Too light? The G4 Free rucksack

[Jeff Crawley]

I was pondering doing a minimalist Ingles with everything crammed into a 20 litre Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Day Pack but now more likely to do a half-Camino from Leon to SdC this autumn and looking for gear stumbled upon this rucksack.

It's a very simple, frame-less bag with two mesh pockets, an outer pocket, two zipped pockets in the hood.
40 litres supposed to be able to hold 45kg see:

UK http://tinyurl.com/h6jv9y2 USA http://tinyurl.com/z2nkbrg

So, it arrived today, is made of decent material, well stitched with lightly padded shoulder straps and I packed in:

Spare trousers, 2 pair underwear, 2 pair socks, 2 tee shirts, XL travel towel, Silk liner, Altus poncho, Rain jacket, Wash gear, Crocs, 750ml water

still a lot of room to spare

Total weight . . . 4.2kg (the bag alone weighs just 390gms!) Too light? What does the team think?

 

[C clearly]

I'd wonder if even 4.2 kg weight, constantly dragging on my shoulders due to absence of a hip belt, might get uncomfortable. With a 6-7 kg load, I find proper weight transfer to the hips to be essential.

 

[Devon Mike]

I'd wonder if even 4.2 kg weight, constantly dragging on my shoulders due to absence of a hip belt, might get uncomfortable. With a 6-7 kg load, I find proper weight transfer to the hips to be essential.

I totally agree. No waist belt means all the load is on the shoulders and compressing the spine. Also it is tight against the back so I would get too hot and sweaty.

 

[Urban Trekker]

No hip belt, no padding, few external anchor points. Might be great for a day bag for around town on rest days but not for a Camino pack. Lots of steep hills on the English and when you reach Galicia. Your going to want padding and a hip belt. Buen Camino

 

[Robo]

100% agree. I ended up using a slightly heavier bag than planned and loved it. A good solid hip belt and well padded overall was a dream.......... I would carry an extra KG for a good bag than save a KG and be uncomfortable....

 

[peregrina2000]

There are some lucky people in this world who can wear a light backpack with no internal frame and none of the features described by the earlier posters. I am not one of them. But, if you look at our pictures, you can see we all share a feature -- grey hair. Maybe Jeff is a young 'un and can walk with a pack with no support without ruining his lower back.

 

[YourGreatAunt]

I was pondering doing a minimalist Ingles with everything crammed into a 20 litre Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Day Pack but now more likely to do a half-Camino from Leon to SdC this autumn and looking for gear stumbled upon this rucksack.

My pack is an 18L Forclaz bought from Decathlon *years* ago. No waist strap either. But with the kind of weight I carry on my hikes, I don't need it. Like you, I keep my stuff under 3-4kgs. Most times, I carry it on one side anyway and switch with the walking pole. Breaks the monotony.

Is the fabric made of ripstop nylon? I can't tell if the fabric is thick or not. It weighs a couple feathers, though, eh? Nice pack!

 

[YourGreatAunt]

Is this what you meant, @Jeff Crawley? I would be worried the unpadded shoulder straps would bunch/crinkle up and start to "cut" into my shoulders. It's a nice size, though.

 

[AlwynWellington]

I notice your pack has a sternum strap. My experience is, if made tight a lot of weight is transferred to the upper chest and off the shoulders.

However, without a belly band (I like alliteration), the bottom of the pack is free to "float" backwards and forwards.

And without a frame that takes the business side of the pack away from your back your are very reliant on perfect placement of all items to prevent them continually hitting you.

In this part of the world we call these "kidney bashers"

Try it out on trips of more than 15 km for more than 15 days before you commit to it as you camino buddy.

 

[spursfan]

I'm in the minimal weight no frame pack category - and starting from a ultra-light 40L pack I'm now down to this heavier 12L pack but with all the elements of a full-size pack apart from frame - typically I carry no more than 2.5L plus up to 3L max of liquid - and it's better made than the Lowe Alpine 14L that it replaced
http://www.runandbecome.com/item/Gregory/Miwok-12L-Running-Backpack/7ZN
ps I've also got grey hair

 

[YourGreatAunt]

Pack, footwear and water: three big things where a lot of people just repeat what they read online. There are theories and "research" for every argument.

