bag size

laoch na mona

I'm planning a few solo camps over the next few months, I have never camped on my own and I was wondering would a 35ltr bag be big enough to carry enough gear for a few days? or would I be better of bringing a slightly larger bag

MyNameIsMethos

It depends on how long you mean by a few days I guess, and the shoulder-support quality of your bag; a properly-packed 35 litre bag with bad straps will eventually destroy you.

That being said & assuming that the bag is comfortable, 35 litres should cover you for a short to medium type trip. Do you have the possibility of attaching items to the outside of the bag; ie. cooking utensils etc. ?

There's no use, in my opinion, of buying a bigger bag if you're not planning anything longer then a month or so, and even then only if you will not have the amenities here&there to wash the clothes as you go along. Efficient packing & volume use is the key.

Tabnabs

Do the trip with the 35L bag, when you get home afterwards, make a list of all the things you actually used and what you didn't, plus a list of things you wish you had. Then see if the 35L bag is still big enough to work with or is a 45/55L (for example) more suitable? Don't go spending money on something you may not need.

Tokyo

I've lived out of a 60l bag for quite literally years at a time, so it really is all about figuring out want vs. need, and arranging your packing around that. It also depends on the weight/bulk of the gear that you are carrying, but for a trip of a few weeks, personally I've found a 35l bag to be more than ample to take sleeping bag, tent, cooking gear, food and clothes, with room for a couple of luxuries too. Try not to attach stuff to the outside of your bag if you can - it pulls the weight of the bag backwards and the gear end up getting dirty, or caught on everything you pass by. As someone else mentioned "Efficient packing & volume use is the key".

Tabnab's suggestion is a very good one to sort out what you need vs. what you actually want. I used to pile all the gear on the bed that I thought I needed, then prioritised it into two equal sized piles and packed just the high priority pile. Rarely did I ever find that I was wishing for something from the pile I'd left at home.

preacherman

laoch na mona wrote: »

I'm planning a few solo camps over the next few months, I have never camped on my own and I was wondering would a 35ltr bag be big enough to carry enough gear for a few days? or would I be better of bringing a slightly larger bag

In my opinion a 35 ltr pack is too small for both ability to fit necessary gear and comfortable carry. Unless you own ultralight kit your base weight without food could be 10kg. Add in 1kg per day for food and 1kg per litre of water carried and you will be at 13kg at least for a wkd trip very quickly. Most 35ltr packs are not rated for this weight.

If you already own a 35ltr pack gather together all the gear you plan to carry and try packing it into it. If it fits take a walk around the block for an hour and see how comfortable it is. Make sure the waist belt sits correctly on your hips for weight transfer.

Personally I bring a 45/55 ltr pack for most of the year. Winter sleeping bag and bulkier insulation layers will take up more room so I might need 60/65 then.

Enjoy your trip. Let us know how you get on.