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I used a kestrel 48 more room than needed, but a 38 will do fine as long as you won't take a sleeping bag. As mentioned above. More of the question will you use it when you return on back country trips. A 38 is not big enough for tent food stove sleeping bag. This will definitely put the walking bug in you.
Have a great time!
The weight differance is not that great between the two packs I would then say the 48 for future use after the Camino.Yes I'm taking a sleeping bag, it's 890g.
I can see where your thinking is going here, but it seems to me a big step from walking the Camino to suddenly becoming a regular bushwalker and needing to carry a tent, cooking gear etc. My feeling is the temptation to fill it will be too great - I know that it is with me if I am not careful - and it would be better to get the smaller pack.The weight differance is not that great between the two packs I would then say the 48 for future use after the Camino.
I agree especially not knowing the country or background of the person. I do have to laugh as we all go as light as we can, but I started finding very good equipment left going out of Sarria. So it added about 2kg & I had the space. But by that time it felt like no added weight. I gifted the items to my hunting partners here as they were GPS units.I can see where your thinking is going here, but it seems to me a big step from walking the Camino to suddenly becoming a regular bushwalker and needing to carry a tent, cooking gear etc. My feeling is the temptation to fill it will be too great - I know that it is with me if I am not careful - and it would be better to get the smaller pack.
@fiona99 has it. Carry a pack big enough for Alaska if it fits your frame, just don't fill it with all that "what if, maybe, might be useful stuff". Note to newbies and aspirant back-packers, most Albergues have kitchen sinks......size only matters if you try to fill it to capacity.
I think you will find that most people here on the forum follow the convention that bare pack weight (ie when loaded but without consumables) includes the weight of the pack itself.I think the empty backpack weight should be included in the total.
RonHi Pete,
I carried a 75litre Gregory pack on my recent Camino and I loved it. It's designed to carry a lot of weight so it was very comfortable. It fit my frame very well (which should be the primary thing that you consider when thinking of buying a pack). Plus, I could pack and repack very easily, it wasn't like a Tetris game where everything would only fit a certain way.
I carried the Osprey 26L Stratos. More than enough for a summer Camino. For a couple of days it even swallowed my hiking boots before I ultimately donated them in Santo Domingo.
I know you want to take your sleeping bag. I bought a similar one. It looked so small and innocent. I'm so glad I left it at home. It would have been unnecessary, and I would have had to mail it back (actually, planning on taking for the mountains and them mailing back from Pamplona is not a bad idea at all).
Ultreia,
Jo Jo
What is the bare weight of the pack? And if you are willing to share, what is your walking weight?I carry a 33 Liter pack (as the size is "small", it is actually a 31 Liter) WITH a sleeping bag. Less, less, less etc.
Then again; I am thinking that large packs also weights more than a smaller pack. And when carrying all stuff all the time, while walking - I think the empty backpack weight should be included in the total.
Comfort is the key to wonderful travel experience, so try different solutions and sizes.
I travel with Minaal 38l and Osprey Farpoint 40 with packboxes for business trips, and both are light weight, with excellent carrying systems.
For the Camino I will use the Osprey Farpoint 40, as it is more rugged and worn and thus more suited for the Camino.
It is easy to purchase additional bag/backpack in Santiago for continued traveling in Europe after the Camino.
my 2 cents.
Currently 82 kg, but that is going down. Never the less, 7kg backpack total weight when full is my limit, less if I can.What is the bare weight of the pack? And if you are willing to share, what is your walking weight?
Pete I never asked but are packs hard to find try were you live? I love my osprey packs I have 3 of them 25/48/84liter but osprey has a new light weight pack called the Exos To clarify I don't sell packs but the 48 is 1.08k the 38 is .98 k they also have a 58. But if you can try & get those to try as well.Currently 82 kg, but that is going down. Never the less, 7kg backpack total weight when full is my limit, less if I can.
The back packs im looking weigh 1.44 kg and 1.58kg respectively.
I have an abundance of choice of different back packs here in London.Pete I never asked but are packs hard to find try were you live? I love my osprey packs I have 3 of them 25/48/84liter but osprey has a new light weight pack called the Exos To clarify I don't sell packs but the 48 is 1.08k the 38 is .98 k they also have a 58. But if you can try & get those to try as well.
As you can see I have a monster pack for month long backcountry stays but that is more for hunting camps. What I really want you to understand is these light weight packs are designed to only carry minimum weight loads & have issues once you reach close to 20k. So if you plan on becoming a turtle like me you will end up needing an extra room just to store all this crap.
One thing with the kestrel when you put 12kg in it adjust the straps that adjust the bag to the shoulder straps at the top of your shoulders make sure the bag is not far out & away from your body, otherwise you will be hunched over to compensate for the weight pulling you back wards. By using a heavy load to walk it around the store you will learn the value of using all those straps to keep your load tight & close to the body.I have an abundance of choice of different back packs here in London.
