Page 65 - Southern Oregon Magazine Spring 2020

THE RIGHT PACK

There Are A Million And One To Choose From!

by bryant helgeland

Bryant Helgeland is the owner/operator of Mountain Provisions, on the Plaza in Ashland. Active in several
outdoor sports (Telemark skiing, XC Skiing, Road and Mountain biking, Hiking, Backpacking, Kayaking), he has
been a seminar speaker on many of those activities. He attended a NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School)
semester trip to Chile shortly after college. During high school he was a counselor at YMCA outdoor camps.
Contact him at bryant@ashlandmountainprovisions.com or the store’s Facebook page.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PACK:
What are you going to use it for? Day friend of mine hiked miles of trail only to find out when they got into
hiking? Backpacking? Travel? Particular camp that night that the person carrying the tent had it fall off some-
sports? There are a million and one where on trail that day.
packs out there. Some are general pur-
pose while others are highly special- WHAT SIZE SHOULD I GET?
ized. Someone once asked me, “Which
daypack do you use”? My response was, Keep in mind that there are two different “sizes” to consider. First is the
“That isn’t a fair question. I have 18 dif- torso size of the person wearing the pack. Second is the volume of the
ferent daypacks and each one has a pack bag. The two have nothing to do with each other but both can be
specific use and purpose.” Granted, considered a size. Torso size is based on the distance between the top of
not everyone is a pack geek like your iliac crest and your C7 vertebrae. Pack volume is based on how
me, but trying to find just one to much stuff you need to carry and for how long. One thing lots of people
fulfill all of your needs is prob- overlook is that the only difference in what you need for an overnight
ably impossible. Most modern trip and a week-long trip is the amount of food you need.
packs will share some common
features like a hydration bladder DO I NEED A FRAME?
sleeve and some organizer pockets
but there are way more features That depends on how much weight you’ll be carrying and how comfort-
that differentiate packs for ably you want to carry it. A frame is generally going to make carrying
specific purposes. School/ weight much more comfortable as it will allow for proper distribution
Urban packs will have a lap- of weight on your body. A general guideline is that you should be carry-
top sleeve and organizers spe- ing roughly 75-80% of the weight on your hips. You will need a frame
cific to charging cables, pens and to be able to do this. Without the frame, 100% of the weight will be on
pencils, binders, etc. Snow packs will have your shoulders!
organizers specific to avalanche probe, shovel, sometimes for climbing
skins, and will generally have a back panel made of fabric designed not to WHAT ABOUT ALL THE POCKETS?
collect snow and ice as well as a way to carry a helmet. Hiking packs will
have a way to carry trekking poles. Bike packs will have a spot for a pump, On a daypack or sport specific pack, pockets are a huge help to keep
toolkit, spare tube, and a way to carry your helmet for the uphill climb. things organized the way they should be. On a backpacking pack, pock-
ets tend to get in the way and are a less efficient way of packing. For
HOW BIG DOES IT NEED TO BE? backpacking, you want to pack everything through the top of the pack
and cram everything in as tightly as possible. Your sleeping bag goes in
That depends on how much stuff you need to put in it. Daypacks tend first, then the tent (removed from the stuff sack), the cook setup and
to be in the 10 to 30 liter range. I generally go for a slightly larger pack food, then extra clothes, and finally puffy and rain gear at the very top.
than I think I’ll need, because I prefer being able to get everything on Miscellaneous stuff like headlamp, sunscreen, snacks, bug spray, and
the inside rather than relying on having stuff on the outside of the pack. first aid kit all go in the lid (brain) of the pack.
When stuff is on the outside, you are much more likely to lose it. A

spring 2020 | www.southernoregonmagazine.com 63