Now I've Done It - Pack Purchase

[SA Bill]

Man...I gotta get off of this computer! I keep finding good deals on the stuff I need for the overnight S Rim trip in October. I'm down about $150.00 for tonight but I got the Eureka! Solitaire1 tent earlier tonight and I just rolled the dice and bought a Marmot Eiger 65 (used) for a good price. It's probably heavier than some packs but you get what you pay for and I didn't want to pay a lot!

Like the tent, I'll evaluate it once it arrives and decide if it will be okay for me. If not, I can always turn around and sell it. I'm hoping it will be okay for a one night S Rim trip. I'll load it up and hike around the neighborhood with it. Why not...the neighbors wonder about me already...hiking all over with the trekking poles.

Anyways...if it isn't gonna work, I'll do the right thing and go to a store and actually try on multiple packs to find the right one for me. Of course that will be much more expensive in the long run but might lead to a better fit which is what a pack is all about.

Remember, I'm from the old school and my last "good" backpack was a multi-pocketed, external frame behemoth from REI that weighed at least 6 pounds empty. Even if the Marmot is a middle-of-the-road internal frame pack, I'm probably still ahead of the game compared to my past experiences.

Any thoughts on the Eiger 65?
 http://marmot.com/spring_2007/equipment/packs/mountain/eiger_65/overview

Okay...I'm going to bed now!
Thanks!
Bill

[Al]

Bill, you're good to go.  Don't forget the trash bag(s)!

Al

[jeffblaylock]

I'm hoping it will be okay for a one night S Rim trip....

Almost anything is okay for a one-night trip almost anywhere.

For my 10-day backpack in Yosemite, I took a GoLite Odyssey and was impressed at how it held up, comfortably held 21-30 pounds (depending on how much food and water I was carrying), and how easy it was to pack and unpack. With my sleeping bag in the bottom and sleeping pad lashed to it, it would actually stand up, making it very easy to load and unload. It swallowed my ballast bear cannister, even on its side, and held all my gear without even using the extension collar.

On shorter treks, including my last two-nighter in Big Bend, I took a smaller, lighter (now discontinued) GoLite model. It didn't comfortably carry all the water I needed but was fine after the first day.

The tendency, even for 1-night trips, is to over-pack. Don't skimp on insulating clothing (and dry clothing for camp), but put everything else in a harsh light. Just because you have space in your pack doesn't mean you have to fill it.