👍👍👍 A one-only, for all seasons bag will be bigger. I have in the past, done well with my 65 litre 'Backpacker Boulder' Pack (a South African-based Brand Name). My current pack sizes are 12, 22, 20/30+ (removable external pouches and an external Beaver Tail), 30, 55 and 65 litre. I use what is most appropriate for the planned outing and yes, I hate 'stuffed to the limit' loads. I am also not a fan of carrying a pack, supplemented by a knapsack / whatever dangling around one's neck and other such stuff. A tidy, ordered, neat on the outside pack is my preference. The definition of 'order' being .. 'A place for everything and everything in it's place'. I (still) do not own an inflatable sleeping pad. Back in the day, 'blowup' pads (aka 'Plastic Lilo's') had a terrible reputation for preferring to 'blow down' for any reason. Maybe one day I will be able to vault this engrained mental block 😊. Thus, the only item/s of note hanging outside my pack would be a roll-up closed-cell foam pad and for the smaller packs, perhaps a tarp. Age brings it's challenges and a folding chair is currently in my sights. That said, a larger volume pack can be a two-edged sword in that, similar to the Physics Gas Laws which basically state .. simplistically, that 'any given volume will be filled'. Thus, unless one exercises good discipline, irrespective of the volume of the pack, it .. will .. be .. filled .. 😏. Comfort and a good night's sleep now also rank high on my list .. and also that I no longer 'yomp' large distances, preferring to use the superb Swiss Public Transport System when necessary, so I now tend towards larger than smaller. Each to their own .. one having to carry, use, sleep in whatever and suffer the consequences. A good one. Thanks for sharing .. take care ..
Two points: 1) You don't have to fill a large bag! A large bag can carry a small amount of equipment but a small bag cannot carry a large amount. A large bag will carry all your kit. 2) The best load carrying systems come in big bags. You will always need shelter and sleep systems which is the bulk of your load out whether you are out for 24hrs or 24 days. A big bag makes sense if you only want one bag. 80l but also long enough you can fit in tents. You don't want to be going out like the jolly swagman with kit hanging off your Bergan. 💙🏴
Totally agree! All because you have a BIG pack does not mean you have to fill it to maximum capacity. I like bigger bags especially if you don't have time to neatly pack or roll your gear up. We all know that everything in your pack magically expands after we take it out of its stuff sack.
62 here. I only truck camp now. Living off of what I could carry on my back ended a long time ago. When I did do that kind of thing we managed to get all our gear in the medium ALICE pack.
👍 When I consider the load to be a bit heavy for the distance (and route) to be travelled, I use a Shopping Trolley .. either with the original carrier in situ, or carrier removed and replaced with a 55 or 65 litre pack strapped to the frame. Easy to pull along and my back and hips thank me during and afterwards 😊.
Hi woolly I’ve had loads of packs including the plce Bergen and tried the small pack syndrome but I always go back to my sabre 45 with rocket pouches on sides which makes it 70l and I use the carinthia def4 bag as don’t need more in minus temps plus warm gear and one rocket is purely for food so or less out for a week will hold more gear as well as food if needed but I think with sensible packing 70l is the sweet spot for U.K. winter, I just use it all year round👍
Hi Wooly . The rucksack is the F3 the F2 has no molle on the front. It's 120 litres with the 2 side pouches which are about 10 litres each. As you said it would be great if you could cinch it down for smaller load outs. Then you could stick the pouches on for longer trips. I love big bombproof rucksack s. All the best from Southern Ireland 🇮🇪
Came across your channel a month ago and really enjoy the information sharing. Say hi to Bruno. As far as rucksack/pack sizes go the risk is that it’s easy to fill a bag that is larger than what you’re used to. I used to do two week trips with a 65 liter bag. Have a 75 liter bag now where there’s times I can’t figure out how to get everything in. Good luck in making that decision. Looking forward to hearing the result.
