Backpack Help

So I'm planning a 3 day hike on the Appalachian trail. I will be doing over 40 river crossings.... and may encounter a rain storm or 2..... I would like a water tight bag.... What's the pro's and cons to this. I have been looking at Arc'Teryx packs.... I might even do some sheep hunting (ram) in AK this summer.... and might use it for that too.... just trying to get the best deal/pack.. Thanks for everyones thoughts....

I would definitely consider the Arc'Teryx or even a GoLite. Pretty much any pack that fits your cubic space needs... Moosejaw.com has alot of packs and alot of reviews/info to read. That might be a great place to start. If I were you I'd go with a standard internal frame pack 2-3K cubic inches for a 3 day pack and then pack all your clothes inside HD ziplocks for your water crossings... The zips will keep everything dry plus they'll allow you to compress all your clothes and file them neatly in the bag. The water tight bags you see for kayaking are incredibly tough and waterproof, but heavy and terrible to carry on your back...

just trying to get the best deal/pack

This is going strictly from my experience, BUT I have not bought a new pack in over 7 yrs.

1. No pack is water tight (not that I have even seen in actual use anyway.) Like I said, I have not looked at packs in years so there is prob better technology avail than I am used to using/seeing.

2. And IMO this is the biggest factor in the equation of a pack. Take the $$ out of the game. How expensive a pack is, how many support bars are in the back, how much padding blah blah blah is meaningless if it does not fit you and fit you comfortably... Go to the store, try them all on. Find some that fell good and then load them down IN THE STORE, and shop around the store for a good half hour to see if they still feel the same way. Then when you bring it home, load it down and wear it every time you go on a walk or a hike to get used to the pack to figure out the adjustments. You don't want to find out on day 2 of a 3 dayer that the pack rubs in one spot really bad or something...

Don't discount external frame packs. I have a cpl of both and use my external frame packs just as much, if not more than my internals. They are not quite as comfortable but with the frame holding the pack off of your back they are much cooler IMO. My back sweats like a mo fo in the summer with 35-40 pds of stuff slapped in an internal then strapped to my back.

As someone who does a fair amount of backpacking out here in the Sierras, I would recommend getting the pack that will hold the max amount of gear you might ever use. Personally I like the Gregory packs, they are durable, comfortable and modestly priced. I've carried my Palisade pack on some gnarly treks including ones that it snowed on me the entire time. My experience is that they are water resistant to a point. The lightest way to save space and keep things dry is using a waterproof compression sack. Compression sacks create a ton of space and prevent items from moving around as they are packed down tight. Waterproof ones are just a bit heavier.

Each pack fits different and I would recommend trying them on to see what feels right. Get an internal frame, they are better in all ways. I've loaded up 45+ on my Palisade and while cumbersome it was comfortable. It's all in the hip belt.

http://www.uscav.com/Productinfo.asp...287&CatID=1301

This is the pack that i use for everything from 1 to 5 day trips. it is super comfortbable and you can add on with the molle webbing and it holds a rifle very securely. Its the best pack out there for the hiker/hunter imho

If you go Arc'Teryx the Naos 70 is going to be as close to waterproof as you can get. It carries VERY comfortably. The biggest downside is that it has almost ZERO organization, so you will need lots of stuff sacks for your stuff inside and out. No bottle pockets on the outside is what I really disliked when I used it last year.

The new Arc'Teryx Altra is supposed to be very comfortable to carry. We just got it in to work, so I can't comment much on how it carries or feels yet.

Osprey's Aether series has been great for many years and continues to get better. The new version added easier access to the main compartment with a zipper on the front panel of the pack. I actually just ordered one of these for myself today.

Gregory makes some bomber stuff also. The Baltoro and Palisade are both great sellers for them.

Best thing to do is visit a store and try them all on. Walk around with them in the store and make sure to put some weight in them. In our office we grab two or three climbing ropes to give a little better feel for what it is going to feel like. They don't give a full pack weight but they do help with providing some insight to how it feels on your back.

Thanks for everyones suggestions.... not all I have to do is find a place locally besides Bass Pro Shop to go try them on.