Lowe. I love ‘em.

Well, I head towards the ultralight backpack side, so it’s not appropriate for your question. You can go to backpacking magazine to check for reviews. The most important thing, though, is how much volume do you want, what bells and whistles do you want (like do you want it to be able to securely carry an ice axe), how much weight you can comfortably carry, and how it fits. A good backpacking store will pack it full for you with the weight you need so you can try it. With what you’re doing, I wouldn’t buy it online without trying it first in a store. Make sure that you go to a store that knows what they’re talking about—one that specializes in mountaineering. Not just a sporting good store.

I love mine. I do a lot of ski touring and canoe camping, it’s the best pack I’ve ever used for those purposes. I think a Camelbak will fit it, but I use the Platypus that’s designed for it, a bit less liquid capacity but it doesn’t bother me. I especially like the balance of the Arrakis 65 and it’s truly waterproof; I’ve dunked it several times canoeing, everything inside stayed dry.

Thank you very much @Rarebear and @stranger_in_a_strange_land! I will go check out two other stores tomorrow and if they doesn’t offer something truly revolutionary, I’m going to buy the Arrakis 65.

Other jellies, you have the night to convince me otherwise ;)

I really like
http://www.rei.com/?cm_mmc=ps_msn_reibrand-REI_brandREI_-REI&mr:referralID=b62e738a-a962–11df-bb45–001b2166bec9
I don’t know if they make the type you need, to withstand the temps, but they are very high quality

How much do you want to spend?

Will this be used just this one time, or do you plan on using it for other things later?

When shopping for a pack, it is critical to try them on first to ensure a good fit. I did probably a hundred hours of research before buying my pack online, and still did not get a good fit. There are just too many variables that need to be considered and not enough dimensional information provided by the manufacturers online. Even if it was all there, it would be a real challenge to be able to visualize how it would sit on your back. If no one sells this stuff locally, you can do your research online, buy from someone like REI (which has a good return policy) and exchange as needed. B&M REI stores will fill each pack you’re interested in with weights and let you walk around the store so you can get a better idea of fit.

A pack should transfer most of its weight (~80%) to your hips. You don’t want the straps to rub your neck or shoulders. The pack should fit the curvature of your back so that there is little to no gaping. The hip belt should fit snugly across your torso, below your natural waist but above your hip bones. It should not feel top-heavy, but balanced.

Taking the time to get the right fit is totally worth it, especially when you’re dropping a couple hundred bucks and planning to wear it a couple hundred miles at a time.

I don’t think any packs are 100% waterproof. Packs are typically made of ripstop nylon that is not waterproof. You can buy a rain fly to go over your pack (also made of nylon, but coated with waterproofing chemical), and this works pretty well. You can also just cover your pack in something like a garbage bag. Or, because nylon is pretty quick-drying, you can simply pack the water-sensitive items you’re carrying in dry bags…which is what your chosen pack essentially is. That pack looks like it would keep water out for the most part, unless you went swimming with it. I’ve swam w/ dry bags, and they leak after a while, but do keep things surprisingly dry overall.

Another thing to consider is capacity. You don’t want to have things dangling from your pack exterior all over the place. You also don’t want to load it up with more weight than you can safely carry.

And finally, weight. The weight of the pack will always be with you so the lighter the better, but probably fit and comfort is more important (i.e. better to carry a little more and be comfortable than carry less and carry the whole load on your shoulders instead of hips).

I was also under the impression mountaineering means climbing and that walking on or amongst mountains is really still hiking…Searching, I see it defined to be both. Can anyone clarify?

I’ll swear by my blackhawk back packs. I have several, depending on the size I need. I’ve use one on three deployments to Bosnia and two to Iraq. While I’m sure there are plenty of others which are more comfortable and offer more support, I like mine because there were dependable. No broken straps and I could configure them for a variety of situations, and I carried a significant about of weight in them.

@lilikoi I’m buying my backpack for a whole year of traveling. I’m going to a school where the topic is being in the nature. However since I’m buying a backpack at this budget I’m pretty sure I’ll use it for many years.

I know it won’t be 100% waterproof, but I’m pretty sure i could avoid backing in plastic bags with this one. Looked that way in the store as it’s made of some kind of rubber coated material. But of course I couldn’t dive with it, but I feel safe leaving it outside the tent if it’s raining.

Thanks for a lot of great tips, they’ll come in handy!

I dont hink there will be much climbing, but we might do some. I was referring to walking in the mountains.

For the record, I’m not buying the backpack online, I’ve visited a specialist today, and I’m visiting two more tomorrow.

@rts486 I don’t really think the Blackhawk backpacks will suit my need, thank you though. At least i couldn’t find any on their website, what model do you have? I’ll need some kind of recon pack if it should me military equipment (somewhere between 60–100L)

How did you know that I just bought a backpack? I bought one from Ebags, a High Sierra back pack that has a compartment to hold my computer and straps in front to prevent the shoulder straps from slipping while I’m moving around.

It also has enough small pockets to store my IPOD, passport, and all the small things that make a long flight more comfortable.

I got it a a good price,and delivery was really fast.

@Ron_C Well that won’t really fit my needs. I would want to carry a tent, sleeping bag, food, water and a lot of clothes and equipment. My laptop, sadly, will have to stay at home.

@wilhel1812 Oh, one of those big serious back packs with a frame so that it doesn’t break your back.

I can’t get one too big to be considered a “carry-on”. Sorry, I can’t give any advice on that.

I am interested in some packs that I could use for bike camping. I still want to try that before it gets too cold around here. (North Western Pennsylvania)

Puma makes some very good bags. My knapsack from them is the only one that survived more than a year lol

If you want lots of room, get the red one:
http://www.dmu.edu/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/daleys-backpack.jpg

Thanks everyone! I’m now the proud owner of the Arc’teryx Arrakis 65!

Let us know how it feels after your trip!

Thank you. I will!

Ok, so i promised you all to tell about my experiences :)
Well, the Arrakis 65 is an incredible backpack! It has proved itself to be 100% waterproof. Keep in mind that this goes both ways, so if you put something wet inside it, everything else in the backpack will get wet, but I guess that’s why you have different rooms. The backpack is really comfortable and I have never got any pain in my back or in the hips. It might be a little small for the 1 week winter trips in the snow, but I’ve managed that as well. I really do recommend this backpack!