 

[Al the optimist]

I was pondering doing a minimalist Ingles with everything crammed into a 20 litre Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Day Pack

I walked the Ingles with this last September. Worked great!

 

[John Lunde]

Day after day is not the same as an afternoon jaunt. I did a 3 week section of the Camino in France with an ultralight pack (one pound) that had a functional hip belt but no frame of any kind and I soon would have traded it for the five pounder with full frame I left at home. I had back pain from day two. My goal now is not how light can I get but getting as light as is practical and no lighter. When I got home I gave the ultralight pack away.

 

[spursfan]

Day after day is not the same as an afternoon jaunt. I did a 3 week section of the Camino in France with an ultralight pack (one pound) that had a functional hip belt but no frame of any kind and I soon would have traded it for the five pounder with full frame I left at home. I had back pain from day two. My goal now is not how light can I get but getting as light as is practical and no lighter. When I got home I gave the ultralight pack away.

John
It also depends on how much weight you are carrying in your pack as to whether you need a frame or not - my Camino pack when packed but excluding water weighs about the same as your full frame pack with nothing in it!
I'm somewhat mystified by your description of your ultralight pack as weighing one pound - Al's 20L pack weights just 70g or 2.5 oz

 

[t2andreo]

I learned the hard way that any pack, regardless of size must have a waist band for me to consider it. All of the above posts are correct. Smaller rucksacks with only shoulder, and maybe a sternum strap, are okay for day touring or shorter walks.

I use a collapsible, 20L Altus frameless day pack for in-town shopping and day touring. It doubles as a carry-on bag for my valuables on the way to Spain or France to my starting point. But, I could not recommend it for extended Camino walking.

However, I opine that the essential components of any Camino rucksack, regardless of volume or weight should be:

1. padded, adjustable shoulder straps
2. adjustable height sternum strap (an attached whistle is nice but not mandatory)
3. an integral or attachable / detachable waist bank. Pockets are desirable but not mandatory
4. a ventilated back panel, preferably a floating suspension system, to ensure good ventilation and weight distribution.

Everything else is subject to personal preference, the duration of our Camino, and your walking style. For example, I strap my loaded rucksack on in the morning, and it remains on my back all day, except perhaps for one cafe stop. So it has to be very comfortable, ventilated, not rub, and essentially feel like a part of ME.

The attributes I listed above are the basic foundation I would consider. Exceptions would include someone who thinks they have discovered a way to do a Camino carrying 3 Kg or less on their back, are not concerned with aching shoulders or back, and prefer to least carried weight. Most frameless rucksacks with the above attributes will typically weigh a kilo or more empty.

My bottom line is that, if you hurt or ache, you cannot enjoy your Camino as well. Suffering is optional and highly overrated. I dispense with suffering whenever possible...

I hope this helps.

 

[spursfan]

Tom
Yes, I walk as lightly as possible - and my 12L pack satisfies your four essential requirements

 

[ricitosdeplata]

I've considered the same light approach with a Gonex 320 g 30 L payback, but take my advice with a grain of salt since ive never tried it on the camino. I bought a hip belt from amazon and plan to sew it to my light back.

 

[sabbott]

Spursfan, would it be possible to share your packing list? Would love to see what you carry to stay that light.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I'd wonder if even 4.2 kg weight, constantly dragging on my shoulders due to absence of a hip belt, might get uncomfortable. With a 6-7 kg load, I find proper weight transfer to the hips to be essential.

Thanks for that, the trouble is, at 6' 1" with a long back I can't find a small pack that will actual seat on my hips! The The 40 litre I used on my third and fourth Caminos has a waist belt but the shoulder straps aren't long enough to get it low enough to rest on my hips - I suppose I could cut the straps and fit extension pieces?

