[SSgtTEX]

Ok guys I am looking for a pack for a nice camping trip im in the process of planning for maybe later this year, next year. One of those in the mountains where it might be best to be carrying a weapon type trips. Need one to be able to carry at least a weeks worth of supplies, have plenty of room for a military style mummy bag, small little tent, food (MREs), first aid kit, rope, climbing/rappelling gear, all the fun stuff. Wont worry so much about clothes, probably a couple extra sets of pants/shirts and definantly socks and underwear. Probably end up wearing BDUs.

Plan on going up to the Appalacians where you gotta spend a couple days hiking in, spend a day or two, and hike back.

I plan on getting a load bearing vest to augment my issued web gear. That way I can carry a couple canteens and smaller things like water purification stuff, a couple extra mags, flashlight, battaries, etc.

but that wont carry the bigger things.

I really like ALICE packs, can be had for pretty cheap at cheaper than dirt, but from experience that is more of a couple day pack. at least the straight pack is. I never had a chance to mess with the add ons to know how they all work.

Ive been eyeing the MOLLE system too. But that is expensive, and having never seen one in person I dont know how they work and stuff. Maybe you guys know of a place where they can be had at a good price.

So more or less Im looking for ideas on packs to fit my needs at a good price.

Key things are can carry at least a weeks worth of gear and supplies, comfort, preferably as light as possible, stability, water resistent, can be worn over web gear and load bearing vest, and a good price. by good price i mean not 300 bucks worth. im expecting to spend 100-150 hopefully....so any ideas

 

[SSgtTEX]

by the way for those dont know. this is a MOLLE in a rifleman configuration...it would eliminate the need for a loadbearing vest, and from my research on Blackhawk.com and uscav.com the web belt to...but at 600 a pop...too rich for my blood

 

[NDIXIE]

Hmmmmm, I am a supply SGT, lol. I'm going to ask how u got them. I have a few of those myself.

 

[Marauder]

You would think living in the Appalachians for 2 years, I would know stuff like this but alas I do not.

Where exactly are you going? The appalachian mountian range is huge.

 

[SSgtTEX]

i havent gotten any other then my web gear...hell that is issued to me when i got to my unit. plus i have an extra one that used to be my fathers, he gave to me when he got new ones from teh Army...what you got a couple MOLLE systems?

you get me one? for a small fee of course?

 

[SSgtTEX]

You would think living in the Appalachians for 2 years, I would know stuff like this but alas I do not.

Where exactly are you going? The appalachian mountian range is huge.

havent quite decided yet, we were thinking NE TN probably maybe a little further north. Gotta avoid WV...dont know who you would run into in that area.

 

[poopy_pants]

Come to the Rockies for the mountains, go to the Appalachians for the hills.

REI is a great place for huge bags, but the prices are high. I say check Ebay.

 

[BroncoSka]

if you are going with someone, you can split the gear load, and both pack kiind of tight.
you can pack lighter by skipping the pleasantries and pack in more beer.
the good thing about long outings, is that your pack gets lighter, the longer your out.
if your bringing chicks, better bring a pack mule.
you can also pack lighter, if you trap or bag game while your out, to save on packing in meat and such. thats what we do alot of the time on extended camping trips.
put what you think you are going to bring out in front of you, and then whittle it down, you need less than you think you do.

remember to pack out, what you pack in.

 

[SSgtTEX]

if you are going with someone, you can split the gear load, and both pack kiind of tight.
you can pack lighter by skipping the pleasantries and pack in more beer.
the good thing about long outings, is that your pack gets lighter, the longer your out.
if your bringing chicks, better bring a pack mule.
you can also pack lighter, if you trap or bag game while your out, to save on packing in meat and such. thats what we do alot of the time on extended camping trips.
put what you think you are going to bring out in front of you, and then whittle it down, you need less than you think you do.

remember to pack out, what you pack in.

there will be 3 of us. But we all still need to pack enough stuff for each of us. There wont be any real pleasentries taken along or beer. Dont plan on being able to shower and stuff like that.

