As much as I love my old faithful, my personally issued ALICE Pack from my days in the military and my newly acquired ILBE ruck, I decided it was finally time to “upgrade.” Typically when people upgrade,it involves spending more money for a better quality item. For myself, upgrading takes on a different meaning. For me it’s finding the best fit for my budget at an acceptable quality level that some might consider as a waste of time and money or low quality.
To those who would look down at my gear or say it’s crappy because I didn’t pay more than $X for it, at least I’m out there and enjoying my time in the woods. I’m happy for those folks who can afford to buy the best of the best gear. I’m equally as happy for those who can’t and do the best they can in their budget restraints. This is what I can afford at the moment. Will I upgrade to better quality in the future? Of course, and hopefully by then, my budget will allow for the packs on my $200+ dream list.
Now, I chose these 2 packs because they were affordable for my budget and they were significantly lighter than my Alice pack or USMC ILBE Ruck. For the record, the Alice in its current configuration weighs in at 6lbs empty and the ILBE Ruck at 10lbs empty.
TianYa 70l Backpack ๐
I chose this pack for its large capacity and external storage pockets to be able to organize gear I want quick access to without the need to dig through the entire pack to find. In addition, I will have a multi day trip coming up in the fall I believe this pack will be perfect for. This pack will be my go to for multi day camping trips where the extra capacity is required.
Features
- Capacity: 70L
- Size: 13.4*6.7*8.75 inch
- Weight: 2.86 lbs/1.3kg
- Material: 900D water-resistant oxford nylon
- Molle System & D Ring Suspension
Initial impressions:
Out of the box, it’s packaged about as well as I might expect from Amazon. That said, it doesn’t scream that it’s made of cheap nor super expensive material. I think the price point for this pack could be about 50% more and still be reasonable but anything higher would be pushing the price to quality ratio.
This pack is on par with my ILBE ruck with it’s 70L capacity but is 7-8lbs lighter than the ILBE. I definitely am not expecting this pack to perform like the ILBE, which is capable of carrying a load up to approximately 120lbs. For this and any pack, I’m trying to get as light weight as possible without sacrificing functionality or comfort while camping. I’m not expecting a total gear weight in this pack to exceed 35-40lbs depending on the expected length of the trip.
As far as quality goes, we will see how I feel at the end of this camping season when we will revisit this pack and see how it’s doing. In today’s temporary, throw away society, if I get 3-5 years of use out of this pack, it’ll have been a good value in my opinion. I am not expecting this pack to hold up to the abuse or be as durable as my military surplus packs that I own.
What I’m disappointed about with this pack is that despite it showing up on my search list for internal frame packs, it is not an internal frame pack. In addition, the bottom pouch I thought would be large enough for my hammock system, turned out to be little more than just another external storage pouch that might be big enough for slippers or flip flops. Definitely not a “shoe” pouch for traditional sized sneakers.
However, I do like the color I picked. Capacity should be more than enough for my needs as well as the MOLLE webbing for some additional storage if needed. Though I don’t plan on overloading the pack with any more pouches than are absolutely necessary.
The intended use for this pack is the occasional planned backpacking trip that will be 2 nights or more in duration during late spring through early fall. When I get into camping in the winter months, I will use my ILBE Ruck as weight won’t be as much of a concern because I’ll be using a pulk sled to carry my gear (which will be a topic for another day).
Storvylif 50L Backpack ๐
This one was chosen to be my main go to pack when I’m out camping solo. I liked that it was light weight and was almost double the capacity of my Alice pack. This will give me the room to add some extra layers in the cooler months or when I’m expecting less than ideal weather for the area I’ll be in.
Features
- Capacity๏ผ50 litres
- Size๏ผ14.2*9.1*22 Inch
- Weight๏ผ1.69 LB
- Design with shockproof decompression ergonomic system,breathable mesh back support with plentiful sponge padding provides for ventilation and easing burden. The padded S-type shoulder straps help relieve the stress from your shoulder
- Laptop Compartment
- With professional design and simply operation,the outdoor bag can fits perfectly for hiking,climbing,traveling,touring,fishing,camping,skiing and other outdoor sports
Initial impressions:
Like the other pack, packaging was what I expected from Amazon. The material feels like it should be durable enough for what little abuse I might put it through. And, like the other pack, if I can get 3-5 years out of it, I’ll consider it to be decent value for what I paid.
While my Alice pack only has 3 external pouches, this one has 4. In addition, this pack is about 4.5-5lbs lighter than my Alice pack and has an additional 20L capacity.
I’m not expecting this pack to be as rugged as my Alice pack, but I am expecting it to perform almost as well. I definitely expect it to carry everything I need for camping as well as my Alice has.
What I’m disappointed about with this pack is that despite it showing up on my search list for internal frame packs, it is not an internal frame pack. In addition, the bottom pouch I thought would be large enough for my hammock system, turned out to be little more than just another external storage pouch that might be big enough for slippers or flip flops. Definitely not a “shoe” pouch for traditional sized sneakers.
However, I do like the color I picked. Capacity should be more than enough for my needs. Time will tell how well I like it being frameless but with only about a 35lb max load I think it might be fine.
The intended use for this pack is for my regularly planned backpacking trips that will only be a single night or 2 during late spring through early fall. It will replace my Alice pack as my main go to pack and my Alice pack will become my backup pack.
Final Thoughts
I know I can get a pack that is both durable and light weight if I wanted to or could spend a substantial amount more in price. However, I do not have the kinda budget that allows for both light weight and durability. So I have to compromise. I believe both these packs are an acceptable compromise at this time.
I’m looking forward to trying out both packs this camping season. And I’m hoping they live up to my expectations. On my first trip this year, I’ll be going out with a friend who has not been camping before and has no gear to do so. So both packs will be out in the field with me so I can gauge both their performance at the same time.
I’ll revisit this topic over the winter. Once my camping season has wrapped up I’ll do a better review on both after putting them through their paces. While I’ve provided links to these 2 packs specifically, if you prefer the heavier military issued packs I’m replacing with these, most military surplus or army navy stores should carry the Alice and USMC ILBE Ruck. If you can’t find them there, I’ve seen both military packs on both Facebook Marketplace and eBay. Just be aware of the condition the ruck is in compared to the price being asked.
Links
The following links may not be to the EXACT gear pictured, however, will be what I could find comparable to what I have and use. Some are a generalized search so you can pick exactly what you want or give you an idea what might be found at that retail store if it applies.
- TianYa 70l Backpack ๐
- Storvylif 50L Backpack ๐
Remember, If I can do it, You can do it too!!!
The Wandering Leatherneck 