Winter Backpack Help

[HikingBryan]

Hello Guys and Gals,

I've done a basic search, and have found some preliminary info, but would like to ask a few questions regarding winter backpacks.

I'm currently using an Osprey Atmos 65, and I like it very much. I have had great luck with it during the warmer months where gear is lighter/smaller, and it has treated me well on winter day hikes (not carying overnight gear).

I'm planning on doing a considerable amount of winter hiking this year, with several overnights. Some of these will be with full downhill gear (65+ lbs) I need a beefier a larger pack.

That said, I'm curious what volume packs you guys like for winter weekends. I'm looking at the Gregory Whitney 95, the Arc-Teryx Bora 80 (whoa, $$$$), and the Osprey Argon series.

What do you want to see in a winter pack other than volume/suspension?
What are you currently using, and how do you like it?

I'd love to jump on the REI winter sale (20% off single item) in combination with a $40 credit I have.

Any thoughts or advice?

Thanks,

Bryan

 

[Chip]

For quite a while I used a Lowe Alpinne Contour 90 + 15. You might find one on ebay. It was very expandable, could carry anything and could be kept to a low profile if you weren't carrying much. Only drawback was it's weight. For Rainier I ungraded to a Osprey Aether 85 and am very happy with it, much lighter, but don't feel it's as bomb and idiot proof as the Contour was.

 

[ADKdremn]

I've been using a 60L pack from Cilogear for a couple years now and love it! Very light weight, expands to carry all your weekend stuff and then compresses for just your essential summit gear without feeling all sloppy. It takes a little patience to figure these packs out as they are very versatile. The company is based in NYC and if you contact them you will most likely hear back from the owner, not often that that happens! I've been very impressed with mine.

 

[DSettahr]

For quite a while I used a Lowe Alpinne Contour 90 + 15. You might find one on ebay. It was very expandable, could carry anything and could be kept to a low profile if you weren't carrying much. Only drawback was it's weight. For Rainier I ungraded to a Osprey Aether 85 and am very happy with it, much lighter, but don't feel it's as bomb and idiot proof as the Contour was.

I've been thinking about purchasing this to replace my current winter backpack. I've heard good things about it, and I have a friend who uses one and he's been very pleased with it. I have several other Lower Alpine packs and have been very satisfied with them.

 

[Chip]

I've been thinking about purchasing this to replace my current winter backpack.

The Lowe Alpine ? Yeah, they seem to have a bit of a following.

 

[NewHampshire]

5600 cu.in. pack for me. It is an EMS store brand. Like it, though I wish it were a tad bigger, or I need to get a down -20 sleeping bag (because the synthetic I have now is extremly bulky and eats up a lot of pack space )

Brian

 

[Jason Berard]

... I ungraded to a Osprey Aether 85 and am very happy with it, much lighter, but don't feel it's as bomb and idiot proof as the Contour was.

This is what I have, and I like it a lot.

 

[HikingBryan]

How much weight can you get in the aether comfortably?
Full winter gear for a few nights?

 

[TomD]

I had a Bora 80 and sold it after one trip-too heavy and didn't really fit me right. (I got it in trade for some work, so cost wasn't an issue, but they are really big money, as you know.)

I am too small to carry a big, heavy pack. I tow a sled instead and highly recommend doing that. However, I saw a mention of downhill gear, so don't know how that fits into the picture.

 

[HikingBryan]

Yeah, it IS big money for an 80. I like Arc'Teryx clothing very much but have not tried any of their hiking/climbing gear...

To be honest, I like the Gregory Whitney 95. It has the volume, seems to be rated for the weight, and looks like it can pack down given a lesser than full load. I also like the suspension system. What worries me is that a few have left less than favorable reviews regarding the build quality. I've always been under the impression that Gregory made good gear and stood by their products...

Has anyone any experience with the Whitney or the Palisade?

 

[Chip]

That said, I'm curious what volume packs you guys like for winter weekends. I'm looking at the Gregory Whitney 95, the Arc-Teryx Bora 80 (whoa, $$$$), and the Osprey Argon series.