Them rucksack s I mentioned on your other video, I use a few different sleeping bags,British arctic, British 58 pattern, American 1944 arctic bag cover with a broken zip ,they are all bulky and take up most of the bag,I can fit spare clothes in a dry bag, an axe,beers food, water on top and still have a bit of space, The pouches have my tarp and hammock inc hanging system,the other has cup,gas stove,pots pans,knife, saw,small grill,kfs, fire lighting pouch,etc,the lid has gloves,hat,shemagh head torch. I haven't used the 45l yet but the same pouches will go on it and I'll use a bivi bag and summer sleeping bag
I had to put my veg on lol Also,if there is nothing wrong with the bag you have keep it, the sleep system fits ok,do you use the sleeping bag that was in it? If not it looks big enough, and if you can put stuff in pouches on the outside, bonus
I have a 77 litre south african military bag that is cheaper than your hat and very comfortable with incredible ease of use. I waterproofed it with 2 parts turpentine (mineral spirits) and1 part silicone number two., A wet bag is super heavy. The bag is not fancy and purely functional which it excels at. Bigger is better for comfort. If you want light bags then the cuben fiber bags are the way, but (Z-paks etc) they come in smaller sizes and are not fully waterproof..The Canadians say anything above 65 litres and you need to bring a pulk (sled)
Hmmm... my best all-rounder is a 45L fjallraven pack that had plenty of gear straps to tie stuff to the outside if needed (at the moment it's the only pack I have), but I don't often winter camp (unless it is car camping) and I would say to make my really warm winter sleeping bag fit in my pack for winter use, I would need a 55-60L pack, then it would be good all year, it would have to have compression straps for when my stuff is smaller in the summer
The perfect sized ruck for me it the next one I want to buy ... it just never seems to end, at least the window shopping. (Also, that jumping about at the start made the doggo's think it was time to play!)
It always depends on the budget, and price to quality ratio. The F3 is probably good enough as an overall pack but if you have your sights set on one or more packs the thing is you'll never know until you make the purchase. The question is do you need different litrage (more/less) or do you just want to try something else? (even if it's the same capacity)
Well, that's hard to answer. Perhaps there is no one-size-fits-all solution. I always prefer a backpack that is slightly larger than too small. Because putting all your equipment in a small bag at home (TETRIS) isn't that bad and works relatively well. BUT never pull out your gear when out in nature, especially in inclement weather. I saw a man carrying a small backpack for an overnight (24 hour) hike. Since all of his gear didn't fit in the bag, he had to strap about a third out. When I asked him about it, he replied, "What do you mean? Everything fits, the backpack is not too small!“ In my opinion this is the wrong way. Just my opinion. In my opinion, you need an 80-100 liter backpack for one night, including food and water (not dependent on the season). Remember there is no law that says you have to fill the tank to the brim. A larger backpack is always equipped with a better carrying system. That's a big advantage. All my (20 pieces) backpacks are military backpacks. Robust, heavy, ingenious :-) Best regards from Germany, Torsten
@@RedBranchBushcraft I use 1 0f 3 big bags, karrimor saber 80-130. Berghaus Vulcan 100L of wisport racoon 90L all good bags, in summer the side pouches go inside the bag as the sleep system is more streamlined, in winter they go back on the sides as the sleep system is much bigger🤙
@@RedBranchBushcraft Me personally? For an overnighted, The bigger, the better. Dosnt mean you have to fill it up to its capacity. It also depends on the time of year,and the amount of insulation you need. As long as it’s comfortable to carry. I have probably got around 8 ‘Backpacks’ ranging from 120 litres to 30 litres. It really depends what I’m doing, where I’m going, time of year, weather etc, but ultimately the bigger the better.( you never know what you might find and want to bring home😉.
