Can a bargain Kelty compete with a state-of-the-art Osprey? Only one way to find out...load it up and strap it on! (David Shedd photo)

Go to any major outdoor retailer’s site, and check out the “extended trip” packs.  65 liters…80 liters…maybe even 90 liters.  Those are big packs, designed to allow you to go out for a week, hike the Appalachian Trail, fun stuff like that.  But up in the rarefied atmosphere at the very top of the hill are a few packs that are over 100 liters.  These are “monster packs”…capable of carrying weights that sane people wouldn’t consider.  Why in the world would anyone want one of these behemoths, anyway???

Well, three reasons.  The first is situations where you need to carry someone else’s stuff.  That might be a trip with the kids, an aging parent,  a much smaller spouse, or someone who has no experience backpacking and you don’t want to scare them with a heavy pack the first time out.  The second is carrying large loads in to a remote cabin or camp for a relatively short distance; it’s a great way to stock the pantry!  And the third, near and dear to our hearts, is winter camping.  Simply put, there’s a LOT of bulk involved.  Sleeping bag, two sleeping pads, thick fleece camp clothes; a smaller pack just doesn’t cut it in winter.  You CAN do it…but a monster pack makes it a lot easier!

The problem, though, is that monster packs are typically very expensive…again, for three reasons.  They’re bigger…more material, more straps and buckles, more pockets, more hand labor to build them.  They need to be designed to handle heavy loads…with all that room, you can stuff lots of heavy items inside, so stitching has to be reinforced, hipbelts need to be thicker and sturdier, etc.  And they sell a lot fewer of them, so the economy of scale is off the chart.  Most packs of this size will run in the $400-500 range; the Osprey Argon 110 being right in there at $419.  That’s a big hit on your wallet…and is it worth it?  And are there any options?

Turns out that there IS one option…the Kelty Red Cloud 6650.  That’s 6650, as in cubic inches…or 108 liters.  A true monster, its suggested retail price is half what the others in the category are…$210, direct from Kelty.  And Campmor and BackCountry Edge have them for even less!  That’s getting down into the price range of some of the daypacks you can buy.  Can it really be any good?  Kelty’s long been a favorite of mine…I still own two of their tents, and had one of their external frame packs for years (still have it for people to borrow, actually!).  They’ve always been high value for the dollar, so…maybe it WILL be a good pack.  Ah…product testing…we love it!

Truly a side-by-side test; Tim on the left with the Osprey, me on the right with the Kelty. And our sweethearts with lighter packs, up ahead of us, laughing at our loads! (Elaine Eisenbraun photo)

Luckily, it’s winter, and we had a trip planned to the Merck Forest, so the timing was perfect to put it through its paces, side-by-side with the Osprey.  Long-time readers will probably know that the Argon 110 is on our “Favorite Things” list.  I’ve carried over 90 pounds in it up to the Black Mountain Cabin with no discomfort, other than very tired legs.  The suspension system is incredible; I don’t have much for hips, which makes holding a backpack up on them a challenge, but that belt snugs in over them beautifully.  The design of the pack allows the weight to be carried very close to the back, following the curve of the spine…so the load doesn’t tend to shift and throw you off balance when you duck sideways to avoid an overhanging branch.  There’s a strap for everything; you can attach ice axes, snowshoes, cross country skis, whatever your heart desires.  The strap arrangement also does an excellent job of shrinking the pack if you’re carrying a more “normal” load…so, this is a great pack not just for monster trips, but also for general overnight use.  Flaws?  Some of the ways that the straps work are counterintuitive and asymmetrical, leading to a certain amount of headscratching as you try to figure out the best way to stow & attach items.  If that’s the worst thing I can find to say about a pack, it’s clearly a great product!

