Date: 2015-09-01
To: Packs! And my dislike of 'women's-style' stuff
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I visited REI yesterday. I tried on my beloved Exos 58 again... and once again, it just didn't fit right. I think that I adore the IDEA of that pack. I love that it's only 2lb 10oz. I love that it comes in a black/green color scheme. I love that it has a 58 liter capacity. I love that it's popular for thru-hikers.But the Exos 58 is not the pack for me. It's uncomfortable on my frame and I can't get the straps cinched in a way that distributes the load properly. I'm sad to acknowledge that the 'ideal' pack isn't actually my ideal pack. I had to let it go. I slowly set it down and started trying on Gregory packs to try to find one that fit better. Like I've said before, I'm a size small (almost extra small) but I'm not a small person in general, so I want a sturdy pack that gives me adequate room while still fitting well to my short torso. Eventually I tried on the Gregory Deva, a (GASP!) WOMEN'S PACK!!. And it fit better than any of the unisex/men's packs I'd been testing.before I go any further, I have to say - I usually can't stand the idea of 'women's style' things. It always seems so disingenuous and patronizing.- "Oh, you like to shoot trap? This gun is for women, see how it's PINK CAMO? So cute, right?"- "A girl who rides a motorcycle? You need this purple helmet, it's for women, see, it totally different because it's purple!!"- "Snowmobiling gear? We have some for women!! Our female-specific gear isn't as warm as the men's styles, and we don't have any in normal dark colors, but look how good your butt looks! And it comes with free pink shoelaces!"Those three things have seriously happened to me. There's no reason for a pink camo gun to be the ONLY CHOICE in the 'women's section' of a pro shop, or for a salesperson to try to tell me I need the purple helmet because it's for women (same damn helmet as the less-expensive black men's one!) and don't even get me started on the guy at the motorsports gear place who, despite me telling him the heat retention specs that I'm looking for in a new set of gear, brought out the 'slim fit ladies flare shell pants' that had NO INSULATION AT ALL. Because I'm slender and he decided that the appearance of my rear end would be more important to me than NOT GETTING FROSTBITE.Frustrating.So you can see why I might have been a little bit hesitant about trying on women's style packs. From what I could see, they just looked like the same packs as the men's, but in dumber colors (I do not want a pack that screams 'girl'. I do not know why I'm like this. Probably left over from my extreme tomboy phase). But I tried to be open minded after my sad failure with the Exos 58. And, I have to admit, I tried a few girl-packs on. And oh my gosh they are so comfortable! The Osprey Aura 65 felt like I was carrying nothing at all, even though I loaded it with 30lbs and walked around the store for ages. The Gregory Deva felt nice, but not quite as good as the Aura. The Osprey Ariel felt bulky and heavier, and I didn't think to try on anything from the REI brand.So now I'm trying to decide between the Osprey Aura 65 AG - which I tried on at the store and it felt great, or the Osprey Aura 50 AG - which is only available online and I'm slightly concerned will not have enough volume for a thru-hike. My gear is really compressible and small, because I'm trying to cross over to ultralight (or, kinda-ultralight. I love that Minimo), so I think I could fit everything in 50 liters... but do I want to be constantly working against my pack to cram everything inside? Is it better to get the 65 and maybe have some extra room sometimes? It's a half pound difference for those 15 liters of room. Is it worth it?At least I feel a bit closer to making a decision on my pack. I'd really like to get out there and start my trial hikes next week, so maybe it's time to bite the bullet and order the dang thing already. I have my cooking setup, tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad already and I could probably mimic my hiker clothing from what I already own. 181 days until my (f)unemployment begins!