I had looked at the Gregory Whitney at the time, but never tried one. I bought and sold a Gregory Denali, which may have been a mistake, I just thought it was overkill for my needs and didn't need the extra weight and features. I've carried at least 55lbs in the Osprey Aether on a couple of occasions (not that that's so much, just saying what I carried) with no problem. I'm sure the Aether could carry at least 65. If you want more than that you're probably needing the Denali, maybe Whitney.

Oh, I own lighter packs with less volume for overnighters and such; a Kelty Shadow and an old Kelty external frame. For winter multi-nights with gear, a tent etc I definately like the larger volume packs. I'm not as efficient and light weight as some, I'm sure.

 

[dug]

I do not own an Arc'Tyrex pack, but I do own an Osprey ski pack (Switch 40+15). I had intended on buying an Arc'Tyrex when I ended up in the Osprey. My hiking partner has both Arc'Tyrex (about same volume as mine) and the Osprey he references. He has had some trouble with the Osprey, but I don't think he's fit the pack right. There are a few bells in whistles that need to be tuned in. Both the Osprey and Arc'Tyrex are great quality and very well thought out. I do love my ski pack. So, there are votes for the company.

When my time comes, it will be between one of those two manufacturers. For now, I am another one still in a Lowe's Countour IV. I swear, it has to be the most popular, longest-lasting pack. A simple pack, I wouldn't call it the most comfortable, it's rather stiff and carries like a dead pig, but it's has never failed me in 15 years so I can't complain. Random sampling from an 8-person trip to Alaska:

-(4) Lowe Countour IVs (or an earlier version of Lowe that had no writing left )
-(1) Lowe (New model, same pack, don't recall name)
-(1) Osprey Atmos
-(1) Arc'Tyrex Bora
-(1) Cabella's Frame Pack

All carried 70 lbs bushwacking well. Guess which one carried the rifle?

 

[HikingBryan]

Thanks for the response...

While I do like the idea of having the room of a 95, I wonder how well it will function when not FULLY packed? Though, with my -20 down bag and winter tent, the room gets eaten up quickly...

Can anyone out there comment on less than full expedition size packs, and how well they ride?

One other concern I notice with the Arc'Teryx is the lack of daisy chain for attacking snow shoes and crampons. Can anyone comment?

 

[TomD]

Another interesting pack is the Kelty Cloud. This is the Kelty white modular spectra pack. New, $800, (not a misprint) but available occasionally on eBay or other used stuff sites. I have seen one once in person. All of the pockets come off it and you can strip it down to just the bag and it is very light. The pack with all the pockets attached is 5250 cc which is about 85L.

The Cloud is kind of an outlier for Kelty. It costs 4 times what their other packs-the Red Cloud line, cost.

BTW, I looked on eBay and some company is selling these packs for $900 or $100 over retail, which is ridiculous. I've seen them go for about $200, usually being sold by someone who didn't know anything about them.

You could also look at Cilogear or McHale's packs. The McHale packs are also incredibly pricey.

 

[sardog1]

For now, I am another one still in a Lowe's Countour IV. I swear, it has to be the most popular, longest-lasting pack. A simple pack, I wouldn't call it the most comfortable, it's rather stiff and carries like a dead pig, but it's has never failed me in 15 years so I can't complain.

Ditto on all counts, except:

1. Prolly more than 15 years for me. (I think 41 might even have been Prez when my wife gave it to me as a gift?)
2. I don't notice it when I'm wearing it.

And it rides like a dream while I'm on skis and snowshoes.

I keep wishing it would wear out, so I could experience the "pleasure" of purchasing a new large pack. And likewise for my Lowe Alpine Vision 40, a pack so good that they apparently had to stop making it in order to sell some others.

 

[Chip]

The Kelty Cloud is, probably, a whole other subject. It may be worth the money if money was not an object. Apparently SAR teams use it. I hope to be able to rationalize a temporary ownership one day.

FWIW: I am not involved, no idea who the owners are, the condition of the packs, etc...but... there are 2 Lowe Alpine Contour 90 + 15's on ebay now.

