Why I May Go Back to an External Frame Backpack
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- Опубліковано 31 лип 2024
- I've been using an internal frame pack for a long time, but I am considering going back to an external frame pack. Here I explain why.
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00:00 Hi Folks, my history
01:15 Why most people use internal frame packs
02:36 Drawbacks of an internal frame pack
05:37 Where to find an external frame backpack
06:30 My new external frame pack
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I recently went back to a vintage external frame backpack - a 1971 Kelty BB5. I LOVE it. Hold all my gear better than an internal framed pack and I have no sweaty back. I also find it to be more comfortable.
It doesn’t have a padded hip belt - the belt is the same material as a car seatbelt. But with everything else ultralight, and the external frame pack being just shy of four pounds, I’m still under 15 pounds base weight. You can imagine how comfortable this is as the pack is designed to hold loads of over 50 pounds.
What I don’t like about it is there isn’t a mesh pocket on the outside that I can quickly access and pull out raingear. But I just carry a stuff sack on the bottom of the frame in the space under the pack.
The other thing is that there’s no webbing on the shoulder straps so no place to strap my InReach off she shoulder. It also doesn’t have water bottle pockets that I can access while wearing the pack. I have successfully rigged a water bottle pocket onto my shoulder strap hanging off the frame. Finally, no load lifters.
But the pack is circa 1981. Get an external from the 80s and a lot of these issues are taken care of, albeit with a heavier pack.
Very cool! Those older packs can help us appreciate some of the upgrades and improvements that have come over the years, for sure. At least with an older pack, you can still do some modifications to make it work better for you. I've been putting my inReach on my waist pack (which I wear in addition to my pack), so it's one less thing right in my face. The "new" pack doesn't have the best water bottle setup, but it'll work.
I really loved my external frame backpack that I used throughout the 70’s. It stood up on its own, which made it easy to take off and put on. It also had that square top opening with the bar, and external pockets, of course. Today, I have a 60L Waymark, which I really like, but getting to the bottom of it is a real chore, like reaching down into a well!
YES! I miss the standing on its own element! Packing an internal frame pack requires its own planning and skills. Guaranteed to rain if your rain coat is at the bottom! 😂
Oh, Oh! THANK YOU for this! Old and can't do the trips some more, BUT, YES! Moved from various canvas rucks and bedrolls to a modern external frame about 1969.... just, things one can do with it... even to using the frame itself simply to carry "bags"... Thanks for this! VERY refreshing! Ah! Tie hydration on anywhere that works! I'd buy the one you show in a heart beat!
Thank you! I'm excited to try out this pack- those external frames are work horses!
I still have and occasionally use my first backpack, a Medalist Universal I purchased back in 1975. It is very rugged hauling up to 80 lbs when my sons were too young to carry their own gear. My wife still uses her Jansport D5, which we purchased when we were first married in 1981.
Thanks for the video.
That's awesome! I bet people ask about your pack when you use it!
For those wanting external frame packs keep an eye on goodwill's auction websites! I have an REI wonderland pack, a kelty trekker 65, a kelty tioga, and ALPS Bryce external packs. I found all of them online from goodwill for less than a hundred dollars each and half of them were still brand new with the tags on them. I love the external frame packs because they don't hurt my lower back as much.
It's definitely worth the patience to find a good one secondhand. Sounds like you have a nice quiver of them!! Great to know about Goodwill's auction sites; thanks for the tip!
I would add that people should not be afraid of looking at military surplus. I still have an ALICE pack frame along with a medium and large AKICE pack and a FILBE pack (two army and a marine pack respectively in which I upgraded pouch buckels). I upgraded the frame with MOLLE two straps and waist belt (MALICE mod) to take all three packs. It is soooo comfortable and can carry substantial weight (the marine FILBE can be a +80 liter pack). I also own a Norwegian military Bergan (known as a Ludwig pack and sometimes as a Telemark pack). At about a 45 liter pack, it carries about as much as 65 liter internal frame. However, I added shoulder strap pads to the reindeer leather shoulder straps and a MOLLE 2 waist belt for weight distribution. These packs, with modifications each cost south of $175.00 and can handle whatever one can throw at them. The frames aren't adjustable, but as long as you lean towards medium height or somewhat smaller, are extremely comfortable.
Great options! Thank you for sharing! I wish I had my old Navy sea bag, though I don't think I'd even try using it for backpacking...
Ufff! Those Alice packs are HEAVY and IMO not very comfortable. There are better options out there for external framed packs, IMO.
@@andymytys Thats why I used MOLLE straps, that addition makes the frame extremely comfortable.
I've recently bought a second hand Kelty Trekker 65 for sub $100 on eBay because I hike with my partner and we go summit camping. Our tent is pretty heavy duty to handle wind and snow, but the Kelty handles the weight fantastically.
The Trekker looks like a great pack. I'm glad it's working well for you! The right pack for a heavy load is critical.
Nice video. I too wish that I had my old external frame pack I had when I was backpacking as a kid if only just for the nostalgia and to see how far gear has come along (size, weight, materials, function). If anyone else is considering getting a framed pack, but wants to keep things ultralight, I recommend checking out the KS Ultralight Omega. The packs are made to order by a french guy living in Japan. Because the yen is weak against the dollar, you can get a 1.3lb framed ultralight pack made with ultragrid for less than $250, shipping included.
I just read your comment and looked them up. Thanks for the info!!