 

[sabbott]

Jeff, some of the "boutique" US companies offer more customized back lengths. My ULA Circuit does, but it's not as small as you want. ULA does make smaller though, you might check them out, and Z pack.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

There are some lucky people in this world who can wear a light backpack with no internal frame and none of the features described by the earlier posters. I am not one of them. But, if you look at our pictures, you can see we all share a feature -- grey hair. Maybe Jeff is a young 'un and can walk with a pack with no support without ruining his lower back.

Sadly Jeff is just like his avatar and heading towards 65 The pack I used for Camino 2 was frameless but heavily padded perhaps too heavily padded.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

My pack is an 18L Forclaz bought from Decathlon *years* ago. No waist strap either. But with the kind of weight I carry on my hikes, I don't need it. Like you, I keep my stuff under 3-4kgs. Most times, I carry it on one side anyway and switch with the walking pole. Breaks the monotony.

Is the fabric made of ripstop nylon? I can't tell if the fabric is thick or not. It weighs a couple feathers, though, eh? Nice pack!

Quite thick, partly ripstop seems durable.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I'm in the minimal weight no frame pack category - and starting from a ultra-light 40L pack I'm now down to this heavier 12L pack but with all the elements of a full-size pack apart from frame - typically I carry no more than 2.5L plus up to 3L max of liquid - and it's better made than the Lowe Alpine 14L that it replaced
http://www.runandbecome.com/item/Gregory/Miwok-12L-Running-Backpack/7ZN
ps I've also got grey hair

Now THAT's light!

 

[AlwynWellington]

My goal now is not how light can I get but getting as light as is practical and no lighter.

John, you are in good company. Albert Einstein said "keep things as simple as possible, but not simpler"

 

[AlwynWellington]

There are theories and "research" for every argument.

With respect, experience is being parlayed on.

Seeing how it is an imperfect world, our individual experiences are about the equipment, trails and seasons in our individual regions and those of the walks we have done. The trails and seasons I "enjoy"are quite different for those living only 150 km away while heavy equipment (shoes and packs) depend on how adventurous I am in looking around. And I am sure all three factors for you are very different from those in my home region. And the pilgrimage walks will be different again.

Jeff started this thread by asking "what does the team think" about a particular item. And he seems to appreciate the collective wisdom from many around the world. And then he will make up his own mind based on his appreciation of his circumstances.

Kia Kaha

 

[John Lunde]

John
It also depends on how much weight you are carrying in your pack as to whether you need a frame or not - my Camino pack when packed but excluding water weighs about the same as your full frame pack with nothing in it!
I'm somewhat mystified by your description of your ultralight pack as weighing one pound - Al's 20L pack weights just 70g or 2.5 oz

Well, in my world a 1 pound pack is ultralight. At least compared to what I have carried in other situations. The full frame pack I refer to is an Osprey 68 Litre which I no longer use for the Camino. But on my first Camino I also carried a tent, a stove, etc. as if I were hiking in the wilderness in the USA. Now I know better. I have never heard of a pack that weights 2.5 oz, Guess I am behind the times.

 

[John Lunde]

Thanks for that, the trouble is, at 6' 1" with a long back I can't find a small pack that will actual seat on my hips! The The 40 litre I used on my third and fourth Caminos has a waist belt but the shoulder straps aren't long enough to get it low enough to rest on my hips - I suppose I could cut the straps and fit extension pieces?

There are good packs that support adjustment of the shoulder strap attachment point relative to the waist belt. Osprey is one and Deuter is another. They are not cheap but they will adjust very well.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Update on Too Light,

Well finally got around to taking a 24km walk with the super-light pack. .

Put in everything I intend to carry each day in August including food and water and it came to 3.95kg

Very comfortable almost to the point of forgetting it was there until about 20km in when it started to pull on my right shoulder.

No subsequent problems but no point in taking chances so back to Old Faithful and the pack weight soars to 4.95kg