External Frame Backpacks

[Tuckahoe]

Hello!

Getting into backpacking and hope to hit the trail soon. It's been quite a few years since I have bought any gear so I feel like I am having to get familar with everything once again.

I am in the market for a new backpack and was wondering about external frame backpacks. What are some of the quality manufacturers/brands? Also how have external framed backpacks changed over the last 20 years?

thanks

[Lyle]

Very few people use Externals any more. There are many great quality internal or frame-less that are comfortable and much lighter. I used to use Kelty Tiogas and really liked them, but they weighed about 6 lbs. About 5 years ago, I bought a ULA P2 (no longer available, but the ULA Catalyst is very similar) which weighs about 2.5 lbs. Most gear has gotten much lighter and it would be very unusual to carry more than 30 or 35 lbs. More often I carry a total of between 20 - 25#, the externals are no longer necessary.

I like the ULA packs because they are very well made, and, although not the absolute lightest, are a great compromise when switching over from the bomb-proof externals.

Specifically, while there have probably been some minor refinements in externals in the last 20 years, most of the manufacturer's effort has gone into the frameless.

Many folks recommend buying all your other gear first, then buy the pack that will carry it. I've never felt this was necessary unless you were aiming for the absolute lightest, smallest pack you could get away with. Most of the popular packs will be lighter than an external, and still carry whatever you need - as long as you are reasonably carefull about watching your weight and bulk in all your purchases.

I would not suggest you aim for an ultralight/ultra small pack until you have a fair amount of backpacking experience - it does take some skill to use the ultralight gear effectively. A 25# pack is not ultralight, and should be your goal in my opinion.

[Philip]

http://www.sunnysports.com/Prod/JNSC.html

I'm an external fan myself, and the above link is what I am currently using.

[Feral Bill]

If you prefer them, there's no reason not to go external. Ebay usually has some good deals, and if you decide to change later you're not out much. Many externals are not super heavy, either. Maybe 4 lbs.

[Many Walks]

If you live near a Dick's Sporting Goods check out the Mountainsmith Master external frame pack for $100. Good value, but they aren't sold on line. Also, check out your local Salvation Army or other 2nd hand discount stores. I recently got a nice used Camp Trails pack for $15 and two brand new pairs of North Face nylon hiking pants for $4.50 each. Enjoy your hiking!

[Tuckahoe]

Thanks for the input guys. Went and spent a few hours at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports checking out the backpacks that they had in stock. Unfortunately the only external frames that they had were Kelty scouting packs.

I ended up spending a lot of time checking out a Gregory z65 and I really liked that pack. Thinking I will go back and buy it tomorrow.

On a side note I was really disappointed by the lack of knowledge of the clerks in the store. The one that attempted to help me really didnt have any sort of insight into what I should be looking at or checking out, and I had learned more doing my research on line before going into the store.

[hopefulhiker]

I thru hiked with one of these.. one of the latest designs in externals.. the best thing about it is the front pack....
http://luxurylite.com/

[FamilyGuy]

Ironically, Osprey makes some external framed backpacks disguised as internal framed packs - Exos, Atmos, etc.

[Jim Adams]

Thanks for the input guys. Went and spent a few hours at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports checking out the backpacks that they had in stock. Unfortunately the only external frames that they had were Kelty scouting packs.

I ended up spending a lot of time checking out a Gregory z65 and I really liked that pack. Thinking I will go back and buy it tomorrow.

On a side note I was really disappointed by the lack of knowledge of the clerks in the store. The one that attempted to help me really didnt have any sort of insight into what I should be looking at or checking out, and I had learned more doing my research on line before going into the store.

Save yourself some time and money. If you like externals then stick with them...they are great packs and about the same weight as internals of the same size. If you get an internal now...you will probably go back to an external in the future.

geek

[Lyle]

Funny, whenever this topic comes up folks talk about how they still use externals, how externals are just great, and recommend that you stick with an external even if you are buying a new pack. On the trail, VERY FEW hikers can be found who still use them. My unscientific observation would be about one in twenty, or even fewer.

