Alice packs are cheap.
Talk me out of it.
My limitations are that I am not supposed to lift more than 10lbs or carry more than 3lbs.
That's pretty close to reality but it has to do with my spine not my hips.
If I'm correct, I should be able to carry some gear weight if it sits on my hips instead of my shoulders.
Consider connied's minimum survival stuff for a "day hike" plus water, food and coffee as the bare minimum I will need if I have trouble getting back to base camp. This is a real possibility for me (not any great danger but I might need to rest, possibly for several hours).
I think a lightweight hammock should go in the pack to be used as a chair or to lie down and rest. There are plenty of trees where I plan to go.
Back to the pack. The alice packs are all over ebay. They seem very inexpensive to me. They are an external frame style and if I read correctly, the external frame style while old is the easier way to distribute the load to your hips and away from your shoulders. Even if an alice pack is not ultralight, I don't think it should be a problem because I will not be carrying much equipment to begin with.
I have seen ultralight chairs that are just over 1lb. That is an option but the hammock ideas seems better because of weight and packability.
I don't want to spend a fortune on a pack since it will not get heavy use.
What say you, guru's of ultralight. What is my cheapest/best option for a day hike without too much back pain?
And don't say a wagon