But…for half the price…is the Kelty a giant killer?  Out of the box, it’s an impressive looking beast.  It’s got the de rigeur features you’d expect in a high-end pack…hydration pouch, top lid that converts to a lumbar pack, sleeping bag compartment, compression straps all over, loops for lashing things to.  All those compression straps also allow for shrinking the pack, so it’ll be useful for more “normal” use, too.  It’s got quite the array of pockets as well; it would probably take as long to figure out the best use for all of them as it does to figure out the straps on the Osprey.  One very neat feature is that one of the loops on the back of the pack doubles as a carry handle; big packs don’t usually carry well as suitcases, but this one does!  And then there’s the suspension.  Kelty calls it the “Cloudlock 2″, and I have no idea why…but it works.  It is, hands down, the easiest to adjust to torso length that I’ve ever seen.  Turn the pack on its back, grab the strap in the center, loosen the Velcro, slide it up or down the appropriate amount, secure the Velcro…you’re done.  Impressive!

The rest of the suspension comes in with another “impressive”…but also with the caveat “for the price”.  The hip belt is definitely not in the same league as the Osprey’s.  But it kicks the daylights out of my old Mountainsmith; fits snugly around my waist, supports the load on my hips well.  The shaping of the belt isn’t the same as the Argon’s, though, and I had to tighten the waist belt more to get it to stay put.  It wasn’t uncomfortable, not by a long shot…but not as comfortable as the Argon’s.  Still with the pack loaded to 85 plus pounds, it felt solid and planted on my hips; that’s something I definitely wouldn’t have felt with my Mountainsmith.

Visibly different, the Kelty is tall and narrow while the Osprey is wide and deep. But which works better? (David Shedd photo)

On the trail, the differences between the packs became more obvious.  The Kelty is a tall, narrow pack; the Osprey,  shorter and deeper.  That forces more of the load in the Kelty to be carried high up over the shoulders.  There’s another concern about that shape, as well; if your winter sleeping bag has a compression stuff sack that makes it short and fat, it can be difficult to get into the sleeping bag compartment.  However, given the price of the pack, if THAT’S the only problem, another stuff sack of a different shape is a cheap solution!   Not surprisingly, given the different shape, the incredible stability with heavy loads that the Argon 110 has just isn’t there in the same way with the Red Cloud 6650.  In order to fully stabilize the load, I had to tighten the shoulder straps down a bit more, sacrificing a little comfort.  And I do mean a little comfort; even with a ridiculous load in it, the comfort was greater than with any huge pack other than the Osprey that I’ve used.  Two hours of climbing with it, and I still felt fresh and ready for more.  Clearly, this is a true monster pack; it’s not only big, but it’s designed from the ground up to carry monster loads.  One feature of the Kelty that was beyond the scope of this test is the “Lightbeam II” aluminum frame stays, which can be bent and adjusted to fit your personal body shape.  With two of us trading packs back and forth, that just wasn’t practical, but it will be something we’ll test out in the future, as it might improve the load stability.  Expect an update this summer!

So…which should you buy?  Hands down, the Osprey Argon 110 won this comparison test.  The comfort and stability under heavy loads is just plain beyond what the Kelty can pull off.  On the other hand, at less than half the price, the Kelty Red Cloud 6650 can do virtually everything the Osprey can do, and surprisingly well.  Our opinion:   If money is no object, buy the Osprey.  If you do a lot of heavy duty backpacking where you are carrying major loads, buy the Osprey.  But if you’re on a budget, buy the Kelty.  If you want to try winter backpacking for the first time, buy the Kelty and put the difference in price into a good sleeping bag.  Either pack will do the job of carrying huge loads; either pack will allow you to take on challenges that smaller packs won’t.  Choose one of them, fill it with appropriate winter backpacking gear, and get out there!

For going light and still having plenty of room, the REI Quarter Dome tents are a good choice.

Normally, I’m not a fanatic for lightweight backpacking. I don’t mind carrying a few extra pounds to achieve more comfort. But, to the horror of my sweetheart Marilyn, I just went  on an overnight backpacking trip with a collarbone that was still tender from being broken four weeks previously. I didn’t even bother to try to get my doctor’s OK.