There's so much choice it's overwhelming.
I like the Kestrels from Osprey, wasn't too keen on the 38L Exos if I'm being honest.
On Monday when I revisit the camping retailer to try the Kestrel 38 and 48, I may choose one of them.
But, if neither feel right then I'll pick a different brand. But I think the size I'm going for is ok, I just need to see how full the 38L is with my gear. As in, is the bag bulging to the point I should go for 48L.
Whilst I'm aiming to keep weight down, volume of my gear may mean a larger bag.
Hi Doug,Ron
Which Gregory pack was that, and what was your bare pack weight?
Hi Fiona,Take whatever sits comfortably on your back when fully packed with what you intend to take and worn for seven hours per day.....mine is 60l quarter full and comfortable all day long.....size only matters if you try to fill it to capacity. Just my opinion sure others will dis agree x Buen Camino
Ron, there seemed to be a couple of 75li packs on the Gregory website, one quite light for its volume, and the other similar in weight to packs that I have around that size. The weight difference seems to be around 800gm, which is a reasonable amount extra to carry.I honestly couldn't tell you the name or what it weighs. It's in our storage locker now so I can't go check.
When I was shopping for a pack, the only considerations I had was whether it fit me well and was it comfortable. The fact that it was 10, 20, 30 or however many grams heavier than another pack was irrelevant to me.
It's kinda like my shoes. I know they were Merrels. I have no idea what style or brand they were or what they weighed. They fit me well and were comfortable. That all I needed to know.
I can say I agree with you partly, yes it does teach to pack lightly. But there is an element of competition in folks trying to get to the lightest pack when the factor of a little space makes things easy & comfortable.Also if you should need a bigger pack later ... oh, wait, why would you? Walking with a smaller pack and nothing but essentials will teach you to pack better for other adventures too, hence my move from a 44 to a 30 litre pack for travel, camino walking and other -even camping - trips.
It is worth thinking about walking poles, more so if you need to reduce the load on your lower joints.My personal reason for packing light is that my knees aren't the best
Oh no! Your knee issue is some very critical info.Some great points made by Nidarosa and MTtoCamino.
My personal reason for packing light is that my knees aren't the best, and i'm prone to blistering. Therefore like a sponge I have been soaking up lots and lots of advice from this forum from those that have completed the Camino, as well as advice from retailers such as Cotswold Outdoors in terms of pack fitting etc.
My aim is to pack a couple of things like a deck of card, and in my experience from my long haul travels backpacking this is one of the essentials, as is a sense of humour!!
But essentially I do want to pack light so save my poor knees from as much discomfort as is possible, hence I am going to use a walking pole too.
Off topic; I'm testing out various equipment and accessories before I head out on the Camino. So last night I tested the Lifeventure Shampoo Leaves, only £3 for a box of 50 shampoo leaves. Thought it was a nifty idea, and its lightweight.
However, the issue is (obviously) that when you take the leaves from the box you have to do this with dry hands/ fingers.
How many people have dry hands as they reach for a bottle of shampoo ... in normal cases!?
It was a quick no no for me.
I could just see myself getting the box of shampoo leaves wet, they'll congeal and that will be the end of what was in theory a good idea. Trying to keep the product dry when you're attempting to shower would be a real pain.
So i'm going to stick to a 100ml bottle All purpose liquid soap.
Oh no! Your knee issue is some very critical info.
You have taught me a very good lesson, not to assume you are the human pack animal I am. I want this to be the best walk you have ever taken. So with all the great people I met with knee issues, please start out slowly use the very smallest lightest pack you can get the least amount of stuff in. Be prepared to pay for knee braces at the local pharmacies & consider starting in Pamplona.
Using luggage straps to cinch it up, my Kelty Redwing (50 liters) was carry-on legal and I had no problem carrying it on when flying to Paris and then Biarritz. Threw out the straps on arrival, so I checked the pack coming home.I believe that 36l is the largest volume that will make it as carry-on luggage.
Yes the slower you take the training schedule & progress the better it is in the long run the tough part it seems is the daily routine. But in the end if you maintain it seems to make it stick for a life time habit.Indeed, and to that end I have already started taking precautions in my training which only started this week.
To go into a bit more detail, my training is progressive and slow and is as such;
Treadmill at the gym - walking 5 km's at a steady pace of a 15 minute/ Km.
No backpack, just my trekking shoes and Bridgedale socks so that I can break in my new footwear.
I'll do this for a couple of weeks.
Progress to 10km's at a steady pace of 15 minute/ km.
Again no back pack.
I'll do this for a couple of weeks.
Should easily have broken in my new trekking shoes after a month of this at 3 session per week in the gym, and subject to no blistering and no knee issues I'll take to the streets to walk by the road, and through local parks on grassland again starting with a 5km walk, and if all seems well i'll step that up to 10km walk.