I agree, they are great, and if you plan to carry 40 or 50 lbs, I would recommend one also. But all gear is lighter now a days, including MANY frameless or internal frame packs which are 1/3 the weight of 95% of the externals out there. Unless you have some type of unique situation (photographer, hiking with small children, making a movie, etc.) there is no reason to regularly carry 40 or 50 lbs, hence, no reason to carry the extra weight of an external.

I wish some manufacturer would spend some R&D money on updating the external frame lines that they sell, but they don't with the exception of Luxury Lite, and they have decided to price themselves out of the mainstream.

[squirrel bait]

Yea and all of us who still use them seem to be over a certain age. Externals are great but I have to agree that the newer internals are fantastic. I like how I obtained mine, how it fits, the wide variety of things I can choose to carry, the ability to hang necessary/funny/cool stuff from it and last but not least it's ground clearance when you sit it down. Lots of choices, good luck.

[Fiddleback]

Yes, LuxuryLite packs are high cost, but that doesn't necessarily make them expensive. You get a lot for your buck including, IMO, the best of both internal- and external frame worlds. At the least, their website is deserving of a close read ( http://luxurylite.com/packindex.html ). FYI, the pack's price has come down from that of a couple years ago...

FB

[Jayboflavin04]

I saw a guy on the trail with an OLD school external frame pack. It was canvas...so was the hip belt ( and 0 padding)!

[skinewmexico]

I think both of my ULA packs carry as well as an external. But my favorite external is the Kelty 50th Anniversary, if you can find one on EBay. That, or an old Jansport D3 or D5. Really not that heavy either.

[Tuckahoe]

Again, thanks for the input. Personally I am not a gearhead, and not easily drawn by what is the newest technology. Maybe that is why my friends sometimes call me a luddite. When I was backpacking as a teenager back in the 80s everyone I knew used an external frame and that is what I am most familiar with. I still greatly appreciate the external frame and see nothing wrong with it.

Now having said that, I went back to Blue Ridge Mountain Sports this afternoon to look at packs again. Fortunately “Eric” was there today. I was told he was the clerk to work with and deal with and I had a whole lot better experience this time than I had with the clerk on Tuesday. He has a lot of experience on a number of trails and was really able to answer all my questions straight forward and honestly. He even mentioned that he still uses external frames too.

So, we looked at packs and when I was in the shop last I took an interest in the Gregory z65. Just from checking it out in the shop Tuesday and again today, it is a pretty nice pack. The problem though is that when it came to fit, I some how fell into an odd position – my torso fell at the high range of the medium size or the low range of the large size suspension system. Plus I am a big guy, so the medium was still too small, and the large just didn’t fit right. Also found that the positioning of the shoulder straps on the Gregory packs rubbed against the back of my neck. This was also a problem with all of the Deuter packs as well.

Continued to look around the racks of packs and came across a North Face Terra 60. I had only looked at it in passing previously but paid more attention to it this time. It fit very well both in girth and length of torso; this model even has an adjustable torso. So I ended up buying the Terra 60. Even better I spend half of what I intended to spend on a pack.

So while I originally intended to get an external frame, I ended up with an internal frame pack because it was the best fit, and we fill me needs. On the other hand still would like an external, so HA!

[zeus307]

I am with you. I am old school when it comes to my pack. I prefer an external my self. I use an older, Jansport yosemite! It does what i need and like and fits me like a glove. Also I got it on ebay as well. Good luck.

[David@whiteblaze]

I was reading the "Backpacker & Hiker's Handbook" and came across a section i thought that you might be interested in.

"External-frame Packs
Today, this is an almost dying species. Yet I believ it is the best, most comfortable, and safest of the three types. Incidentally, virtually all of the people I backpack with, as well as all the group backpacking tour guides I know, prefer external-frame packs.
The external-frame pack is more often than not lighter weight than internal-frame packs. It carries your load higher, which is more comfortable, and you can walk upright, which is best for backpacking, especially hauling long distances. The frame holds the pack away from your back, allowing more ventilation in between, keeping your back cooler. and the external-frame is easier to pack, because you can prop it up and it's hold-open bar will hold the main compartment open while you load the pack. And most important, the external-frame pack is the safest when negotiating precipitous places, walking narrow ledges with steep drops, crossing swift streams--anyplace you might take a tumble.
The Appalachian Mountain Club hut men and women, who haul humungous loads up to mountain huts almost daily, use external-frame packs that do not have hip belts and carry the weight of the load up high. If they should stumble or fall, they toss the pack up and over the head, away from themselves. That way, they can get out of the pack harness far enough away from the load that it does not come down on them.
I am clearly prejudiced, as must be obvious by now, toward the external-frame pack. I have used a Kelty external-frame pack ever since I first discovered itsome years ago. I've also used the JanSport external-frame pack with equal success. Two old standbys!

