Sure wish I would have known about this earlier!

Duluth Pack and Backpacker mag = a match made in heaven... err... hell.  Let's see just HOW MUCH weight we can carry on our backs.

I really embarrass myself sometimes :)  Didn't realize I put 50 rod and long portage in the same post.

canvas portage pack on a backpacking trip? um. no. i ran into a couple of kids using them a few years ago outside Silver Bay, they were coming back up the trail from Bear Lake. they looked miserable.

I'm using an Osprey Aether 60 internal, 3700 cubes, weighing in at a scosh under 3 lbs. I could stand to lose a pound or two on sleeping bag weight, but as it sits with 70oz of water, food for three days and requisite gear (Hennessey Hammock, Nebo bag, clothing, etc...) it weighs a little under 40lbs...considering even the nice ultralight minimalist types on the AT and PCT carry packs that run 29-30 lbs, I'm not doing that bad.

I think my pack topped out at about 50 lbs last fall during my trip to Isle Royal.


On the whole, Duluth Pack is more geared to the plush canoe/portage camper than the ultralight minimalist type, though they do have a nice selection of that type of gear on occasion. If I were shopping for lighter more portable gear, I'd shop around a bit, which I do, quite extensively.

Still, would have been nice to make it to the event.

zra, for a load that seems armed to the teeth, that actually sounds like a good setup.  I tend to go smaller, but my trips aren't really all that epic.

@ huitz:

i tend to do the bulk of my longer trips in the spring/fall when the weather's cooler, so i tend to leave nothing to chance, warranting a slightly heavier pack. on shorter, warmer trips i could conceivably drop a few by dumping cooler weather non essentials like gaiters, the softshell and shell pants...but given my knowledge of northern MN in the spring and fall...would i really want to?

then there's the matter of my sleeping bag...which i'm desperately trying to find a lighter, cooler (read: i carry a down Nebo rated to -10), less bulky bag. dropping a couple of pounds on that setup could put me solidly in the 35 lb pack range, but i'm loath to go any farther down than a 30 degree bag for obvious reasons.

i do okay...i may need an upgrade on a couple of other items, but all in all i have a pretty complete pack. it's taken me about 6 years of trial and error to get it to where it is now. i never used to really worry about weight much til i began taking longer trips, so i'm naturally kind of getting to the point where i'm actually paying attention to weight and pack size.

MUCH different than the fall trips to the BWCA, where we're portaging in 70lbs of food, a couple of dutch ovens, corny kegs of brew and risk boards...that's p.l.u.s.h. living...