UKC

I'm walking the TMB next Summer and have decided to spend my cash on buying lightweight kit and camping rather than spending it in Refuges and hotels.

My starting point is my rucksack. I currently have one that weighs about 2kg and given that I am aiming for 10kg max weight (not including water) it is roughly twice the weight I want.

I'm looking for something under 1kg with a maximum price tag of £200.

Any thoughts on tried-and-tested lightweight rucksacks?

CXhers, TtB

PS watch out for further posts regarding other kit!

I'd be looking at mountain marathon sacks eg. something like an OMM Classic 32 would be a good starting point.

If you're serious about going light you should be able to get well under 10kg all up.

I will be interested to see the comments on this as I am after a sack for longer walks, however I would say having an airspace would be a must have for me after a week walking in Italy using a sack without an airspace. 

Could I ask what the TMB is please?

Now why didn't I think of looking at MM kit? Having run a few OMMs I have some already... jeez I can be a idiot!

If I Google Mountain Marathon rucksacks the first hit is a £132 (710g) Ultimate Direction Fastpack 40... winner!

It's going to be a 10-day camping trip and the 10kg figure is my absolute maximum target.

Many thanks

The Tour du Mont Blanc

https://www.chamonix.net/english/summer-activities/trekking/tour-of-mont-bl...

I've got a Montane trailblazer 30, which weights ~850g. I can get a lightweight tent and all the accoutrements for a weekend of fast and light.

I'd would suggest that you pick your kit first, then find a bag that fits it all in. If you can get away with a 20 or 25L bag, you'll save more weight, and you wont be temped to pack more, just in case.

In answer to your next question...

650ml alpkit titanium mug, can fit a 100g gas, a mini burner, folding spoon, lighter, knife, a stock cube, a wind shield made from an aluminium takeaway container and a bit of sponge, to stop any rattles. If you put tape on the handles and mark 400 and 500ml on the outside, you can boil your water for your dehydrated meals and not burn your fingers. All under 400g. (A stock cube can do 4 drinks and is a handy source of salt.)

The newest Alpkit Orion 45L is under 1kg and costs I think £120 or something? Have been really impressed - what size (litres) were you looking for? 

Another vote for an OMM Classic.

Hmmm, not thought of that. Although I'm spreading the cost over a few months so thought rucksack first, I'll rethink that strategy.

Possibly not my next, but certainly up there!

I was looking at the Alpkit Kraku (I have a 1st gen pocket rocket sat in an MSR Ti kettle somewhere but can't find the bloody thing!) and the MyTiMug 600ml mug. I like your alu-foil container idea and who doesn't love a stock cube?

Many thanks

Yes, I have seen that. I might just pay Alpkit a visit and take a look.

I'm thinking max 45l - however, as Dread-i has suggested, I might consider kit size and weight before going for the rucksack. No harm in looking though.

Cheers

I bought a Blue Ice Dragonfly 45 recently, did a week long trip with it and am very pleased. The downsides are the lack of any external pockets and the unusual closure sign which although easy to use wouldn't keep sustained rain out. The upsides are that it is very light and extremely comfortable. I was carrying less than 10kg.

A friend has an Exped pack which looks good and is super light but he hates it as he finds it uncomfortable.

And I'm selling a Patagonia Ascensionist 40 if that's of any interest.

Atom packs are brilliant and well worth a look. Mine is about 5 years old and showing little sign of wear. It will comfortably carry 16kg and weighs well under 1kg

I love my Exped Lightning 45L for 1/2 nighters. The 60L could be a consideration? Great harness, just over 1kg, well within your budget.

https://www.expeduk.com/products/lightning-60

I'll take a look, although I would like pockets and hip belt pocket ideally.

I've seen those as well, I liked the look of the Exped 45 but it's over 1kg and I am being super strict on the weight needs.

Thank you, but I'm looking at buying new.

Many thanks

Yes - now I have previously bookmarked the Atom Pack page to have a further look. Now you've encouraged me to do so I like the look of the Atom+ EP50, which weighs in at just 750g.

