Backcountry Forum
Backpacking & Hiking Gear

Backcountry Forum
Our long-time Sponsor - the leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear
 
 
 

Amazon.com
Backpacking Forums
---- Our Gear Store ----
The Lightweight Gear Store
 
 WINTER CAMPING 

Shelters
Bivy Bags
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Snow Sports
Winter Kitchen

 SNOWSPORTS 

Snowshoes
Avalanche Gear
Skins
Hats, Gloves, & Gaiters
Accessories

 ULTRA-LIGHT 

Ultralight Backpacks
Ultralight Bivy Sacks
Ultralight Shelters
Ultralight Tarps
Ultralight Tents
Ultralight Raingear
Ultralight Stoves & Cookware
Ultralight Down Sleeping Bags
Ultralight Synthetic Sleep Bags
Ultralight Apparel


the Titanium Page
WM Extremelite Sleeping Bags

 CAMPING & HIKING 

Backpacks
Tents
Sleeping Bags
Hydration
Kitchen
Accessories

 CLIMBING 

Ropes & Cordage
Protection & Hardware
Carabiners & Quickdraws
Climbing Packs & Bags
Big Wall
Rescue & Industrial

 MEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 WOMEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 FOOTWEAR 

Men's Footwear
Women's Footwear

 CLEARANCE 

Backpacks
Mens Apparel
Womens Apparel
Climbing
Footwear
Accessories

 BRANDS 

Black Diamond
Granite Gear
La Sportiva
Osprey
Smartwool

 WAYS TO SHOP 

Sale
Clearance
Top Brands
All Brands

 Backpacking Equipment 

Shelters
BackPacks
Sleeping Bags
Water Treatment
Kitchen
Hydration
Climbing


 Backcountry Gear Clearance

Topic Options
Rate This Topic
#125070 - 12/12/09 12:48 AM 9.5 Ounce External Frame Backpack
DJ2 Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 1348
Loc: Seattle, WA




This is a continuation of the thread entitled "Very Light Pack Frame".

Photos show the latest frame pack I just finished for my wife. The small sack hanging on the door knob is the disassembled pack in a tent pole stuff sack.

Specs

(1) Total weight of this pack is 9.5 ounces including frame, bag, padded shoulder straps and padded waist belt with 2" quick release buckle.
(2) Weight breaks down like this (in ounces) frame 2.2; bag 2.7; shoulder straps 1.2; waist belt 3.4 for a total of 9.5 ounces.
(3) Pack can be taken apart and carried in a stuff sack the size of a typical tent pole stuff sack. It can then be put back together quickly and easily. No tools required. My wife took an older model apart for her flight to Spain. She put it back together, hiked across Spain and then took it apart again for the flight home.
(4) Bag can be slid up and down frame with a single buckle adjustment. Picture shows it in lower position. Some people (e.g. I think Charles, our website host) would prefer it higher on the frame.
(5) Pack can be fit to any height person by replacing the two vertical carbon fiber pieces of the frame tubing with ones of the correct length for that person. This can be done in seconds.
(6) Bag capacity is about 3500 cubic inches. There's room to strap on a top bag for an additional 1500 cubic inches if needed (where you see blue foam in picture).
(7)Bag, shoulder straps and waist belt use 1.9 ounce uncoated ripstop nylon. I like uncoated so I can throw everything in the washer after a trip. I rely on an internal plastic sack for keeping things dry.
(8) I've used a pack similar to this one for about 30 lbs of weight. More weight could be carried by replacing the two pieces of vertical tubing with stiffer and stronger carbon fiber tubing. The additional weight of stronger/stiffer tubing is negligible.

Further Weight Reductions?
A couple more ounces could be shaved off by using cuben fiber fabric instead of the 1.9 ripstop. This would reduce the total weight to less than 1/2 pound. Does anyone know if cuben fiber fabric can be run through the clothes washer?

Another 2 ounces or so could be shaved with a few other ideas I have. They all result in less convenience, less strength or less durability, however. My friend Jenny says one could save weight by using their hat as a cereal bowl but is it worth it? I probably won't implement these last weight saving ideas so I'd say I'm pretty close to the point of diminishing returns on the weight reductions for this pack.

Weight Additions?
I've made several packs with larger bags. It is very tempting because you get a lot of volume for the additional fabric weight. The volume of this bag, for example, could be increased by 1000 cubic inches for less than 1/2 ounce of additional fabric weight.

Top
#125118 - 12/12/09 08:20 PM Re: 9.5 Ounce External Frame Backpack [Re: DJ2]
Keith Offline
member

Registered: 01/04/02
Posts: 1667
Loc: Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Nice!

So where did you get the carbon poles?
_________________________
Human Resources Memo: Floggings will continue until morale improves.

Top
#125132 - 12/13/09 03:13 AM Re: 9.5 Ounce External Frame Backpack [Re: Keith]
DJ2 Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 1348
Loc: Seattle, WA
Carbon fiber tubing can be obtained from archery shops, kite shops or Fibraplex (pole maker).

Here's one source I like:

http://www.kitebuilder.com/forums/search.php?search_id=newposts

Top

Shout Box

Highest Quality Lightweight Down Sleeping Bags
 
Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags
 
Lite Gear Talk - Featured Topics
Backcountry Discussion - Featured Topics
Make Your Own Gear - Featured Topics
Featured Photos
Spiderco Chaparral Pocketknife
David & Goliath
Also Testing
Trip Report with Photos
Seven Devils, Idaho
Oat Hill Mine Trail 2012
Dark Canyon - Utah
Who's Online
0 registered (), 257 Guests and 0 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Noodles, McCrary, DanyBacky, Rashy Willia, WanderBison
13240 Registered Users
Forum Links
Disclaimer
Policies
Site Links
Backpacking.net
Lightweight Gear Store
Backpacking Book Store
Lightweight Zone
Hiking Essentials

Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:

Backcountry Forum
 

Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!
 
 

Since 1996 - the Original Backcountry Forum
Copyright © The Lightweight Backpacker & BackcountryForum