I've wondered about that myself and I actually looked at a lot of pack makers websites trying to find examples of how they intended them to be used. I read all the data and descriptions for packs that have them trying to find out but I never even found a single picture or written description of how they are actually intended to be used.

So I put small carabiners on them and use them to clip my drinking cup to one, and clip a fire steel to another, so the two clang together when I'm hiking. And I clip a tiny keychain LED light with a thermometer on one.

I have a hunter orange stocking cap with a string in the top that I clip on one sometimes, and sometimes I tie hunter orange blazing tape on them.

I suppose Pika and the others could be right, but I don't know if I can just tear them off with a seam ripper. That seems so drastic. I mean, look at them, they must have some real and important purpose.

When I look at those I think there must be something I'll need to "MacGyver" up with them someday. So far though, my cup clanger bear alert system is the best I've come up with and it's really not very impressive.

But I'm kind of disappointed in the rest of you for not coming up with something better than that. Even my hiking buddy, Randy, told me when I asked him what they were for, "That's where you tie the helium balloons to make your pack lighter".

Who knows? He could be right.