Dont plan on doing any hunting...i dont really feel like carrying my M-4 with me, and despite what people say I dont think it is a proper hunting rifle. I did plan on carrying my Beretta .40 though. More of one of those trips of being in the middle of no where without civilization for miles around...kinda a survival trip i guess you can call it. expect to have to do some climbing and stuff like that.

more or less the stuff i plan on carrying

mummy bag
small 1-2 person tent (pop tent)
extra socks/underwear
a pair of pants/shirts in case get soaked
MREs for a week (possibly 2 a day so we are looking at 10-14 probably)
2 canteens
water purification (tablets or filters)
Beretta .40
Couple extra clips
first aid kit
climbing/rapelling gear
camera
and a few other misc things


We would go to the rockies, but for a first trip we plan on going somewhere closer to us

 

[poopy_pants]

Take the caloric content of an MRE and compare it to a CLIF bar for example. Not sure what you will find, but 2 of those little bars may be the same of an MRE and therefore you will be able to carry less. Maybe to keep the gun handy find a leg holster that still enables free movement, that way you save room in the bag and have it at hand. Another thing, Camelbak systems are incredible to save space. Canteens don't hold as much but take up more space. They can be had fairly cheap now too. The climbing gear will take up the most space if you plan to have everything with 300 feet of rope or so. Try those space bags, they really do save tons of space. You could put your sleeping bag and extra clothes in a few, save a TON of space. Just get the ones you can sit on to push the air out.

 

[SSgtTEX]

i forgot all about camelbacks. I have two, one desert camo one woodland...gotta love the air force sometimes...ill probably carry one of those and still have a canteen.

MREs have like 2k or 3k cals a piece...cant remember which.

I have a SAS tactical leg holster i bought at a local gun shop. fits the beretta real nice and is comfortable. top secures to web belt with two leg straps.

well just won a Large ALICE pack on ebay for 10.50 with 12 shipping, so we will see how that does for me. if not, got a nice pack for 22 bucks to throw gear in for wheelin trips. im gonna keep looking though

yeah i figured climbing gear would be the biggest thing, even if it isnt used, it is one of those things id rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.

i was thinking of just carring a standard military issue mummy bag, but i got to thinking, those dont roll up good, and the nice thing about used to work at Dicks Sporting Goods, i can still get a discount, but they got mummy bags that roll up to a 1/4 the size and provide protection to negative temperatures..something like 30-40 degree colder temps then the military issue ones.

 

[Mels]

.

 

[poopy_pants]

Just researched CLIF bars...the MREs can't be beat. Thats a lot of calories in a small package. Yeah a lot of new mummy bags are small when packaged up right...and newer tents fit in incredibly small packages now.

 

[Mels]

.

 

[SSgtTEX]

Just researched CLIF bars...the MREs can't be beat. Thats a lot of calories in a small package. Yeah a lot of new mummy bags are small when packaged up right...and newer tents fit in incredibly small packages now.

yeah i got a 3 person tent that fits real nice and small about 1ft in length and only a couple inches around...but its that ft in length that bugs me about it, why i kinda like the idea of a little single person pop tent

 

[poopy_pants]

http://www.shelter-systems.com/gripclips/tarp2.html

That is if you want to be a real survivorman. You could put that climbing rope to a dual use and make a tent with it using trees. Probably not the most comfortable thing ever, but would save you some room. Hell I slept outside in Colorado in a thin-ass sleeping bag in late October last year, and I weigh 135 pounds and slept fine. The tent was for the two girls who should have been used as fire-wood.

 

[SSgtTEX]

dont get me wrong, i love sleeping out doors, but not if it starts pouring rain i dont. give me a jacket to wrap up in and a back to lay my head and im happy

something like this at most

 

[Davids78Bronco]

If you can find the add-ons for the ALICE pack, get em. I've got an ALICE that I paid 25 bucks for, and while it's nice, I do sometimes wish there were more pouches and storage. When you're all done, you'll be fairly close to the size that that MOLLE shows

 

[rugerp89ipsc]

there is a company out of Ca i think, tactical assault gear. I don't have a link currently, but they were real good to me and helpful with the stuff I needed.

 

[Thurston]

I say check the differant Camalbacks they have some that will hold a [email protected]#$load of stuff camalback.com is one place but a bit pricey. I bought an ambush last summer but can't remember what site I got it off of. When I get to work tomorrow I will check with a buddy of mine who knows all the websites for that and post what I find. IIRC the site I got my ambush was at least 1/3 cheaper than camalback's site.