Comments on: hiking backpack help?

By: campaholicone2000

campaholicone2000 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:31:59 +0000

I have a brother in law (and his entire family) in Nigeria right now, and have been since last August and won’t return until this July/Aug. I have had friends whose teenage kids spent 2-3 aweeks in Kenya with church groups as well. Since we don’t know what you’re up to over there, and you didn’t ask for help or advice on that, I’ll stick to the question:

Your question was about a backpack, so here is my advice:

If there is any way at all that you can go to an REI store or other similar store, I would recommend that. If the pack you get doesn’t fit properly, you’ll be miserable. If you must buy online, some of the online stores will offer "fit help" on the site – they’ll tell you what size of torso works best for a particular pack. Definitely pay attention to the measurements.

That being said, you can get great deals from Sierra Trading Post, and their shipping is prompt. (REI is quick too). If you’re worried about making sure you get the right pack, order 2 different ones, and send back the one you don’t like:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/311,66801_Marmot-Diva-35-Backpack-For-Women.html

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/311,85633_Indigo-Equipment-Betty-Rox-60-Backpack-For-Women.html

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/311,85818_Gregory-Maven-Backpack-For-Women.html

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/311,85850_Mountainsmith-Scarlet-Backpack-Internal-Frame-For-Women.html

There are tons more…

Good luck!
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By: GARY V

GARY V — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:20:59 +0000

The style of pack is important, there are 3 types, soft, frame in pack, and external frame, I strongly suggest the external frame design, the balance is great, nearly all weight is transferred to your hips and not your shoulders, thus carrying a bigger load if need be, the pack can also be taken off the frame making the frame use full for hauling wood , water, game animals and so on, I use mine alot for camping , hunting. it has seen some rather tough areas, Alaska, New Foundland, Colorado , dont skimp on pack size, its always nice to have some extra room than over load something small
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By: V C

V C — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:04:59 +0000

Uganda is so un-stable I’d avoid it unless your group has trained and armed security / military protection.

Will you be living in a tent with no running water, laundry or facilities? or is it a fairly modern camp?

What’s the longest you’ve been camping before? (RV or Campgrounds doesn’t count)
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By: Peter K

Peter K — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:22:59 +0000

To be honest if you are going to Africa in the wild for a month please look for professional help on how to pack your stuff in stead of asking for help here. I am not sure how far you will be away from base camp, but you might get yourself or someone else’s life in danger by packing the wrong stuff.

I served 4 years in the Marines, and I went to Iraq three times as a infantry man. I went though training in the snow and in the sand. For anyone else that is reading this, unless you have more experiences than me. Please don’t give her any advice on how to pack for her own safety. Thanks
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By: Mooooooo :)

Mooooooo :) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:35:59 +0000

dont bother packing heaps of clothes. you wont need them.
just pack the bare essentials. you wont want to carry it all around for a month !
trust me its annoying !
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personal experience.