 

[J.Dub]

For quite a while I used a Lowe Alpinne Contour 90 + 15. You might find one on ebay. It was very expandable, could carry anything and could be kept to a low profile if you weren't carrying much. Only drawback was it's weight. For Rainier I ungraded to a Osprey Aether 85 and am very happy with it, much lighter, but don't feel it's as bomb and idiot proof as the Contour was.

I snagged a used-but-not-abused Contour 90+15 for cheap this summer. Only used it once so far -- the hike in/out from Marcy Dam as part of a 3-day ADK's trip (TR here). It wasn't loaded to the max, but I did find it carried very comfortably. Much more so than my smaller EMS Long Trail II.

It'll get tested with the full compliment of winter gear during a Presi traverse in late January, so I'll have more data at that point, but I'm guessing you'll prolly already have a winter pack by then...

 

[AlexTal]

How much weight can you get in the aether comfortably?
Full winter gear for a few nights?

Comfortably is relative term, but I've carried somewhere between 55-65 pounds in my Aether 85 comfortably. That's not a "weekend" load for me though, that's a lot more than I'd normally hope to carry in a weekend (unless I'm going solo in the winter, carrying everything alone jacks up pack weight considerably)

That being said, I've worn a number of packs. The aether seems to fit me the best, considerably better than a number of the bigger, more expensive packs. I love it, it's been with me through a lot. In the summer, it cinches down to almost nothing for a smaller load and doesn't allow a lot of shifting.

I took full advantage of REI's return policy and got a few packs, loaded them up and spent a good amount of time in them. I'd recommend doing that, you'll be able to answer your own question after a few weeks. What fits me won't necessarily be comfortable on the next guy.

 

[Aviarome]

I actually have both the Gregory Whitney and the Arcteryx Bora 65 and 80. The Whitney is the original model from 2001 and it was my first backpack. It is a well made backpack. It's a little heavy for a 5500 pack (as compared to maybe the Osprey Argon/Crescent series). What I love about the pack is that there are many different access points and it can swallow gear like nothing and it is still comfortable to carry. The way the pack is designed is that there are Z-like compression straps on the sides that enable it to be quite efficient when you carry a lesser amount of gear. However, compared to the Bora, it is wider (I think because of the barn door-like side access). The Whitney was my first pack, and at the time, I was hasty in buying a pack and didn't try on enough packs, and so it is actually not the best fitting pack for me. However, the suspension system is awesome and is basically the same one used in the Denali. Plus, this model Whitney is bomber. The material feels stronger and more durable than the current ones (which I think they made the switch to appease the weight conscious). In fact, I was looking at the new Osprey Argon series, and I have concerns about the durability of their material for mountaineering and rigorous hiking.

I then went up to MEC when the Canadian dollar was weak and was able to buy the Arcteryx Bora 65 for an incredible value and proceeded to buy the Bora 80 a year later. The Boras are my go to packs because they actually fit me very well. They are also a little heavy compared to the other companies, but they really fit me well. The hipbelts articulate very well when you bend side-to-side or scramble up rocks, and I like the narrower profile. For convenience sake, I also use it more often because it also has a water bladder pocket, where as the first generation Whitney does not, though I guess I could sew one on. FYI, there are two daisy chains on the Bora series that run on either side of the pack. I can tie my snowshoes or crampons quite easily to it, and I've considered running a bungee cord, but haven't done that yet. The fabric is also bomber and it's rather weatherproof cause it seems like there is a laminate. The big problem I have with the Bora is that the side pockets are not deep and a nalgene easily falls out. The side access isn't the best either, and I rarely use it.

For what it's worth, both packs are fantastic. Just check the fit and I think you won't be disappointed with either one. I was actually thinking about selling my Whitney on Ebay, but if you're interested, send me a PM and I can give you more info.

Aviarome

 

[nazdarovye]

I have a Bora 65 and Osprey Exposure 66, and I'm now leaning toward the Osprey as the better pack for my needs in winter, and definitely for other times of year when I need to carry a lot of gear (I find the hip belt a lot more comfortable, and the pack is a bit lighter). Haven't seen it mentioned here yet, and it's worth a look.