Lately I've been doing a lot of searching on the web for different types of equipment used for long distance hiking and camping. While I was training a new guard on how to run the psych desk at work, the topic of hiking came up. I was asked if I'd ever done the West Coast Trail before. I never have, or have even done a hike to even compare to it, so I looked it up.
West Coast Trail
Here's the website I found for the West Coast Trail. It's a 75 km hike along the Pacific Ocean off of Vancouver Island. Apparently the trail is pretty rough and only intermediate to expert backpackers are advised to attempt this trail. There are several factors with hiking the West Coast Trail that make it so challenging. There is around 200 combined feet of ladders you have to scale during the 75 km. Because of the climate and location, it is difficult to stay dry on this hike. Knowing the tide tables is also important because you need to know when the ocean is safe to cross in some parts of the trail. They recommend the trip to take 5-7 days to complete.
On an earlier post, I semi-reviewed the Camelbak Vantage FT and I have been excited to buy that bag. I knew it would be smaller than I would have liked, but having only planned on doing shorter overnighters, I didn't think it would be a problem. Since I want to get more into hiking and backpacking, I knew I would need a bigger bag with more options for carrying equipment. I did a little research and found the Osprey Aether 70 pack.
When I first saw this pack, it called out to me. The options I love with the Camelbak come built in with this pack by Osprey. This pack holds 70 liters compared to the Vantage's 33 liters. I can still have a hydration pack and the daisy chains like the Camelbak does, in addition to a lot of other features.
- Sleeping bag compartment.
- Remove-able top pocket which can become a small lumbar day pack.
- Many different compression straps to ensure your load stays put.
- Accessory attachment points for an ice axe or trekking poles.
- Built in emergency whistle on sternum strap.
- Vented pocked on back for stuffing a sweater, rain poncho or map.
- Add on points to add pockets for water bottle, camera or extra day pack.
One thing that is really ingenious with this line of packs from Osprey is their hip belt system. When you go to an Osprey dealer, they fit the size of backpack to your torso length and hip belt size to your waist size. The hip belts are interchangeable to any pack by Osprey in this line of packs so if you ever had to carry someone else's bag for any reason, the hip belts swap out.
Another interesting thing about their hip belts is what happens when you get your hip belt sized to you. When they find the right size, they put the belt into a special oven and heat it up for about 10 minutes. After its warm and the material in the belt is pliable, you wear it around the store for about 20 minutes while the material cools and forms to your waist. Doing this makes the belt fit better and places less strain on your back when carrying a heavier load.
I'm looking forward to buying this bag hopefully later this month and giving it a good test run down in the coulees. I'll write a post later on about that trek.
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