First off I am not questioning your abilities with the following comments, just extremely curious. Im not sure what you are rucking out with but a 30-40 liter ruck should be lots for a few days in the woods. Bushcraft will always be, for me, living comfortably in the woods with a minimum of tools/gear and being able to craft everything you need. My bushcraft kit is way different than my bushcamping kit which is way different than my backpacking kit which is also different than my work pack (which I do camp with!). For all seasons go modular. I prefer external frames but with an 80-100 liter bag that is for expeditions! For winter there are so many considerations, if you have snow then your ruck stays the same as in summer and all the bulky stuff goes on a sled. In summer if you have bulky kit pull it on a travois like my ancestors did. The only thing that goes on your person are critical essentials.
@@RedBranchBushcraft Oh I know bulky sleep systems! My complete Canadian Army goose down sleep system is absaloutely massive! It is also ridiculously warm, but I am also a warm sleeper and can push a 10 degree Celcius summer bag to 0 no problem. If I ever have the time (the oilfield is insane right now here in Alberta) I really should go over some of my rucks and packs as they are loaded out on camera.
@@RedBranchBushcraft if I remember and have the time when I get home (whenever that will be) Ill try and either do a little video here or a picture show over on IG. Or both.
👍👍👍
A one-only, for all seasons bag will be bigger. I have in the past, done well with my 65 litre 'Backpacker Boulder' Pack (a South African-based Brand Name).
My current pack sizes are 12, 22, 20/30+ (removable external pouches and an external Beaver Tail), 30, 55 and 65 litre. I use what is most appropriate for the planned outing and yes, I hate 'stuffed to the limit' loads. I am also not a fan of carrying a pack, supplemented by a knapsack / whatever dangling around one's neck and other such stuff. A tidy, ordered, neat on the outside pack is my preference. The definition of 'order' being .. 'A place for everything and everything in it's place'. I (still) do not own an inflatable sleeping pad. Back in the day, 'blowup' pads (aka 'Plastic Lilo's') had a terrible reputation for preferring to 'blow down' for any reason. Maybe one day I will be able to vault this engrained mental block 😊. Thus, the only item/s of note hanging outside my pack would be a roll-up closed-cell foam pad and for the smaller packs, perhaps a tarp.
Age brings it's challenges and a folding chair is currently in my sights.
That said, a larger volume pack can be a two-edged sword in that, similar to the Physics Gas Laws which basically state .. simplistically, that 'any given volume will be filled'. Thus, unless one exercises good discipline, irrespective of the volume of the pack, it .. will .. be .. filled .. 😏.
Comfort and a good night's sleep now also rank high on my list .. and also that I no longer 'yomp' large distances, preferring to use the superb Swiss Public Transport System when necessary, so I now tend towards larger than smaller.
Each to their own .. one having to carry, use, sleep in whatever and suffer the consequences.
A good one. Thanks for sharing .. take care ..
Great comment buddy, cheers
@@RedBranchBushcraft 👍
Two points: 1) You don't have to fill a large bag! A large bag can carry a small amount of equipment but a small bag cannot carry a large amount. A large bag will carry all your kit. 2) The best load carrying systems come in big bags.
You will always need shelter and sleep systems which is the bulk of your load out whether you are out for 24hrs or 24 days.
A big bag makes sense if you only want one bag. 80l but also long enough you can fit in tents. You don't want to be going out like the jolly swagman with kit hanging off your Bergan. 💙🏴
Agreed, not a fan of stuff hanging off my bag
Totally agree! All because you have a BIG pack does not mean you have to fill it to maximum capacity. I like bigger bags especially if you don't have time to neatly pack or roll your gear up. We all know that everything in your pack magically expands after we take it out of its stuff sack.
@davestuddert4392 lol, yes , like my waist line it magically increases in size
62 here. I only truck camp now. Living off of what I could carry on my back ended a long time ago. When I did do that kind of thing we managed to get all our gear in the medium ALICE pack.
Nice, Alice is a great system
👍 When I consider the load to be a bit heavy for the distance (and route) to be travelled, I use a Shopping Trolley .. either with the original carrier in situ, or carrier removed and replaced with a 55 or 65 litre pack strapped to the frame. Easy to pull along and my back and hips thank me during and afterwards 😊.
