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02/10/2018 07:26AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Only need a few more items, and this will be the first year we won't have to rent any gear, (just a canoe).

Tripping this year with 12 year old son and 15 year old daughter. Both in shape and athletic, but they're not big kids. Son is about average size for his age, daughter is in great shape from volleyball and track, but on the lean side.

I'm considering getting them CCS Rucksacks for portaging, which, according to the chart, looks like they hold about 40% of what the #4 Canoe Pack holds. I don't want to get them Junior Packs, thinking they'll grow out of them. Also thinking they can use Rucksacks the rest of their life.

Anybody have any experience or ratings/comments on these? BTW, we don't travel ultra-light, and I'm sure we're double portaging. We'll also be in a 3 seat canoe.
 
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mc2mens
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02/10/2018 08:38AM  
I think it's a great idea. I have a rucksack and love it. I use it for everything - canoe camping, traveling, backpacking and hiking. I got mine when my son was 10 or 11 years old and he was able to use it when he tripped in the BWCA with me.
 
02/10/2018 08:46AM  
I have a CCS rucksack and while it worked great for my daughter when she was 10, she has since outgrown it and at the age of 12 she could handle a CCS Explorer portage pack just fine, and she's on the petite side. I would think that both of your kids are big enough for CCS portage packs. Perhaps the Explorer for the 12 year old and the Pioneer for the 15 year old? Both packs would never be outgrown.
 
02/10/2018 09:21AM  
An athletic 15 year old can carry an Explorer, no problem, and should be able to carry a Pioneer. Your twelve year old should be fine with an Explorer. My daughter takes her turn carrying our Guide through portages and she's between your two in age, but she also has a lot of backpacking experience.
 
02/10/2018 09:39AM  
Our girls are 10 and 12 and have each had a CCS Rucksack since they were 4. My 12 year old could handle a bigger pack now but she already has the Ruck so she'll continue to use it and will be able to use it forever. It holds her clothes, sleeping bag and pad, water bottle, rain gear, personal stuff, and the fishing stuff while I carry the rest of the stuff in a CCS Guide Pack. The Ruck is a very versatile pack with lots of different uses besides canoe camping. An adult can use it as a daypack, a pack for short hiking trips, airplane carry one, 2nd pack on solo trips etc......I think it's a great pack!!!! Here are some photos for scale on a kid... little duckling at age 9 w/ her rucksack and big duckling when she was 11
 
02/10/2018 09:43AM  
Any reason you are not considering the Adventure Pack ? Bit shorter, bit wider, bit deeper than a rucksack . More expensive than the ruck but looks to have more features. A bit smaller than the Explorer with the same features.

butthead
 
WHendrix
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02/10/2018 10:04AM  
I have the CCS Bushcrafter. It might be a good alternative to the Rucksack. Its the same dimension as the Rucksack but it has two side pockets that provide a little more volume.

 
TuscaroraBorealis
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02/10/2018 11:22AM  
Our CCS rucksack has come in handy on several occasions. BWCA & other places/uses as well.
 
02/10/2018 11:25AM  
WHendrix: "I have the CCS Bushcrafter. It might be a good alternative to the Rucksack. Its the same dimension as the Rucksack but it has two side pockets that provide a little more volume.


"


Yes... if I get a Rucksack sized pack for myself I'll either get that or do what basecampmom did and get a custom rucksack/wanderer combo. She had Dan put the Wanderer breathable shoulder straps and side mesh water bottle holders on a Rucksack. Neither of those existed yet when we got the girls their Rucksacks eight years ago.
 
02/10/2018 11:37AM  
definitely add the rucksack and bushcrafter packs to your gear cache. i've used both on trips when i had a weight limit of 25#...amazing what fits in a ruck! i've also used them as carry-on bag on flights.
somehow i've accumulated 7 rucks and 1 bushcrafter in a variety of colors.
 
Northwoodsman
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02/10/2018 05:20PM  
If you are set on a rucksack size, go for the Bushcrafter. I would get a Bushcrafter and an Explorer.
 
SevenofNine
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02/10/2018 06:19PM  
Another vote for bush crafter. I own the rucksack and am very happy but the two extra pockets on the other pack would be handy.
 
pswith5
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02/10/2018 07:22PM  
I think the rucksack would be a good choice. Sure some of the other suggestions are ok but there is a tendency to over-pack with a bigger pack. Also with 3 in a canoe you have less space to hold the minimum of 4 packs. Yours, the kids packs and your food pack. Just my 2 cents.
 
