Backpack/Bedroll/Sleeping bag question...
- Thread starter Everymanalion
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dharma bum
anarcho-transcendentalist
my last pack was a kelty redwing 45L. with the tarp, and a few other goodies in the main compartment, just strapped my bag and old army mat on the bottom from straps that i put through the daisy chains. you could also tie it up straight to the front of it (farthest from your back) with all the daisy loops you have onthere..
don't underestimate a small pack. you can improvise and do wonders with it. just don't weight it down with shit... that hip strap doesn't look very comfortable.
Johnny Lightspeed
New member
During the summer yer not gonna need much really. Even winter if you do it right. I just stuff my cheap 10 degree REI sleeping bag into my pack and that takes up about a third of the space in there. Then I got thermals, a sweatshirt, and some kind of coat, and a light rubberized single layer rain jacket that my buddy stole from the forest service for me. Thats pretty much it. I've traveled in the winter with this set up but when it's cold enough I'm pretty much just wearing all my clothes so my pack is super light. As far as a bed roll goes I guess it's nice to have but they get tore up pretty easy, get covered in bum shit and semen. Cardboard works the same, not as high tech but it's disposable and readily available 90% of the time. Like somebody above me said you'll get the extra shit you need when you need it and get rid of of it when you don't. I don't remember if this answers yer question or not I guess I got carried away
urbanflow
New member
right now i have a gregory z40 i think. my sleeping bag is a sierra designs synthetic that i have a compression sack for (rei) but, recently abandoned after stuffing my bag into the bottom of my bag. its better to to do it that way imo to fill out all the empty space.
as far as going light, its a bitch if you want to be on the road left to your own devices. you have to be hella creative or, acquire what you need as you go. im a lone wolf kind of person (pretty new to the traveling thing so thats probably going to change over time) so i like to have what i need, food, water, warmth, rain gear and other things like hygiene necessities.
me? i like the idea of having all of my shit inside my pack. it helps when climbing aboard trains, throwing it into grainer holes and off trains and trudging through the woods to the catch out spot. i also like to have something big enough to put my shit in with a little extra room as well as small enough so that its not a bitch to move around.
before i even truly hit the road i changed my set up 4 times and took a few smaller trips and ACTUALLY being on the road teaches you more than thinking about it. after almost losing my sleeping bag a few times having it tied to the bottom of my bag i realized i MUST put it in my bag. also i want to get to it without unpacking my shit so i want bottom access.
as everyone else said, you'll acquire and change gear on the road after a while so dont sweat the small shit. if you're creative you'll find a way to make what you have work. as far as a sleeping bag goes? i would grab a good synthetic mummy bag over a bullshit walmart brand. if theres ONE thing i want to rely on its my sleeping bag. synthetic drys nicely and keeps you warm(er) than down when its wet so i wouldnt trade it for the world.
tl:dr
what everyone else said
as far as going light, its a bitch if you want to be on the road left to your own devices. you have to be hella creative or, acquire what you need as you go. im a lone wolf kind of person (pretty new to the traveling thing so thats probably going to change over time) so i like to have what i need, food, water, warmth, rain gear and other things like hygiene necessities.
me? i like the idea of having all of my shit inside my pack. it helps when climbing aboard trains, throwing it into grainer holes and off trains and trudging through the woods to the catch out spot. i also like to have something big enough to put my shit in with a little extra room as well as small enough so that its not a bitch to move around.
before i even truly hit the road i changed my set up 4 times and took a few smaller trips and ACTUALLY being on the road teaches you more than thinking about it. after almost losing my sleeping bag a few times having it tied to the bottom of my bag i realized i MUST put it in my bag. also i want to get to it without unpacking my shit so i want bottom access.
as everyone else said, you'll acquire and change gear on the road after a while so dont sweat the small shit. if you're creative you'll find a way to make what you have work. as far as a sleeping bag goes? i would grab a good synthetic mummy bag over a bullshit walmart brand. if theres ONE thing i want to rely on its my sleeping bag. synthetic drys nicely and keeps you warm(er) than down when its wet so i wouldnt trade it for the world.
tl:dr
what everyone else said
Dishka8643
New member
What you need is a backpack with a frame, so you have something solid to attach your bag to....An alice pack or swiss "engineers" pack would be much better. Both can be had for under 50 bucks.