Nice one Thomas
@@RedBranchBushcraft 👍
Oi! Walley! Love the way you do your videos. Your my favorite bushcrafter on UA-cam
Class!! Cheers buddy
Hi woolly I’ve had loads of packs including the plce Bergen and tried the small pack syndrome but I always go back to my sabre 45 with rocket pouches on sides which makes it 70l and I use the carinthia def4 bag as don’t need more in minus temps plus warm gear and one rocket is purely for food so or less out for a week will hold more gear as well as food if needed but I think with sensible packing 70l is the sweet spot for U.K. winter, I just use it all year round👍
That's my line of thinking at the moment
Hi Wooly . The rucksack is the F3 the F2 has no molle on the front. It's 120 litres with the 2 side pouches which are about 10 litres each. As you said it would be great if you could cinch it down for smaller load outs. Then you could stick the pouches on for longer trips. I love big bombproof rucksack s. All the best from Southern Ireland 🇮🇪
Cheers buddy
Cheers buddy
Came across your channel a month ago and really enjoy the information sharing. Say hi to Bruno. As far as rucksack/pack sizes go the risk is that it’s easy to fill a bag that is larger than what you’re used to. I used to do two week trips with a 65 liter bag. Have a 75 liter bag now where there’s times I can’t figure out how to get everything in. Good luck in making that decision. Looking forward to hearing the result.
Cheers buddy
Multimillion dollar question there Wooly!
Yes buddy
Them rucksack s I mentioned on your other video,
I use a few different sleeping bags,British arctic, British 58 pattern, American 1944 arctic bag cover with a broken zip ,they are all bulky and take up most of the bag,I can fit spare clothes in a dry bag, an axe,beers food, water on top and still have a bit of space,
The pouches have my tarp and hammock inc hanging system,the other has cup,gas stove,pots pans,knife, saw,small grill,kfs, fire lighting pouch,etc,the lid has gloves,hat,shemagh head torch.
I haven't used the 45l yet but the same pouches will go on it and I'll use a bivi bag and summer sleeping bag
I had to put my veg on lol
Also,if there is nothing wrong with the bag you have keep it, the sleep system fits ok,do you use the sleeping bag that was in it?
If not it looks big enough, and if you can put stuff in pouches on the outside, bonus
I have a 77 litre south african military bag that is cheaper than your hat and very comfortable with incredible ease of use. I waterproofed it with 2 parts turpentine (mineral spirits) and1 part silicone number two., A wet bag is super heavy. The bag is not fancy and purely functional which it excels at. Bigger is better for comfort. If you want light bags then the cuben fiber bags are the way, but (Z-paks etc) they come in smaller sizes and are not fully waterproof..The Canadians say anything above 65 litres and you need to bring a pulk (sled)
I've seen those bags, big brown ones, look great
@@RedBranchBushcraft if you want to pack/unpack in a hurry then it's perfect - very practical and easy to find stuff
Happy with the British army bergen most of the time. Mid winter has all the space you need. Summer, just remove the massive side pouches.
Great point
Hmmm... my best all-rounder is a 45L fjallraven pack that had plenty of gear straps to tie stuff to the outside if needed (at the moment it's the only pack I have), but I don't often winter camp (unless it is car camping) and I would say to make my really warm winter sleeping bag fit in my pack for winter use, I would need a 55-60L pack, then it would be good all year, it would have to have compression straps for when my stuff is smaller in the summer
Agreed, I think the best all-rounder is looking like 60-70 litres with modular options
The perfect sized ruck for me it the next one I want to buy ... it just never seems to end, at least the window shopping.
(Also, that jumping about at the start made the doggo's think it was time to play!)
