I've been working on reducing my pack for the last few years and I've finally gotten to the point that using a UL pack for overnight trips makes sense. When researching backpacks, I had some criteria in mind, based on what I thought my max weight would be, as well as the volume gear I would want to carry:
- Weight: A pack that weighs around 3 lbs.
-Capacity: ~4000+ CI of volume, bear canister compatible, and the ability to carry up to 40 lbs if needed.
-Multi-use: A backpacking pack that can be compressed enough (or is light enough) to be used for dayhikes (or is modular with something that be used as a summit pack), as well as winter hiking trips where more gear is needed.
One of the few packs that met all of the criteria I set was the Katabatic Gear Helios 55.
After a few weeks of use, I am impressed with the pack overall.
I've posted more details of the pack (photos and info) on my blog(click here for the review), but here are a few photos:
Baden-Powell Hike
Register Ridge Snowshoe
Bighorn Peak Snow Climb
San Jacinto Snowshoe
Backpack Gear Test (carried about 40 lbs of gear)