As far as attachment, compression straps are the way to go. You can get them much tighter than bungie cords. As far as attaching the sleeping bag to your pack--if you attach it at the bottom, it's probably going to flop around your butt and be very awkward/ unstable. The pack would probably carry better if you attached the bag to the top or had it laying vertically, along the middle of the pack. Also, you can always sew on attachment loops anywhere you want to lash things.
The military sleep system is excellent, though. Your bedroll is one of your most important pieces of gear, so get the best that you can afford.. Having traveled without a blanket or a sleeping bag, i can tell you that it SUCKS. A bag that is warm down to freezing (at least), big enough for you to crawl into, and will dry fast is a good bag.
As far as attachment, compression straps are the way to go. You can get them much tighter than bungie cords. As far as attaching the sleeping bag to your pack--if you attach it at the bottom, it's probably going to flop around your butt and be very awkward/ unstable. The pack would probably carry better if you attached the bag to the top or had it laying vertically, along the middle of the pack. Also, you can always sew on attachment loops anywhere you want to lash things.
The military sleep system is excellent, though. Your bedroll is one of your most important pieces of gear, so get the best that you can afford.. Having traveled without a blanket or a sleeping bag, i can tell you that it SUCKS. A bag that is warm down to freezing (at least), big enough for you to crawl into, and will dry fast is a good bag.
kecleon
New member
Those red straps are to compress your bag I believe.
My bags like that size and yeah my sleeping bag also takes up about half, then my mat and my bivy and I'm left with room for clothes water and food plus I have two side pockets for little items. So even with it taking up half your pack it can work. I bought one of these tiny fold away bags from a supermarket for a euro I mean it folds away tiny and if I need to carry something else for some reason I just take that out.
My bags like that size and yeah my sleeping bag also takes up about half, then my mat and my bivy and I'm left with room for clothes water and food plus I have two side pockets for little items. So even with it taking up half your pack it can work. I bought one of these tiny fold away bags from a supermarket for a euro I mean it folds away tiny and if I need to carry something else for some reason I just take that out.
domo
New member
Ok. I have a military compression bag. It hold everything and more. But its so tight fitted. I got rid of the metal frame cuz although it helps keep my back aligned so i don't fatigue as fast, while trekking.
i only wish to balance the weight in my pack.
Question, is there a way to use a frame without having to deal with extra weight?
Or should i manifest a better. more compact pack.
i only wish to balance the weight in my pack.
Question, is there a way to use a frame without having to deal with extra weight?
Or should i manifest a better. more compact pack.
Zeke42
New member
Depends on how much weight you are carrying. also, if you have things that are long, sometimes flat, and even a little stiff (tent poles, sleeping mat, etc), you can arrange them in the pack agaisnt your back to work like a sort of virtual frame. Not perfect, but wtih loads up to about 35 pounds, it works fairly well.
Erable
Aspiring journeyman
A yoga mat would do little to insulate you if you slept on a cold floor(a concrete floored squat, the dirt, rocks) and would do little to provide you comfort, but if you can't get a better bed roll it's still going to be better then laying directly on the ground, but only by a little.
as for attaching your sleeping bag, there's a ton of different ways to jerry-rig your sleeping bag to your pack, the easiest being tie two lengths of rope around either end of it so it keeps that tube shape, then pass rope through both of those and around whatever tie on spot is available on your bag.
What kind of pack are you working with? A lot of the ones that have the big top flap over the main area(like hiking bags) are good for just putting the sleeping bag under the flap and pulling that down tight. Can even keep your sleeping bag dry.
Erable
Aspiring journeyman
just get a more lightweight frame. I know alice packs are usually pretty heavy, same with Moll-e style packs, but you can modify your pack frame to not be a heavy a number of different ways, a popular one actually being make a frame out of PVC, cheap and simple. I forget what the modification was called though, just google around and you should have no problem finding it.