Bound to be more impact on my knees walking tarmac and paved streets so as long as I don't suffer with knee issues, that's when i'll add my back pack and start walking, try a 5km walk and see how it goes, then building up to longer and longer walks.
As the year progresses i'll mix the training up with back to back days walking (weekends).
You might ask why all the kerfuffle with the progressive itinerary, well, I don't want to worsen or cause unnecessary injury to my knees. So taking it easy with a training schedule that slowly conditions me is better, listen to my body and go with it.
After all, I do have 11 months to prep for my walk, which I intend to do May/ June 2016.
Do you mean walk kinda side ways like a crab as you descend lol. Small steps with your walking pole in front to steady you?
Or do you literally mean walk zig zag which to me seems like exerting more energy.
But I'm here to learn from those that know.
I am no expert on this, but basically you are reducing the effective slope. This is because you extend the distance taken to cover the same rise or fall. The same effect happens when going up or down hill on a steep roadway. If you walk on the outside of the curve, the road won't be as steep as on the inside, and easier to walk. If you haven't thought of this, look at the difference next time you walk such a road, eg where it bends sharply back on itself, and compare the differences between the slope on the inside and outside of the curve.Nope, I have had to do the 'like a crab descent' lol but not on the camino. What I meant was you do a zigzagging descent and it's easier on the knees. Yes, you cover more ground but it seems to be easier somehow. All the peeps who had knee problems swore by it, that's all I know. Help, the experts? Lol
You askedPhew, thank you Dougfiz
Using luggage straps to cinch it up, my Kelty Redwing (50 liters) was carry-on legal and I had no problem carrying it on when flying to Paris and then Biarritz. Threw out the straps on arrival, so I checked the pack coming home.
Karl
From the Osprey web site:My guess is most people would need a tape measure to see the difference.
From the Osprey web site:
Both are over the 115cm linear dimension maximum used by some airlines, although the 38li is not that much bigger. I guess it will depend on the airline staff at check in or boarding whether it is going to be allowed on as cabin baggage.
- Kestral 48 dimensions: 71 x 33 x 33 (cm)
- Kestral 38 dimensions: 70 x 30 x 28 (cm)
From the Osprey web site:
Both are over the 115cm linear dimension maximum used by some airlines, although the 38li is not that much bigger. I guess it will depend on the airline staff at check in or boarding whether it is going to be allowed on as cabin baggage.
- Kestral 48 dimensions: 71 x 33 x 33 (cm)
- Kestral 38 dimensions: 70 x 30 x 28 (cm)
Hi
Hi Fiona,
If you're only filling a 60L pack a quarter of the way, then you're carrying all that extra weight unnecessarily it would seem.
The reason why I want to take the optimum size pack is so that over all I keep the pack weight to a minimum.
No sense in me buying a large pack and paying more (even if it's comforts me) only to find that I only fill it a quarter or half to capacity.
Here in the UK the cost of everything is high, Internet shopping does help save money, but the cheapest I can get a Kestrel pack is £86. In the store it's £100 - £110.
Hence I don't want to buy big and pay more.
I first learned the word "switchback" when descending with more experienced hikers into the Grand Canyon. It can be used as a verb or a noun:I know what you mean and do this myself - you basically walk across the road/track in a zigzag or slalom way instead of taking the descent head on. Not as hard on the knees because it is not so steep that way.
I have read this thread with interest, as I am deciding what I shall take for my fall camino. I appreciate @dougfitz's comment that an autumn walk may require 25-50% more pack weight. I have struggled with trying to cut pack contents radically. This is funny, as I have never wanted or attempted to be a ultra-light backpacker and my load for the camino promises to be about half of what I carry for a backcounty trip. Should I leave out the set of long underwear? What about that spare (3rd) pair of soft wool socks? Last night, I woke in the night unable to sleep because my feet were cold and I had to get up to put some socks on. That settled that. I don't want to sleep cold. If I arrive in an unheated albergue late in the day soaking wet and freezing, I want a warm set of long underwear and dry wool socks to snuggle into and sleep in. Maybe I could lighten the weight if I shopped for the lightest available options in everything and ignored the cost. But I cannot do that. Oddly enough, after all the effort and thought, I am going back to my usual focus on comfort over weight, within reason. But thanks for helping me think it through.
Altar irk, post your bad' sur content, and we mY be a le to give you a few food ideas. i am with toi, a good night's sleep is essential. But there might be a way to use the same items in multiple ways.
8 liter with molle attatchment is my gold standard pack.
Have not got this yet but am getying closet every day.
(Have you thought about changing your name to Altar Irk? It has an interesting ring to it.)I think that you are inviting me to list my bag contents.
(Have you thought about changing your name to Altar Irk? It has an interesting ring to it.)
