Backpacks.. frame or no frame, that is the question

I am heading to Colorado for some hiking at about 10K feet
the whole family is in pretty good shape and we plan on doing at the most full day hikes less than 10 miles

the problem is that I only have one el cheapo back pack I have for hunting
I want a good pack that I can pack my gun, food, water, camera and medical supplies in
the wife and our oldest son will have smaller packs as well

I went to an outdoor store tonight and tried some framed packs
one was a Jansport with a frame for 90 bucks. It felt good but that was empty

I really don't want to drop a bunch of money on a pack because I don't know how much I;ll get to use it, but I don't want to get a mile into a all day hike and be cussing the pack because it don't fit right

I have a Kelty Redwing pack from about 10-12 years ago that I use almost every day. I got it in highschool and I've had it every since - used it for school as well as rafting trips, day hikes, plane trips, etc. It has a hip-belt and two aluminum stays that act as a light weight frame (not as heavy duty as a full internal frame pack, but capable still). I don't always use the hip-belt (thus taking advantage of the frame), but when I need it, it works very well.

The much updated version of the Redwing is currently on sale at Cabelas for ~$72, I've thought about buying a couple for BOBs since the price is good.

I think the external frame my be better for me because I would like the air flow between my clothes and the pack

I don't think I would like the sweaty back thing going on all day.

Did you every hear the saying " Buy once, Cry once" spending good coin on quality gear-even if you use it once, will be worth every penny in the
comfort dept.

and an excusse to use it more

ETA: oh yeah, internal frame

Here is a very complete answer from this forum.

This great info and it is from a recent thread.

Several of the newer internal frame packs allow a lot of ventilation.

Check out Osprey's Atmos series

" Buy once, Cry once"

I bought me a nice internal frame pack today.

I knew I was just doing day hikes so I got a pack better suited for that.
This one is pretty nice and has the spot for a hydration system

If I graduate up to overnight trips or decide to hit the AT, I will buy a pack more suited for that when the time comes

this.

It's pretty much a personal thing. My packs have gotten smaller and lighter as I've progressed in backpacking. I started out with a huge Gregory and ended up with a Golite Quest that's about 3600ci. Just big enough that I can get by with it in winter. Knocked off about 4 lbs of dead weight just changing packs and since it's smaller, I don't tend to shove as much unneeded crap into it either. The camera got left home this year too. My buddy takes all kinds of pics so I'll just leach off of him.

I really do not see the pack itself as a personal choice. The pack really seems to come out of the personal choices such as to go lightweight, or traditional. Sometimes, it is a reflection of the personal choice to hunt/fish or to climb and scramble. To me, it seems the personal choice of the activity, style, and environment/conditions which dictate the pack. Unless one is testing packs for a magazine, one does not pick a pack and take trips built around the pack. Usually, people develop a style or interest. Certain packs match those styles, activities, and environments/conditions better than others.

Never the less, I have made or my style has made a similar progression as Waldo . That Osprey Xenith Pro is awesome. But, it is a 7 to 8+ pound pack , depending on how I configure it. My Gregory Advent Pro comes in at under 2 pounds. It is no match to the Xenith Pro. BUT, more often than not, it is the better pack for the task for me.

Different tools for different jobs. However, some serve more functions in average conditions.

By the way, one of the worst things about external frame packs is that people stuff every pocket full and then start lashing things onto them from every point. It is very easy to do. That can come back to bite you in the tail miles into a week long trek.

Useful ideas....


Backpack Shopping with Nutnfancy

imho.

torso size, your budget and type of activity/skill level will dictate what you need to get.

i started out with a med alice... then one day..ohh i dunno...after i crested 30 yrs old. i said. Protus.... your shoulders and back really want something nice and soft to hump.
So i bought a kelty....then another..then i figured you know..these 3 day assualt packs are cool...lets try one of those.......
then i bought another kelty...soon after,

i found these is no do all pack for me. So i use 2 packs almost all year. My cbak mule and my kelty 4k falcon.
My other packs are reserved for buddies who dont have the cash yet for a good pack but want to backpack/try different gear and as a back up for long trips ( since all my older packs are bigger - like waldo) .

I have the Atmos 50. It is the single, best hot weather pack I've ever tried. There are some that come close, but the ventilation on that Atmos is amazing. It's a great pack in other ways as well, it carries weight extremely well, as long as you stay below 30-35 lbs or so. My only complaint is those stupid hip belt pockets. They are totally useless. Give me lash straps/molle straps so I can attach what I want, if anything.

Az

Damn right that Gregory is huge, and a heavy bastard After our hike in June when I lugged all that shit over the mountain in it, and figured out how much of it I really didn't need, I got smart in a hurry and bought light. I didn't go light as possible, not like you, Waldo but just light enough I think i'll be ok, but yet didn't break the bank. It pays to watch for sales too.

