com/

My total pack weight before food, with all my gear in it was 18 pounds. My brother had his pack weight (before food) at 16 pounds. (I had added girly stuff that he did not, wipes, lotion, etc.

It was worth the investment to get the lightest gear equipment. It made getting up the mountain so much easier. I saw people struggling with 45 - 55lb. packs. I couldn't imagine carrying that much weight after having such a light pack weight myself.

I can did up my notes if you are interested and e-mail them to you if you would like.

Suze B

Hi SuzeB - yes I really would appreciate seeing your notes. I've been doing day hikes for a while, trying to prepare myself, and now I know I have to get a pack, sleeping bag, foam pad, etc. etc. and start doing more overnighters if I want to have a successful summit. I've also seen other good comments/posts on the Andinista pack as well, but would like the female perspective before I purchase.

I will dig up my notes this weekend for you.

I'm pretty happy with my Osprey Ariel 65. It's women specific and has the hip belt that can be heat molded to custom fit your hips. REI has the oven to do the hip belt molding right in the store. Fits great. I hiked Whitney last month and camped @ Trail Camp. My pack weight was 36 Lbs.

Hiya, Blooty! I'm also an Osprey-gal: I have the Ariel 60 and Crescent 85, which are both a bit larger and meant for longer trips (but I use them in winter, too, so they're great for that!). They are also a bit heavier, and I think Osprey came out with a new, lighter version of the 85L (the new Ariels I think) and smaller packs, too.

Osprey Packs

As with anything, try a lot of different packs on, and I would suggest OVERloading them in the store. Even if you don't carry that much weight on the trail, it might help you see how the pack may feel at the end of the day (somehow they always get HEAVIER ). While the lighter weight pack alone save a pound or two, if it doesn't fit you right, you'll still be pretty miserable at the end of the day.

As for sleeping bags, same idea. Make sure it fits and you feel comfy in it. I tend to sleep a bit cold, so my own criteria is to feel like I'm getting warm quick when I get in the bag. My thought is "I am starting to spontaneously combust??" Again, try different brands, keeping weight in mind, too. I have a Marmot Arete 40 deg that i use in the summer, but I just got a Mont Bell 15 deg that I used all the way through June (including the MR) and I LOVE it.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

-L

Another Osprey girl here!:)....I finally broke down two years ago and got the Aether 75. My very 1st backpack was a external Kelty, then I went to another external North Face pack..then went for the internal Alpine Lowe pack..after many years of caring that old lowe and figuring out it was to small for me ....small meaning fit size small...I too am 5' 10" and have a long torso..I wanted to get a womens pack..but all the ones I read about only fit for a small to meduim torso...I wanted an Osprey because of how good the suspension system and cushy hip belt is on them..so found the Aether 75 which I love...I love that pack and it will probably be my last pack I ever get. I never got the hip belt molded to me..wonder if I can still have that done?

You being tall..I don't know how long your torso is..but make sure the pack is long enough for you and not to short. Having a pack weigh a little more for a better suspension and soft hip belt I think is better than getting a lighter pack that does not have a good suspension and padded hip belt.

Good luck to you on finding your perfect pack.....they really are your home on your back

Thanks to those who posted helpful tips. I purchased an Osprey Aether 65. I'm going to try a few day hikes with it loaded and see how it goes. If this backpacking thing doesn't end up making me into quasi-handicapped, maybe I'll upgrade to a bigger pack I'm used to my horses carrying all the packs!! hee hee.
Sleeping bags - again, being tall I think that might become an issue. After reading all these posts, I settled on a 20 degree synthetic, "long". I may need to get a man's bag, and maybe a lighter bag as well but I suppose I can purchase a cheaper bag later...I wanted to have enough gear so I can start hiking with my pack loaded up, a little more each time.
Anyhow, this forum has been so helpful to me. Thank you everyone.

Too late for Blooty, but for those who stumble along this thread, I'll throw in the good word for my Vapor Ki.

I'm 5'7" and this one fit well.

Yet another Osprey woman here - mine fit like a glove from day one (the folks at REI did a fine job helping me choose the size). I'm 5'7" and have had infrequent lower back problems in the past. Whether I pack it lighter or heavier - the Ariel performs great!

I got the Osprey and it fits okay, worked well for me last weekend. I want to know how the heck you condition your feet and shins to go downhill for 10 plus miles every day for multiple days (uphill not included) carrying 40lbs on your back. I sure could've used a good foot massage by the time I got home.

Hiya, Tracy! The answer to that is practice, practice, practice. The tibialis anterior, which is the muscle on the front of your shin, is perhaps one of the least-trained muscles in the body (I mean via weight or resistance training), yet it is responsible, along with the tibialis posterior, for acting as the 'braking mechanism' for your foot after the heel hits the ground. By adding 40lbs of a pack in the mix, you are forced to control an even greater amount of momentum as you plummet downhill.

I would recommend strengthening exercises for these muscles (such as pulling your toes and ankles back against resistance like a stretchy band), but also try some sand dune walking. You might also want to be evaluated by your MD or a PT for possible orthotics, if it's called for. Sometimes simple inserts in the shoes can help with positioning, which can unload the muscles a bit.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

-L

Great info, thank you! I have a desk job so maybe I can get away with the rubber band exercises - Not many sand dunes in these parts. I'll keep conditioning on the hills with the pack - ugh

Hi all-

I loved hearing other people recognize that an extra pound or two with a better fit is TOTALLY worth it. I do work part time at REI..but before working there I had purchased a gregory pack. It was way back in the day before they started calling the men's and women's packs different names. Anyway, I rec this pack to anyone who runs a little larger...their lower back piece does a great job for most women with some "curves" (booty) and i find the pack wraps me well. I rec the osprey packs for the leaner body type...obvi make sure to try on a few different types of packs and you will feel the difference.

Also, don't ever hesitate to try men's stuff...especially if you are over 5'6"...watch the girth in sleeping bags- because they do tend to be more narrow...but besides that in bags and packs its just a height adjustment..a men's small frame would fit most women at 5'6"...same with boots- wider foot will benefit from a man's boot.

As for training- great tips from Moosetracks on shin stuff...I also found some of the best strength training I have done for backpacking is body weight squats, wall sits, and single leg body weight squats (may have single handedly saved my first long backpacking trip).

I am also an Osprey girl. I have the Exposure 66 which is a unisex pack but I replaced the hip belt with the Osprey women’s belt. I use this pack for more technical climbing (phenomenal features for tech gear) and also for overnighters. I have an Osprey Daylite pack that attaches to the Exposure 66 which creates a nice pocket on the back of the pack and converts to a summit pack. The hip belt of the 66 pack is interchangeable with the Daylite pack making for a very comfortable summit pack.
Specs for Exposure 66 size S: cu. in. – 3800 and lbs/oz - 3/10
Specs for Daylite: cu. in. – 750 and lbs/oz - 1/5

I use a Mountain Hardwear Sortie pack for my one day hikes unless it is a short hike in which case I use the Osprey Daylite. The Sortie has a large two sided zip pocket on the back of the pack.
Specs for MH Sortie: cu. in. - 2400 and lbs/oz - 3/7

Between the Osprey Exposure 66 and the MH Sortie, the Osprey is more comfortable. I also have back problems and the Exposure 66 with the women’s hip belt is perfect for me.

Sidenote: It seems that many of the newer packs have the Aircomfort suspension systems which I feel would make the pack challenging to stuff. Also, in trying one on, I felt the weight was not close enough to my lower back and it felt like the pack was pulling me back. I do understand the idea to keep one's back dry.