Kakwa 55 vs. More Supportive Pack for Carrying Gear for…
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Kakwa 55 vs. More Supportive Pack for Carrying Gear for Two?
I’m 43 and recently started doing some single-night backpacking trips again with a full kit. I do a lot of hiking and hut-to-hut type trips, but it’s been years since I’ve needed to carry everything on my back.
My wife has a herniated disc, so on our recent trips I carried the vast majority of our shared gear and food. I used my trusty old 45L Kelty pack from around 2005. That pack always worked great for me when I was younger, but for the first time I started getting some lower back pain. I know some of that was probably due to how I packed it, but it also got me thinking that I could probably benefit from a more modern pack and suspension system.
My first thought was that if I’m going to be carrying gear for two people, I really need to go ultralight wherever possible. After seeing so many people praise the Durston Kakwa 55, I watched for the restock and ordered one last week.
It arrived, and while I probably shouldn’t have been surprised—there’s a reason ultralight packs are ultralight—I immediately noticed the lack of padding compared with what I’m used to. Now I’m wondering if going ultralight on the pack itself is really the best choice for me.
At 43, especially if I’m regularly going to be carrying a heavier load for two people, would I be better off accepting another pound or two and getting something with more padding, a more substantial suspension, and possibly an air-gap/ventilated back panel?
For anyone who has experience with the Kakwa 55, how comfortable have you found it? And for some of the older backpackers here, have you found that you appreciate a more supportive traditional pack as you’ve gotten older, or is a properly fitted lightweight pack still the way to go?
I’d appreciate any thoughts before I decide whether to keep the Kakwa or look at something more substantial.
#nature #activity
source
I’m 43 and recently started doing some single-night backpacking trips again with a full kit. I do a lot of hiking and hut-to-hut type trips, but it’s been years since I’ve needed to carry everything on my back.
My wife has a herniated disc, so on our recent trips I carried the vast majority of our shared gear and food. I used my trusty old 45L Kelty pack from around 2005. That pack always worked great for me when I was younger, but for the first time I started getting some lower back pain. I know some of that was probably due to how I packed it, but it also got me thinking that I could probably benefit from a more modern pack and suspension system.
My first thought was that if I’m going to be carrying gear for two people, I really need to go ultralight wherever possible. After seeing so many people praise the Durston Kakwa 55, I watched for the restock and ordered one last week.
It arrived, and while I probably shouldn’t have been surprised—there’s a reason ultralight packs are ultralight—I immediately noticed the lack of padding compared with what I’m used to. Now I’m wondering if going ultralight on the pack itself is really the best choice for me.
At 43, especially if I’m regularly going to be carrying a heavier load for two people, would I be better off accepting another pound or two and getting something with more padding, a more substantial suspension, and possibly an air-gap/ventilated back panel?
For anyone who has experience with the Kakwa 55, how comfortable have you found it? And for some of the older backpackers here, have you found that you appreciate a more supportive traditional pack as you’ve gotten older, or is a properly fitted lightweight pack still the way to go?
I’d appreciate any thoughts before I decide whether to keep the Kakwa or look at something more substantial.
#nature #activity
source
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