You are experienced with hiking and backpacking, but if you are interested in ideas about how to reduce load, here are mine... I completely respect that some necessities for me may be frivolities to you, and vice versa. So I'm not trying to radically change what you're planning to carry.
You didn't mention gloves. I carry 2 pairs of very light liner gloves, one of them merino. I used them many days late in October.
- At 290 g, the dry bag /day pack seems heavier than necessary. If you want to send your load ahead, consider removing all the contents and putting them in a large simple dry bag or pack liner. Send that bag ahead, and carry only what you need for the day in your tried and true regular backpack. I did this from SJPP to Roncesvalles last year, and was told that people often even use plastic garbage bags to send ahead. I still take a drawstring backpack (60 g) with me for shopping, cities, etc., but I wouldn't consider using it for the day on the camino. It is not adequate for walking all day.
- I agree with the number of layers you have. The Icebreaker shirt is on the heavy side, but I think if I had one in my closet, I might take it anyway. However, if you have a lighter weight shirt to provide that layer of warmth, consider taking it instead, as well as a separate hat or buff.
- Maybe you have more laundry things than necessary. I like to reduce clutter as much as weight, and fast get tired of asking myself "where did I put this or that" or thinking that I should use the stopper because I am carrying it. I am content to wash my clothes fast with a sock stuffed in the drain hole, and hang them creatively. I probably have 10 diaper pins distributed strategically throughout my belongings). Laundry soap should be available wherever there's a washing machine.
- The glucosamine and vitamins are heavy (and bulky). Ask your doctor if a month without, or with a reduced intake, would be a problem.
- I don't carry trowel or plastic containers. (I've been tempted to take a food container, but have told myself not to indulge this love of organization. I will have to live with a squashed tomato or two.) I just carry 1 or 2 small water bottles purchased in Spain, never exceeding a total of 600 mL.
- Your spare Nike shoes are something I expect you've thought carefully about and have good reason for. (If not, consider leaving them and taking crocs or something similar. I have a pair that are much less conspicuous than brand name neon crocs.) Or, can you remove the Nike liners and use the same innersoles from your regular boots?
- Brierley - Consider tearing it apart and leaving some pages behind. I carry the map book version as I like to look at a paper map throughout the day. Your ipad mini can hold all the extra reading.
SPOT emergency beacon
Doug .... As ever useful info thank you.
So many variables and factors to consider.
I'm also aware that I like to have my pack as carry on not checked in.
But, I may have to compromise this over having a pack that meets more important criteria.
But all advice will be considered.
The Spot may be more of a comfort/visual for family left behind at home. My wife has indicated she'd be interested so as to keep track of my wanderings. I'm doing the Primitivo late September from Oviedo, and have read that route has some remote (i.e., cell free) stretches.A spot emergency beacon? Really? The Camino is rural, but it sure isn't remote like parts of the US and Canada, we use them for racing on dirt bikes, ATV's, buggies, and trucks because they do go into remote areas.
That's good to know, ad I just purchased one for my Camino.My Deuter ACT lite 40+10 is perfect for my purposes.
I used an Osprey Stratos 24 liter backpack from August through September 2015 on the camino. A smaller pack means less weight from the get go, and really forces you to limit yourself to exactly what you need and prevents you from picking up items on the way. 24 liters seemed to be just exactly perfect for my camino.
... I'm bringing an ENO hammock ...
There are very few places you can put up a hammock or where it would be useful, spare the extra weight and leave it at home. Buen Camino, SY
Sigh, please consider that the place you want to hang your hammock does belong to somebody who might doesn't want your hammock there. Buen Camino, SY
No worries. I'm a very polite & considerate hammocker.
You wrote "I am very creative when it comes to hanging my hammock. Trees, fences, sign posts." so what does polite mean in that context? SY
I don't have an issue with you personally, please believe me. Neither do I have an issue with people that choose alternative accommodation to albergues. But please consider something also: 250,000+ (more than a quarter of a million !!! pilgrims) walk, bike or ride the camino each year. And people live on this camino. In its villages and towns. And frankly, many of those people are tired of finding pilgrims in their backyard, in tents, in hammocks, in whatever. The Camino de Santiago goes through urban areas mostly and please, please consider the people that live there. Just try to see the camino through their eyes, from their perspective. Buen Camino, SY
Oh yeah and ciento gramo Jamon Ibirico... I used Kestrel 38... also great pillow.Another vote for the 38. It will make you rethink everything you bring with you - have a look at all the packinglists and comments on this forum. I started with a 44L for seven days and recently did three weeks with a 30 litre pack (without sleeping bag, but I still had room for it). You really don't need any more space for a sleeping bag, a spare set of clothing, jacket and rain gear, wash bag and a pair of sandals. You can even get a bocadillo and a banana in there, I bet!
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