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Backpacks
I've made four backpacks that cover all of my outdoor activities. This may seem like overkill, but I think the features of each are different enough, and their uses distinct enough, that I'm better off for both weight and ease of use if they are all different packs.
Pack Evolution: The basic design of my suspension system came out of my quest for lighter weight in preparation for hiking a section of the PCT in '99. For that trip I was simply interested in seeing what features were really necessary for the pack to carry well, rather than reducing weight to an absolute minimum. I started with a Mountainsmith Frostfire II that I had carried since 1992 when I bought it for Boy Scouts. I think it started out around 6 lbs. After removing all extra zippers, pockets, and attachment points, I took the (I thought) radical step of removing the aluminum stays. To my surprise, this made NO NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE in how the pack carried a load! Eventually this pack bottomed out at just under 40 oz.
Upon further inspection, it seems to me there are several features of the Mountainsmith pack and the way I was using it which allowed frameless operation:
Packing Style: I pack the bottom of my pack with two stuff sacks side-by-side, usually my sleeping bag and clothing bag. This gives a little bit of structure to the pack near the hip belt.
Angled Hipbelt Attachment: Most packs are designed this way anyhow, but construct the bottom of the pack so that the hip belt is tipped down toward the ground a little. That way if the pack starts to sag, it has farther to go before you lose support.
Over-The-Top Compression: If the pack is compacted only by straps running over the top, rather than on the sides, then the front and back panels are kept taut and the pack cannot bend. Side compression straps create narrower parts of the pack and bunch up material, allowing the pack to bend. A corrollary to this is that if the pack is not filled up - if it's not taut with the straps fully cinched - then it will not carry the load well. I usually carry my ridgerest on the outside of my pack, but towards the end of a trip when I'm low on food I'll put it inside to fill up the space. On the other hand, you lose support when the packweight gets too low, which is exactly when you're least likely to care. I've carried anywhere from 15 lbs (on the way into town) to 65 lbs (I had 50 lbs of food and water at the start of a 2-week stretch beginning in the desert) with the converted Mountainsmith, and never did I want to put the frame back in.
Designs:
Summer Backpack: 16.6 oz, ~3000 cu. in. A basic lightweight hipbelted pack, that I use for overnight excursions not on snow. Includes one front zipper pocket (replaces the ditty bag), one front drop-in pocket (for a fuel bottle), two side drop-in pockets (one for water, one for a camera), one shock cord for wet gear, and two shock cords for a foam pad.
Winter Backpack: 40.1 oz, ~6000 cu. in. A larger, sturdier hipbelted pack that I use for overnight trips when I'm carrying snow gear (skis, snowshoes, crampons, axes... that need to be strapped on the outside of the pack) or other heavy loads. Includes two front zipper pockets, one top zipper pocket, an ice axe loop, a variety of compression straps, and shock cords for a foam pad.
Summer Daypack: A very small and light pack with no hipbelt for daytrips without winter gear. I'm remaking this now, I'll post it when it's done.
Winter Daypack: 13.9 oz, ~2000 cu. in. A slightly larger sturdier daypack, still no hipbelt, designed for strapping snow gear to the outside. Includes one top pocket, an ice axe loop, and a variety of compression straps.
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