|
|
Traveling Packs
Most of the well dressed people on the trails today will dress in only one style, the internal frame pack. The reason people make that choice is that the internal frame designs are the lightest and the most compact. Loads are held closer to your natural center of gravity, so you stand more naturally with less leaning. Total capacity of the pack will be a little less than the old styles with external frames and lots of places to hang gear, but if you go ultralight and want to shed ounces and even pounds, this is the way to travel. What I like least about the internal frame packs is heat. The pack rides right against your back, and for long trips that's not a good thing.
External frames are strong, high capacity packs. You can carry heavy loads, but not comfortably. The pack rides on the frame, and the frame is a welcome source of ventilation, an airy space between you and the load. If you are going far, for many days, depending on being able to carry enough provisions to see you from point to point, you'll probably be starting out heavy. A slight increase in pack weight can significantly increase your carrying capacity, and a good pack design can make that easier.
Big Brother Kelty
Since the internal frames took over the market in the late 70's, the choices of good external frame packs have steadily declined. Today the main producer of the old style pack is Kelty Inc. They do make good packs. With a Kelty you get convenient access to most of your take along belongings, though a versatile network of exterior zippered pouch pockets and interior zippered compartments.
Military surplus backpacks as seen in the Survival School series do reach the civilian market as either new or used models, but they do not come up to the standards of the Kelty. The suspension system is brutal compared to the comfy civilian padding of the Trekker, and even though extra load capacity is available through bolt on cargo brackets, that additional system is designed for specialized gear like radio battery packs, and doesn't adapt well to civilian purposes. Military gear is never designed with comfort in mind. Don't buy surplus toys unless you lust after pain.
If you're on a budget and willing to lug around a couple of extra pounds in a design built for guys who don't sew, you can get a rugged ALICE pack for around fifty bucks. Heck of a deal. Don't make the mistake of buying a cheap imitation "G.I. Type" ALICE pack. The imitations aren't worth five dollars, let alone fifty. I've gone too many miles with a real ALICE to accurately remember how many, but as soon as I had the option I jumped to something built for people instead of soldiers.
Since we are talking about external frame packs, let's talk big. For sheer cargo capacity, the best you can get from Kelty is the Tioga with 5500 cubic inches of cargo space. You can find internal frame packs with that much cargo volume, but you can't tie on everything else you couldn't fit in the bag.
Most of the well dressed people on the trails today will dress in only one style, the internal frame pack. The reason people make that choice is that the internal frame designs are the lightest and the most compact. Loads are held closer to your natural center of gravity, so you stand more naturally with less leaning. Total capacity of the pack will be a little less than the old styles with external frames and lots of places to hang gear, but if you go ultralight and want to shed ounces and even pounds, this is the way to travel. What I like least about the internal frame packs is heat. The pack rides right against your back, and for long trips that's not a good thing.
External frames are strong, high capacity packs. You can carry heavy loads, but not comfortably. The pack rides on the frame, and the frame is a welcome source of ventilation, an airy space between you and the load. If you are going far, for many days, depending on being able to carry enough provisions to see you from point to point, you'll probably be starting out heavy. A slight increase in pack weight can significantly increase your carrying capacity, and a good pack design can make that easier.
Big Brother Kelty
Since the internal frames took over the market in the late 70's, the choices of good external frame packs have steadily declined. Today the main producer of the old style pack is Kelty Inc. They do make good packs. With a Kelty you get convenient access to most of your take along belongings, though a versatile network of exterior zippered pouch pockets and interior zippered compartments.
Military surplus backpacks as seen in the Survival School series do reach the civilian market as either new or used models, but they do not come up to the standards of the Kelty. The suspension system is brutal compared to the comfy civilian padding of the Trekker, and even though extra load capacity is available through bolt on cargo brackets, that additional system is designed for specialized gear like radio battery packs, and doesn't adapt well to civilian purposes. Military gear is never designed with comfort in mind. Don't buy surplus toys unless you lust after pain.
If you're on a budget and willing to lug around a couple of extra pounds in a design built for guys who don't sew, you can get a rugged ALICE pack for around fifty bucks. Heck of a deal. Don't make the mistake of buying a cheap imitation "G.I. Type" ALICE pack. The imitations aren't worth five dollars, let alone fifty. I've gone too many miles with a real ALICE to accurately remember how many, but as soon as I had the option I jumped to something built for people instead of soldiers.