The pack I have now is a Deuter, while it's a 65ltr pack (4550ci), it should have enough room for what i need, but yet the pack itself is only a shade under 3lbs I believe. I figured if I could get my basics down in weight (pack, tent, sleeping bag, pad, stove) I would be alot happier, and plus, I won't be wanting to stuff all kinds of crap into it and weigh me down. I'll get my basics, add the food and water, and see what's left, and cut out what i really don't need from there. I'm shooting at about 25lbs total weight.

Trust me when your putting stuff on your back to lug, the attitude of i think I can carry x amount of weight goes out the window. The lighter you can get it the happier you will be

I may even go as far as taking the .38 from now on instead of my 9mm, that has to save a few more ounces at least Plus the .38 is mostly polymer and aluminum (new Bodyguard .38)and won't rust, and my XD is prone to rusting...

Gregory is like Deuter in that they offer a full product line, from heavy to lite.

Ultra lite Gregory Advent Pro

Oh yeah, and the pack that Waldo has is the ultimate Cadillac of those. The pack wasn't uncomfortable, it was actually pretty nice, it just had too many pockets, that I ended up putting too much weight in for me.

The pack I have now is on the lighter end of Deuters offerings, it's a ACT lite pack. weighs about 3lbs

Those are nice. I've been down that road a bit too. Still like the big load monsters, but only when they are appropriate. The Gregory Denali Pro broke my heart. I wanted one very badly. But, I just could not get the right fit. At the time, I was choosing among the Gregory Denali Pro, the Dana Designs Teraplane, and the Osprey Xenith Pro, all $500+ packs. Ultimately, the Xenith Pro fit ME best. When comes to those kinds of packs for those sorts of loads, it comes down to fit most. But, at 7 to 8+ pounds depending on configuration, it is not my most often used bag. That honor goes to my sub 2 pound Gregory Advent Pro. But, generaly, I have to keep loads under 25 pounds, except when loading up on water between long stretches that do not have water. Then, I grab an extra liter or two.

My personal favorite is an external frame, "McKinnley". I've had it for years. I like its compartmentalized setup so that I'm not dumping out the world to get I want I need and the fact in wet weather I can setup sleeping and simply lean the pack against a tree instead of opening it up in the rain. Another thing nice about this pack is it is framed so if I haul nothing but a roll of toilet paper it looks the same as if loaded down.

What I can tell you is, it took about two years to get that pack where I wanted it. That's not just what's in it but adjusted, straps added, etc.

One thing I can say about packs that give you no options, you take what you get and move on. Otherwise, you'll tweak it until its as good as you can get. Carrying a pack is like loading down a mule, its all a matter of where you load what and where the load bearing is.

I have no idea what's a good pack these days. I like the load distributed shoulder to hip with lower back support.

That was a very popular pack about 15 years ago. It is sort a more basic model of the big camo model I have.

One huge down side to the external frame is not inflexible it can be when putting into or getting it out of a trunk, car interior, vestibule, and so on.

On the other hand, if you play your cards right and pack it right, many will stand up on their own.

To me, they do seem to take more effort to get on, get comfortable, and control when hiking.

Probably one of the worst things to have to do is to try to get under or through a tight spot, like a blow down, when wearing an external. Ducking under stuff is no fun with one either.

Yes, its a trade, but I do like not having that pack right up against my back all day and that solid feel that makes it awkward in tight places allows you to shift its weight with one hand easily. One of my favorite things when using treking poles is to stop, lean on the poles, and take the weight off my shoulders with my hands. This allows me to rest, give my shoulders a break, without sitting down and taking the pack off.

Where one guy may go people tend to overload them, my reply is well if you want to carry a heavy load they can't be beat. The Camptrails was one of the first packs to use Molle hooks external hard anchors for straps, and the external frame its self is always an anchor point. Tent, ground pad, and sleeping bag on my setup is all eternal. I set up the tent, lean the pack on a tree, then it becomes a pantry food and cookware here, clothes etc. there, and hand tools there.

Besides the overall pack frame the nylon frame keeps the pack shape even empty so I'm not changing packs winter to summer and not carrying things I don't need in summer just to keep the pack from drooping. Winter, I carry a large sleeping bag on bottom, tent is always on the hard outside anchors, and ground pad on top. Summer, I use a ultralight bag I throw in the pack, the pad goes on bottom. Summer weight is 25 lbs and winter 35 lbs, not including guns and ammo however way more comfort gear than my Army days.

Especially in summer, my pack main compartment is pretty empty most of the time.

Tj

Oh, I understand. I gone that whole route. Seemed to be great on shorter trips and places where I knew the ins and outs of the land. That photo of several packs above is mine. Humped rucks a long time too in the military as a medic, engineer, recon lead, and light infantry commander.

Oh, don’t forget to check out an Osprey Atmos series sometime. For an internal, you might dig it.

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