Thank you

Thanks for the comment and link. It looks great and hits all the right spec for me, but it is over 1kg and I really do want to be strict with myself.

Many thanks.

Hyperlite MG.

Amazing packs.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/mountaineering-backpack-33-litres-sprint-33-b...

£60, 600g, 33 litres. Worth a punt?

I've done a three Saunders with this bag - really happy with it.  Plenty of extra pockets and mesh for ease of access to the stuff you need through the day.

I've got one of these only 524 grams and they are at a good price at the moment.

https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/virga-2-54-litre-rucksack/

framesless so not for everyone.

Probably only good up to 10kg

https://3fulgear.co.uk/product/packs/qidian/

Came across these after a friend who runs a packrafting expedition company recommended their lanthanum tents as being cheap and really reliable. 60 dollars for what you're after sounds worth a punt...

Gossamer Gear Kumo or Kumo light.  Have both and they're a cracking backpack. 

10Kg would be right on the limit for them however.  

I have both the Trailblazer 25 and Trailblazer 30 - so the 44 litre version at 980g might be worth a punt?

https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/p/montane-trailblazer-44-rucksack-E1414061....

Some of the best lightweight trekking rucksacks are American (various makes). Have a look on 'Ultralight Outdoor Gear' website for lots of options etc. I had a 50 litre rucksack that weighed about 600g and was amazing, and lasted at least 10 years of multi-way walks. Can't remember the name now, but I would return to getting a similar frameless pack if I needed one again. The OMM type stuff is more for racing, minimal, less comfortable than a dedicated lightweight thru-hiker type pack. 

One of the big weight savings you can make on the TMB is buying food in the huts along the way. Sure, they're not cheap but having a lunch or snack saves carrying the equivalent food, easily reduces your pack weight and bulk by a few hundred grams.

Just be aware the UD fastpacks are designed to fit like vest so don't have a waist belt to speak of, if you are not used to carrying most of the weight on your shoulders it may feel heavy when its loaded.

Great advice, thank you. 

Many thanks to all contributors to this thread. You've given me plenty to go on. 

Next up... tents (but not just yet)

My advice would be:

- Don't sacrifice comfort for minimal weight savings - a slightly heavier but comfier pack will pay dividends.

- Mesh pockets on the side and back, bottle pockets, hip belt pockets etc make a massive difference and they allow you to eat and drink on the move and to be able to stash your windshirt quickly without opening your pack.

- 10kg would be on the comfort limit for a lot of frameless lightweight packs.

- the US Thru-hiking community obsess over all this stuff, there are a lot of youtube rabbit holes to fall down if you fancy going full geek on it!

Just be sure to miss the UTMB week.

Given that I'm a bit of a fat knacker (©Andy Kirkpatrick) I think you could be right.

I agree, I like pockets on my packs. I'm currentl;y considering the Montane Trail Blazer 44 - it even has pockets on the chest straps. I just need to go try it on.

I started but had to pull out! :-D 

Many thanks

I was there during UTMB week last year... it's crazy in Cham that week.

I really don't fancy dodging runners on the trail - we're going the opposite way round.

Would agree with hip-belt pockets but I find general pockets on packs to be a faff and a bit of a waste. To get to them with a full pack (unless you can dislocate your shoulders) you still need to take the bag off. One big compartment is fine really. I'd really recommend something like a bum-bag worn on the front, elastic cords to strap things to your shoulder straps, and hip-belt pockets for stuff you need quick access too. That was the game-changer for me when thru-hiking. I had a bottle holder, strapped snacks to my shoulders and had my camera on my waist. Taking the bag on and off all the time because you need a drink or to get a snack is to be avoided at all costs. 

There's a wealth of online discussion about light-weight hiking and thru-hiking and I'm sure the OP has seen it all and the best advice I could give is to just get out loads beforehand and trial what works for you. 'Comfort' and 'essential' and 'heavy' are very subjective and what works for some is very different to others. 

To the OP, if you're ever up near Sheffield and want to have a look at a Hyperlite Windrider (I don't think a better hiking pack exists, for what it's worth), or discuss the finer details of thru-hiking, send us a message. I'm no lifer but have done the Appalachain and a number of UK long-distance trails. 

