As I have been in fact finding mode for backpacks for a few months now, I have been following the various threads here with much interest. While doing so, one nagging question comes up, how do you buy a pack without having actually tried it out? Most of the recommended gear is available online, but with the exception of REI and EMS, there are no brick and mortar stores near me to do a hands on. At this point, I'm not even sure whether to get a full pack or a three day without seeing their specifications.

I am getting more in your boat everyday. It used to be that I would travel 1 1/2 hour to visit a store and spend a couple hours trying on packs. Now BOTH stores are no longer in business or have been bought out.

I would start with talk to your friends. Do they have the pack you are looking for? Do they have a similar one? They may know someone who haves that pack. Does the store have a return policy that would allow the return of a pack.

If I am going to spend some big bucks getting a pack, I will travel to a store that caries it so I can walk out with it.

Therein lies the problem. Most of my friends ask me about gear.

I had a similar dilemma, there were no large stores that carried the products I wanted to see. I chose to put my kits together first and then after knowing the size, choose the packs. I decided to build progressive BOBs, meaning that if a larger pack needed to be ditched or cached, a smaller PSK would be available as a part of the larger BOB.

Backpacking packs are IMHO, too light-duty to use for emergency preparedness purposes. I chose a heavier mil spec pack that can take more scuffing and abuse. Choices offered by Maxpedition are pretty nice but I understand there are other companies like Blackhawk and Kifaru that are also good.

I think for a 72 hour kit you need a 3-day pack. My progressive 2 person 72 hour BOBs will be within a Vulture II Maxpedition pack thqt is 2810 cubic inches. It's durable, holds a 100 oz camelback bladder and has the option of adding additional components such as the removable belt-pack that will be a part of my progressive planning. As far as comfort goes, I must depend on standards set up by the manufacturers military testing and other's testimonials for this type interior frame pack.

Here's some sites to study.....

Dale

web page web page web page

Both REI & EMS offer good product return/exchange policies. Why not email them and ask specifically?

Sue

Sue - I guess i wasn't clear. I have an REI and an EMS near me, and I've looked at their packs. What I want is to be able to also hands on compare a Maxpedition for instance, which is not available in a store nearby.

When I was choosing storage for a car kit, I found something at Wal Mart that I thought would be big enough. Then I ran around the auto department grabbing bottles and jugs of the fluids I wanted to carry in it. Got some strange looks btw.

Anyhow, when I packed it all in there I tried to decide if there would be enough room for the other things that were not close by in the auto department. Then I put back all the stuff and bought the container.

Point being, if you already have your gear assembled that you want to carry in the backpacks, you could (after confirming the return policy) order the bag, stuff it and evaluate the comfort of carrying it as well as the (a variation of my favorite word) robustness of the pack. This may help you predict possible problems with the pack in a real life situation too.

You mentioned Maxpedition, and although I don't have any of their packs, I think the modular design of their products would be a plus...adding additional storage as need or situation warrents.

In my case, I looked at what the grunts were scooping up, and asked a few questions, and then I got what they had.

BTW, there is a company that makes probably the most rugged backpack you'll ever find:

mystery ranch backpacks

or at least the ones the Seals were looking for. Once again, more than I need or can afford, but what the heck. I was checking on them while still in country back in September, and the price the quoted me via email was, well, excessive for my needs.

Still for an extended hiking trip, this'd be a seriously good pack.

Hmmmm... contact us for pricing... sort of brings to mind the old saying "If you have to ask, you don't want to know".

To get an idea, look at their civilian line that this one was based on, then add a few percentage points.