Internal-Frame packs
On the other hand, you may choose to make the trade-offs inherent in using an internal-frame pack because of it's particular conveniences.
Most packs sold today have internal frames. The advantage of the packs is that they ordinarily do not have many extra features that come on external-frame packs. One type has a removable top compartment that can serve as a fanny daypack. Most have a number of side pockets designed for various functions. Many have an internal water bladder that snugs up against the back and has a plastic tube extending within easy reach of the mouth for drinking while walking.
And because the internal-frame pack was originally designed for wilderness skiing and mountaineering, it usually has fittings for carrying an ice ax, crampons, skis, and climbing rope.

Flexible-frame packs
The flexible-frame pack is the "hybrid" I spoke about. It was desinged by Skip Yowell of JanSport back in the days when Dick Kelty's external-frame pack was taking over the market. This pack's frame is an aluminum tubing, usually external to the pack, that flexes a bit when hiking. It has most of the advantages of the external frame and provides some additional comfort in its flexing with the body's stride.

Frameless packs
Frameless packs are the latest trend in lightweight backpacking gear. Dispensing with the pack frame reduces the weight of the pack considerably.No doubt for certain racing backpacking trips, this is the ideal. The big name in this type of pack is GoLite, which is doing a fourteen-day backpacking hike along the Continental Divide Trail without resupplying to demonstrate the value of its ultralightweight gear
Though this advantage is wonderful for some people, these packs just aren't my cup of tea. In my view, the disadvantages of the frameless pack far outweigh the advantage of its weightlessness. These frameless packs do not have the sturdiness of frame packs, nor do they have hold-open bars like external frame packs. Yet I must say, on one of my recent treks in Grand Canyon, I encountered a man obviously in his eighties who was outfitted entirely in ultralightweight gear and was covering some enviable hiking distances in enviable times.
You may not know which type of pack is best for your particular hiking style until after you have tried them out on the trail, an excellent reason for renting rather than buying your first outfit. Salesclerks at outfitting stores, especially at the large chains like REI and EMS, are very knowledgable about gear. They can be a great help to you in winnowing down your choices."
-William Kemsley Jr.
Backpacker & Hiker's Handbook

[LIhikers]

I was in the Campmor store a few days ago, and as usual, they had about half a dozen external packs hanging on the wall for display. If there was no market for them I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be there. The fact that they are tells me that Campmor must still sell a fair number of external frame packs.

[Jim Adams]

Funny, whenever this topic comes up folks talk about how they still use externals, how externals are just great, and recommend that you stick with an external even if you are buying a new pack. On the trail, VERY FEW hikers can be found who still use them. My unscientific observation would be about one in twenty, or even fewer.

I agree, they are great, and if you plan to carry 40 or 50 lbs, I would recommend one also. But all gear is lighter now a days, including MANY frameless or internal frame packs which are 1/3 the weight of 95% of the externals out there. Unless you have some type of unique situation (photographer, hiking with small children, making a movie, etc.) there is no reason to regularly carry 40 or 50 lbs, hence, no reason to carry the extra weight of an external.

I wish some manufacturer would spend some R&D money on updating the external frame lines that they sell, but they don't with the exception of Luxury Lite, and they have decided to price themselves out of the mainstream.

My external is 4800ci, weights 2lb. 10 oz. and packed for a thru hike weights 26lbs. Do you realize how light 26lbs. carries with an external? Way more comfortable than any internal that I've ever used. Internals became popular as a fad, not because they were better.

geek

[skinewmexico]

Internals became popular as a fad, not because they were better.

geek

Can't argue that. Not everyone is bushwacking, or going up Everest. Sure can't beat an external in the heat of the desert, carrying 3-4 gallons of water.