Do you not use the mesh pockets on the Windrider then? I have the equivalent on my walking camera pack and even though I have to take my pack off, which I would have to to take a layer off anyway, the lack of faff involved in just stuffing the layer in the mesh, shouldering the pack and keeping going is really handy.

I basically used it just for my water filter (as the main compartment is a dry pack and it's good to keep wet things out in general). I'd also occasionally stick my wet tent fly in it to dry out but you could strap this to your pack if you didn't have pockets. I never really used pack pockets for things I needed more readily at-hand. 

I'd never keep things I'd be reaching for in pack pockets really; it's virtually the same amount of effort to get them as if they're in the main compartment.

Fair dos. I was a "single compartment" advocate but have now changed my mind! Stretchy mesh pockets for the win.....

It's such a personal thing though! Two luxury items I couldn't do without are a Sea to Summit kitchen sink to soak my feet in at the end of the day and an umbrella. Other hikers would be baffled by those items. 

HYOH (hike your own hike) was a phrase I saw around a lot when I was frequenting the White Blaze forums and it's really appropriate (in many ways). 

Indeed.

The OP can save weight on the bag. But which bag to get depends on what is planned to be put in it. So before getting the sack, get all the other gear (that you plan on putting in said sack) sorted out. Also a lot of more information is available in various thruhiker and ultralight backpacker forums/sites.

One clear observation is to have multipurpose gear. So instead of carrying a tent with poles and hiking poles, get a tent that sets up using the hiking poles. In similar aspect, a lot of lightweight backpacks only have a pocket for the backpanel --> you want something there for rigidity and cushioning... most often people place their sleeping pad as said "thing"... but the really lightweight inflatable ones will add next to nothing in terms of rigidity or cushioning, so you might end up putting a single use padding there, and thus actually increasing your overall weight. What I mean by this, is that perhaps a slightly heavier inflatable sleeping pad ends up being lighter overall... and might also provide better sleep ...

It seems that I'm getting older, as now I value good nights sleep quite a bit... previously I was happy to sleep on a napkin.

What is 'thru-hiking'?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thru-hiking

The best way !

I have the older Virga and indeed it's a rather good lightweight rucksack... frameless though, so like said, the sleeping pad is going to act as backsupport/cushioning... and too light/flimsy sleeping pad doesn't cut it.

However, I did use for winter camping to ice climbing trip... and with a suitable (sleeping pad) for support I did manage to carry quite a bit more than 10kg in reasonable comfort with it. The temps were in the -20 deg C range, so the kit was not lightweight (no tent tough, only a bivysack)... and midsized mixed rack (cams, nuts and few pitons) plus full set of screws, QDs and other personal gear... plus one half-rope (not in the the actual rucksack, but simply over the shoulder traps) were most likely in the 15 to 20kg range... I did not bother to weight it... Not comfortable,  but neither super uncomfortable either. The hike was not super long (~sub 10km), but not a causual stroll either.


The good thing with the Virga is, that you can also compress it rather small... meaning that I did use if also as my climbing rucksack and it wasn't too big, bulky or flapped around. And I'm note that big (174cm), plus prefer small climbing rucksacks (orig. 26l Warthog is pretty much the upper limit I'm willing to climb with... prefer smaller ones... in the ~10l range). So not bad imho.

I think an Instagram version of walking and camping maybe?  I’d be happier with ‘through-hiking’ if it must be a phrase adopted! 

Nope. Something a bit more demanding… Pacific Crest Trail from end to end is thru-hiking. So quite a long stint… doing GR9 as one continues go is something in the same category…

Yeah but end of the day the decathlon special is the lightest and cheapest!! 

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/mountaineering-backpack-33-litres-sprint-33-b...

I think I just bristle at the use of ‘thru’ rather than ‘through’! 

Blaim ’muricans…. They’re the ones that coined that word…

but have a look at PCT or the Appalachian Trail and think about doing it in one go (naturally stock food & water along the way, but otherwise you carry everything with cha).