It looks like they have a ton of options and custom sizing to accommodate just about everyone.
That's great to know! Thank you for sharing about that pack! Always great to support a smaller company!
The KS Omega has a frame on the outside, but the design doesn’t allow for spacing between the pack and the wearer’s back any more than a traditional internal framed pack. As a result, you won’t be able to avoid back sweat with it. The Zpacks Arc design seems promising, but it fails when compared to true external framed pack designs.
I started hiking in the late 1950's with an external frame. Then later switched to internal framed packs. Lately , no frame , Ultra Light packs and with an ultralight load ( under 10 pounds , non consumables ). Thinking of going back to an external frame for the convenience and comfort , especially in our ( Florida's ) hot weather. The one I am getting serious about is the Vargo EXOT-AR2 with the titanium fame. It's a 2 pound , 12 oz pack with 46 liter capacity and 35 pound weight limit which I do not intend on reaching in any way , shape or form. I want to go back to a simple , easy , non cumbersome pack that is away from my back and comfortable. .
That sounds like a great option, especially given the heat and humidity in Florida. It looks like a really nice pack with a lot of the perks of an external frame!
I've been giving a lot of thought to external frame packs; I think we're at that moment where they'd start to make sense with modern materials. It'd be really easy to integrate a camp chair into a pack, and make provisions for trekking poles (or integrate them into the pack). Using Dyneema (or similar) materials to make 'sub packs' that tie to the frame would make a super versatile pack.
I should look into developing these; I was in aerospace for the last couple of decades so the materials and engineering is right up my alley...
There's your million dollar idea! I love it!! I'd love to see a chair integration like that. I totally agree that using more modern technology for external frame packs is something we need to see. This is a highly neglected area of the market.
I was born in 1962 and got into backpacking in the '70s with Boy Scouts. We had the external backpacks. We had a choice of blue or red 😁. I love the fact that the sleeping bag went on the outside and you could put a frame extension on the top to add a more secure external strapping option.
I also loved all the different compartments on that old backpack. Now I have an internal frame backpack and it seems like I have to unpack everything to get to anything 😁
The unpacking everything is one of my big complaints, too! It's nice to have different compartments, even for some of the bigger stuff. The biggest downside to your sleeping bag on the outside, IMO, is the risk of it falling off, which happened to me once in high school. It made for a cold night in the Trinity Alps!
I have a Seek outside (brand) Unaweep 4800 (model) backpack. It's a modern take on an external frame backpack. It's not cheap but check it out. It uses ultralight materials on the fabric with an aluminum frame.
I would definitely spring for an SO external frame pack! Great choice, and congrats!
It looks like an internal frame still, is that correct? But designed to carry a heavy load? Looks like a nice pack! How does it feel on the trail? The hip belt alone looks awesome!
@@WanderingSwitchback No, frame is on the outside for the Unaweep 4800, also on the Divide 4800. Check out the pictures towards the hipbelt, you can see the black frame. It feels quite comfortable for carying 40-50 pounds. The shoulder harness has individual adjustments as well, definitely recommend it. There are some youtube videos on it. The hip belt is nice also because it has a molle section which allows you to customize what you want added, water holder, larger pockets, cellphone, bear spray, etc.
Very cool! It looks like people are pretty happy with it with heavy loads overall. Being able to customize what you have on it is so nice. I wish more packs did that, especially on the straps. My dream is a pack that's more like a hydration vest (the trail runner in me loves that idea!), since they have loads of pockets on the straps. How long have you been using the Unaweep 4800?
used an external frame for years, switched more to get rid of the noise of those rings and to swing my arms with the narrower internal frame pack, but they're great for heavier or bulky loads, and adjust more for fit-don't miss the extra pounds now tho
One of my internal frame packs is squeaky, too! 😂 But I get what you mean. I'm looking forward to trying it out on the trail and comparing.
Cool video! I am currently in the process of refurbishing a 1980s or 90s REI external frame backpack. It’s royal blue with black straps. I wish I could figure out what year it is? Anyway, I just purchased some closed cell foam and thread from OWF. once that comes I’ll be able to replace the foam that is deteriorating in the straps and hip belt. I can’t wait to get it on the trail. By the way I have a youth size Jansport external frame exactly like the one you showed. It’s even Forest Green. It belonged to my good friend Ben. He gave it to me when my kids were old enough to go backpacking and we’ve used it on many occasions. Great little pack!
That's so awesome! I hope the refurb goes well. I bought some pads to add to the hip belt, so we'll see how those work out once I can take it out on the trail. Great that you have that Jansport- they're great packs!
I still have my old pack (which is the one hardly used) from 1986. My get it back out of the attic
Awesome! It might be worth a trek testing it out!
@@WanderingSwitchback A nice easy one this weekend around the shires England 👍🏻
Awesome! How was it??
Interesting. I feel that sweating is inevitable so you just need to have clothes that dry quick?
Here in Norway you see a lot of JanSport, I might have that old in the attick lol
Sweating is definitely inevitable! But getting more air to your back will keep it from getting as bad, at least in theory!
I'm keeping my eye out on those JanSports on eBay!
Hiii ✨ why would a person ever need to leave their pack outside?
Great question! This is very common in thru hiking areas, where backpacks aren't allowed in stores, and packs are generally reasonably safe outside a store in a small town. You may also see it in foreign countries when people backpack through Europe, Asia, etc. I've also seen them outside vault toilets along the PCT.