Sizing a pack

[Richard Ferguson]

I find the liter measurement and the cubic inch measurement to be only a
vague relative measure.  If you really want to know how big a pack you
need, do what you would do with a pair of boots, try it on for size.

1. Take a large duffel bag and load it up with your sleeping bag, first aid
kit, water bottles, jacket, poncho, extra clothes, whatever you are planning
to bring.  It probably doesn't matter if you make some changes to your
packing list later, the total volume and weight will probably not change that
much.

2. Take the duffel bag to the store.  You should ask first, but a good store
will let you bring in your duffel of stuff.

3. Put your stuff in the pack you are interested in.  It will be pretty obvious if
the pack is not the right size, if it is too large or too small.  I will say that it
is better to have a pack too large than too small.  An overloaded pack is
always a problem, stuff lashed on the outside falls off, gets dirty, gets wet,
etc.

In addition to helping you with the size of the pack, loading it with your real
gear will give  you a sense of the comfort of the pack.  The stores tend to
fill them with foam, which weighs very little.  The salesman should be able
to adjust the pack to fit you with a load in it.

I have never been a fan of the packs that are heavy before you put anything
in them.  There are plenty of packs that weigh more than 6 pounds ( 2.7
kg) empty, which I think is too much.  In the medium sizes that most
people on the camino use, I think that 4 pounds (less than 2 kg) is as
much as is reasonable.  However, I know that some people like the
deluxe packs with lots of zippers and gadgets, which tend to be heavy.

Richard