02/10/2018 08:37PM  
pswith5: "I think the rucksack would be a good choice. Sure some of the other suggestions are ok but there is a tendency to over-pack with a bigger pack. Also with 3 in a canoe you have less space to hold the minimum of 4 packs. Yours, the kids packs and your food pack. Just my 2 cents."


Ah, but with bigger packs they wouldn't need a separate food pack, which substantially simplifies portages.
 
HowardSprague
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02/10/2018 09:51PM  
Perfect choice.
 
Guest Paddler
  
02/11/2018 08:53AM  
I was also looking at this pack as second,smaller pack for food,fishing gear and miscellaneous stuff. I want a pack that I can carry while portaging a canoe. Will the larger size Ursack ( stuffed full) fit OK in the Rucksack? I’m not sure if it is deep enough for the Ursack to fit. Thx
 
02/11/2018 09:27AM  
: "I was also looking at this pack as second,smaller pack for food,fishing gear and miscellaneous stuff. I want a pack that I can carry while portaging a canoe. Will the larger size Ursack ( stuffed full) fit OK in the Rucksack? I’m not sure if it is deep enough for the Ursack to fit. Thx"


For comparison......... Two Bearvault 500's which are each 700 cubic in/11.5 liters fit in a rucksack laying sideways with one on top of the other.
 
02/11/2018 09:37AM  
I’m not sure why I wasn’t signed in on my last post? The BV 500 are 8.5” around same as my Ursack,so it seems it would fit. I just might have to order one of these packs!
 
02/11/2018 09:49AM  
With 12 and 15 year olds I would not purchase 2 rucksacks unless you're planning really short trips.

When my kids were those ages they carried full packs. One is a CCS Pioneer and the other a Granite Gear roughly the same size as a Pioneer.

I have a rucksack that I use as the second pack on my solo trips. Other than that, it does not get used on paddling trips.

Get a couple Pioneer packs. You do not need to fill them, and better to have more room than you need as opposed to not enough.

Or, at the very least, get a Pioneer and a rucksack.
 
02/11/2018 11:45AM  
Thanks for the advice all, based on them majority of opinions it looks like I'll be making my Sherpa's haul something bigger than a rucksack. (Hey, it build's character, right?) And what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.
 
02/11/2018 05:20PM  
johndku: "Thanks for the advice all, based on them majority of opinions it looks like I'll be making my Sherpa's haul something bigger than a rucksack. (Hey, it build's character, right?) And what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."


I like your style! Let us know what you end up purchasing.
 
02/27/2018 11:13AM  
Well, sucked it up today, and, figuring the kids are still growing, ordered 2 Pioneer Packs, one green and one blue. I'm hoping they get plenty of use, and the more the kids carry the less my knees will hurt at the end of the day.

Thanks again all for your input!
 
02/27/2018 02:54PM  
Great choice, you won't be disappointed!
 
TipsyPaddler
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02/27/2018 03:07PM  
My son and his friends—now 14 but started BWCA trips when they were 11–portage with CCS Pioneer packs and about 40 lbs of gear in them. They handle them better each year (and they sleep really well after a day of 4-5 portage’s!). Never regretted the CCS Pioneer purchase.
 
03/03/2018 09:37AM  
Well, they showed up today and we weren't disappointed. They certainly appear to be quality pieces of gear we should use for years to come. However, my son has it easy here, as for demonstration purposes his pack is only stuffed with throw pillows.


 
03/03/2018 12:00PM  
awesome!!!!!!!!!
 
03/04/2018 03:08PM  
I've got a short torso pioneer I bought for younger folks and possibly shorter gals like my daughter's both in thirties or close. I think an explorer is a better option for twelve and maybe younger. But especially if your trips are going to very in size and ages I'd get more options such as the bushcraft or rucksack. All great packs...
 
Northwoodsman
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03/04/2018 08:42PM  
If they do really good on the first portage transfer something from your pack into theirs when they aren't looking for the second portage. It will help build character and muscle and they will thank you later. Before I get a bunch of hate mail, I'm only kidding. But in theory...
 
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