Since we are talking about external frame packs, let's talk big. For sheer cargo capacity, the best you can get from Kelty is the Tioga with 5500 cubic inches of cargo space. You can find internal frame packs with that much cargo volume, but you can't tie on everything else you couldn't fit in the bag.
Kelty Trekker
Little Brother Coleman
Why Coleman gets ignored, I have no idea. Maybe because it's the company many of us grew up with, and we tend to sneer at the familiar things as we get older. Maybe the new generations want to find new things, instead of the things their grandparents knew. There's nothing wrong with widening the horizon, but Coleman still makes good stuff.
I will admit that Coleman also makes a lot of crap, but you can sort out the silly battery powered flourescent lights and tiki candles from the good things without any trouble. The good things are still there.
The Bozeman X 60 at 3750 cubic inches load capacity and 5 lbs 1 ounce total weight, hydration bladder ready, with a frame and suspension system so adjustable you'll probably never figure it out completely (but could)--well, it's a heck of a good deal. It's made in China to Coleman's specs, but it's made well. Why am I saying good things about it? Because I own one, and I am rough on gear, and my Coleman has held up well even when overloaded. Rivets have not popped, seams have not ripped, and the frame has not bent. That happened to my old REI backpack the first season I used it.
Pricewise, the Coleman will run midway between the Kelty and the ALICE Military Surplus pack.
Why Coleman gets ignored, I have no idea. Maybe because it's the company many of us grew up with, and we tend to sneer at the familiar things as we get older. Maybe the new generations want to find new things, instead of the things their grandparents knew. There's nothing wrong with widening the horizon, but Coleman still makes good stuff.
I will admit that Coleman also makes a lot of crap, but you can sort out the silly battery powered flourescent lights and tiki candles from the good things without any trouble. The good things are still there.
The Bozeman X 60 at 3750 cubic inches load capacity and 5 lbs 1 ounce total weight, hydration bladder ready, with a frame and suspension system so adjustable you'll probably never figure it out completely (but could)--well, it's a heck of a good deal. It's made in China to Coleman's specs, but it's made well. Why am I saying good things about it? Because I own one, and I am rough on gear, and my Coleman has held up well even when overloaded. Rivets have not popped, seams have not ripped, and the frame has not bent. That happened to my old REI backpack the first season I used it.
Pricewise, the Coleman will run midway between the Kelty and the ALICE Military Surplus pack.
The Real Ultralights
With the best in ultralight tents, stoves, water filters and freeze dried food it's possibly, some say, to be on the trail for a week with only a thirty five pound load. That sort of travel is generally out of my price range. The gear I can afford, and the gear I like, weighs more.
If you are different and want to go to those extremes, the most extreme ultralight external frame pack I've seen is the Luxury Lite modular system. The frame is small and simplistic but does keep the load off your back. This pack system features removable modules that allow you to configure your pack according to your trip. Take one module for a day trip or three for an extended outing; expand the frame vertically to increase space and tie on more. It seems unlikely to hold up well under heavy loads, so you'll need to go ultralight on everything to use this streamlined, customizable pack system.
With the best in ultralight tents, stoves, water filters and freeze dried food it's possibly, some say, to be on the trail for a week with only a thirty five pound load. That sort of travel is generally out of my price range. The gear I can afford, and the gear I like, weighs more.
If you are different and want to go to those extremes, the most extreme ultralight external frame pack I've seen is the Luxury Lite modular system. The frame is small and simplistic but does keep the load off your back. This pack system features removable modules that allow you to configure your pack according to your trip. Take one module for a day trip or three for an extended outing; expand the frame vertically to increase space and tie on more. It seems unlikely to hold up well under heavy loads, so you'll need to go ultralight on everything to use this streamlined, customizable pack system.
Kelty Tioga
Coleman Bozeman
Legal Information
Copyright: All original material on this site is the sole property of the author and cannot legally be copied or used in any form without his permission. That would be me.
Data Collection of Non-Personally Identifying Information:
We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.
Copyright: All original material on this site is the sole property of the author and cannot legally be copied or used in any form without his permission. That would be me.
Data Collection of Non-Personally Identifying Information:
We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.