Lol, yep I understand that!! I'm still thinking about the savotta l or xl
Cool🤠👍and!!!!!Nice 😊🎣🏋️♂️🥩😁… looks real big on you mate!!!😲😅😅👀👀🫣😁
Oh yeah !! 🇮🇪⛺🥷🦛🦦
It always depends on the budget, and price to quality ratio. The F3 is probably good enough as an overall pack but if you have your sights set on one or more packs the thing is you'll never know until you make the purchase. The question is do you need different litrage (more/less) or do you just want to try something else? (even if it's the same capacity)
My main concern is the size , is it too big , but then is too big a thing?
@@RedBranchBushcraft ..then you have an "excuse" to buy a new pack ;)
Lol
Well, that's hard to answer. Perhaps there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
I always prefer a backpack that is slightly larger than too small. Because putting all your equipment in a small bag at home (TETRIS) isn't that bad and works relatively well. BUT never pull out your gear when out in nature, especially in inclement weather.
I saw a man carrying a small backpack for an overnight (24 hour) hike. Since all of his gear didn't fit in the bag, he had to strap about a third out. When I asked him about it, he replied, "What do you mean? Everything fits, the backpack is not too small!“
In my opinion this is the wrong way. Just my opinion.
In my opinion, you need an 80-100 liter backpack for one night, including food and water (not dependent on the season). Remember there is no law that says you have to fill the tank to the brim. A larger backpack is always equipped with a better carrying system. That's a big advantage.
All my (20 pieces) backpacks are military backpacks. Robust, heavy, ingenious :-)
Best regards from Germany, Torsten
Excellent Thorston
It's easier to make most big bags smaller than it is to make a small bag bigger. Specially if you want it to remain comfortable
Agreed
@@RedBranchBushcraft I use 1 0f 3 big bags, karrimor saber 80-130. Berghaus Vulcan 100L of wisport racoon 90L all good bags, in summer the side pouches go inside the bag as the sleep system is more streamlined, in winter they go back on the sides as the sleep system is much bigger🤙
It really depends on the individual.
What do you prefer
@@RedBranchBushcraft Me personally?
For an overnighted, The bigger, the better. Dosnt mean you have to fill it up to its capacity.
It also depends on the time of year,and the amount of insulation you need.
As long as it’s comfortable to carry.
I have probably got around 8 ‘Backpacks’ ranging from 120 litres to 30 litres.
It really depends what I’m doing, where I’m going, time of year, weather etc, but ultimately the bigger the better.( you never know what you might find and want to bring home😉.
Yep, well said
First off I am not questioning your abilities with the following comments, just extremely curious.
Im not sure what you are rucking out with but a 30-40 liter ruck should be lots for a few days in the woods.
Bushcraft will always be, for me, living comfortably in the woods with a minimum of tools/gear and being able to craft everything you need. My bushcraft kit is way different than my bushcamping kit which is way different than my backpacking kit which is also different than my work pack (which I do camp with!).
For all seasons go modular. I prefer external frames but with an 80-100 liter bag that is for expeditions!
For winter there are so many considerations, if you have snow then your ruck stays the same as in summer and all the bulky stuff goes on a sled. In summer if you have bulky kit pull it on a travois like my ancestors did. The only thing that goes on your person are critical essentials.
It's mostly the sleep system the increases bulk, and I do like my comfort
@@RedBranchBushcraft Oh I know bulky sleep systems! My complete Canadian Army goose down sleep system is absaloutely massive! It is also ridiculously warm, but I am also a warm sleeper and can push a 10 degree Celcius summer bag to 0 no problem. If I ever have the time (the oilfield is insane right now here in Alberta) I really should go over some of my rucks and packs as they are loaded out on camera.
I'd love to see the army down bag
@@RedBranchBushcraft if I remember and have the time when I get home (whenever that will be) Ill try and either do a little video here or a picture show over on IG.
Or both.
Excellent
What if, we don't actually need a bag. And we find a way to use our gear to carry our gear. 🤯
That might work, like a swag