The original plan was for my buddy David to carry most of  the weight. Then, two nights before we were supposed to go, David broke two toes playing with his dogs in the living room. A word to the wise: Go outside to play with your dogs!

We could have canceled, of course. But we aren’t that smart. So we began paring down our gear to see how light we could go in comfort–always a series of calculated tradeoffs. Our gear has generally been selected for comfort, function, and durability at reasonable cost, not for lightest weight

I can’t put a lot of weight on my left shoulder yet, so I tried on every backpack I own and the most comfortable was my trusty Gregory Z-65 (www.gregorypacks.com), which weighs 4 lbs 3 oz. and is just large enough  to hold everything I need for a light overnight/weekend. David, who is a pack mule even with broken toes, borrowed my Osprey Argon 110 (www.ospreypacks.com), which, despite it’s huge capacity is lighter (6 lbs. 5 oz.) and more comfortable than any pack he owns..

For tents (more necessary for insect protection than shelter from the weather), I picked an REI (www.rei.com) Quarterdome T1 solo tent (2 lbs. 12 oz.), while David used the roomier Quarterdome T-2 (3-12). We could have shared the T2, but we both like privacy.

My Coleman (www.Coleman.com) Klickitat 40-degree synthetic sleeping bag and Insulmat (www.pacoutdoor.com) ¾ -length pad weigh less than 3 lbs., total.  David’s Mountain Hardwear (www.mountainhardwear.com) Phantom 32 Down sleeping bag and Insulmat pad are even lighter. Two Crazy Creek Hexalite chairs (15 oz. each) added tons of comfort.

Going light doesn’t necessarily mean eating badly. A lightweight stove, two pots and, maybe, a frypan, make an adequate kitchen for an overnight

For cooking, we took a Coleman  Exponent  (25.4 oz with fuel), an MSR (www.cascadedesigns.com) Titan (titanium) 2-pot set and a small aluminum frypan from a discount store. Because our campsite is dry we carried a 6-liter MSR Dromedary (8.7 oz) to fill from the nearest spring in addition to Nalgene bottles.  For illumination, we each had a PrincetonTec Fuel headlamp (2.8 oz).

There are always incidentals: personal hygiene kit, bug repellent, , a rain jacket and pants. Those probably added up to 3 lbs.  Food weighed about 7 lbs. for snacks, dinner (steaks and whole-wheat cous-cous) and breakfast (eggbeaters, bacon bits, and cheese) —no freeze-dried for us! Our biggest splurge was some good wine (in a Platypus wine bag) and my neoprene cribbage board (I won, for a change)

I don’t think David could have done this trip without good boots. He uses Cresta hikers from LL Bean (www.llbean.com) which have a wide toe box and fairly stiff soles to provide his broken toes the support they needed.  With my light pack, I got away with lightweight boots from Merrell (www.merrell.com/us). We both also used hiking sticks (mine from REI, his from LL Bean) to avoid stumbles.

Even with some of the food, my pack weighed just about 20 lbs., and I carried it comfortably. David’s was about 30. We could have gone even lighter, but what we chose was comfortable and bearable, even with only three good shoulders and 18 unbroken toes between the two of us.

Life isn’t a spectator sport. Get out and enjoy! (We sure did!)

On the mend from a broken collarbone, the author found he could still carry 20 pounds in his trusty Gregory Z-65 backpack in reasonable comfort. The escape was worth it.

WALKING WOUNDED

Anyone who had seen us wince as we shouldered our packs and started walking might have wondered at our sanity. But I’ll tell you, the experience was well worth the brief moments of discomfort. Putting 25 pounds on your back and walking away from civilization for a day and a night is pure joy.

We got to spend the day away from our respective offices, enjoyed an afternoon siesta on sun-warmed moss, awoke feeling completely relaxed. We ate well, spent  our evening watching the sunset, the moon rise, and the mesmerizing flare of a small campfire.

When I occasionally woke in the night, instead of the glow of an alarm clock, I could see thousands of stars twinkling through the  mesh of the tent (it was so warm and dry neither of us put the rainfly on our tents.

We awoke in the morning to the sounds of ravens croaking in the trees above our heads. Frankly, it was pure bliss.

It was also a healing experience.

I’ve been going to physical therapy for my shoulder. It has helped me recover. But I honestly think I made more progress on this easy overnight than I had in several PT sessions. Partly it’s because I had reached the point of healing where simply using my shoulder naturally began to make a big difference. David noted that his toes hurt less on the walk out than they had on the walk in.

Life is beset with various aches and pains. Some can’t be overcome easily, but the ones that can be ignored shouldn’t keep you from getting outdoors and having fun.

A Gregory Jade 60 takes a summer hike on New Hampshire's Mount Washington,

Tim G. from Connecticut wrote recently to ask about camping gear:

“I enjoyed your recent camping article and was wondering what you would recommend for a 3-season sleeping bag and a backpack for multiple day outings. I have looked at or seen reviews on the Gregory Baltoro 70, Jansport Klamath 68, Osprey Exos 58 or Aether 70 and some REI backpacks. On sleeping bags, I have seen the EMS Velocity 30 Degree bag at EMS and not much else. Thanks for your help.”

Well, Tim, I don’t know how much help I can be, because I’ve never actually used any of those packs—though I have used gear from each and every one of those suppliers. In fact, for winter camping I currently use an Argon 110 from Osprey (www.ospreypacks.com). This HUGE pack is simply the best I have ever found for comfortably carrying heavy, bulky loads.

My basic pack for 3-season backpacking is the excellent and affordable Mars 85 from REI (www.rei.com). My sweetheart Marilyn carries the Venus 75 women’s version of the same pack.

And for light, fast overnights and weekends I use a Z-65 from Gregory (www.gregorypacks.com). Marilyn has the Jade 60 women’s version. These also double as our winter daypacks for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing and for tackling high summits in the summer.

That doesn’t mean those are the best packs on the market. They just happen to fit me and my needs—and they went on sale when I could afford them . . . If price is an issue, the house brands from EMS (www.ems.com), REI and L.L. Bean (www.llbean.com) tend to be well built, somewhat heavier and, usually less money than the “name” brands.

For decades I carried big packs from Kelty (www.kelty.com), Mountainsmith (www.mountainsith.com), and Jansport (www.jansport.com) and a smaller pack from EMS. I still have all of those and lend them out to my kids and to friends as needed. Good packs can last a long time.

One piece of advice I would give to anyone looking to buy a pack: get one big enough. Yes, bigger packs are heavier and they tempt you to carry more, but there’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to fit what you need in or on your pack. The packs Tim G mentions are perfect for a real go-light backpacker, but I prefer something in the 80 to 90-liter (4,900-5500 cu. in) range for multi-night 3-season backpacking trips. In winter, there’s no such thing as a pack that’s “too big.”

The sleeping bag question is a little more difficult. Sleeping bags have to fit you and there are choices to be made in insulation and warmth ratings.

Personally, I prefer synthetic fill. It’s cheaper and stays warm if it gets wet, but it is heavier. The EMS bag Tim mentions is a good one, very narrow. I like that – other people don’t. The North Face Equinox 35 (www.northface.com) and the Mountain Hardwear Ultralamina 32 (www.mountainhardwear.com) are in the same weight range, but a little roomier. My buddy David Shedd has the Mountain Hardware bag a swears by it. My summer bag is a Klickitat 40 by Coleman (www.coleman.com), which weighs just 2 pounds. .

Personally, for real 3-season use, I like a bit warmer bag—with a rating around 20-25 degrees like the REI Aura 25. None of the 3-season sleeping bags I use are made anymore.

Good gear is an investment, find stuff you like. And remember, the more you use it the less it costs per use. Life isn’t a spectator sport. Get out and enjoy!