External vs internal frame packs.

[dharma bum]

If you are that ambitious, maybe consider cut/weld the metal frame to reduce the bulk as long as strength isn't sacrificed. Check out my avatar, my unaltered alice frame is in a CDN grainer.
I'll admit, getting into a unit is a bit sluggish and awkward.

a good weld will make the metal stronger. when i used to work odd jobs in construction, some people would cut their wrenches in half and weld them back together for better durability. i personally hate external frame packs, except for the fact that you can tie and hang shit everywhere, but if you're old fashion, i think that making the frame smaller by cutting and welding is not a bad option as stated above. just make sure you can fucking weld!

 

[travelin]

Yeah alice packs are old school I know and there are much better designs out there. They are cheap as dirt though and with some modifications will do the job. For instance, after christmas Im gonna buy the molle frame and straps and put the alice on that frame and see what happens. At the worst, it wont work and ill sell the frame and straps on craigslist.

Im gonna wander down to lowes or home depot or somewhere like that after christmas and see what kind of stock i can find for building an internal frame for an alice.

Also had the idea to build a pvc frame, probably schedule 80, but i dont know how much weight that would save, if any at all.

Still kicking the ideas around in my mind, when W think Ive got it all planned in my head I will tell the wife about it and she, not understanding the stresses involved or really even knowing anything about what I mean to do, will ask some oddball question that will either be the most amazing suggestion or totally derail the project.

She is good at that kind of stuff...

Been watching a bunch of vids on this kind of stuff on you tube. I GOOGLED IT!!

 

[Sprouticus]

http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog...s/borealis_2.html?from=subCat&variationId=JK3.

You can fully customize these things, big enough to pack what you need and small enough to maneuver tight/risky situations. No frame whatsover which makes it extremely lightweight. I got all sorts of crazy shit sewed on mine for ultimate grab-on-the-go. Anything bigger to me is too much.

 

[travelin]

Yeah I guess a lot of the like or dislike is personal preference.

My personal needs are for a rugged, comfortable pack that will carry 2 gallons of water, an E-tool, a four pound sledge, a one pound rock hammer, a big chisel, sleeping gear(partial ecws in a compression sack), three days of foodstuffs and tea and bullion cubes, poncho, sleeping pad, first aid kit, canteen stove and cup(part of one of the one quart carriers), some fuel tabs, 2 30 round magazines for the AR 15, and other odds and ends.

The cfp-90 pack wound up being just too big for this sort of thing.

I have a blackhawk assault pack with the attachable side bags and stuff sack that attaches on bottom. I havn't dug it out and tried it out yet, but I am pretty sure it would work for what I need.

I did buy the molle frame and straps, put it together and first put on a large alice pack and then put on a medium alice pack. Next I'm gonna use the patrol pack from the cfp 90 on the molle frame.

All the builds use(d) the sleep system in the compression sack and use(d) the sleeping pad rolled up on top. I should get a self inflating pad, they are less bulky than the mil issue one.

The large and medium alice on the molle frame felt very good when I got it on. The frame actually works for my body size.

Im taking an alice frame to one of my buddys that lives locally here for him to look over and cut and weld in six inch extensions which will make the top of the frame above my shoulders with the waist strap in the correct place. This should allow me to install a main strap and a tension strap which will shift the weight onto the hips instead of the pack hanging below the shoulders, which becomes painful and causes a lot of fatigue. Hope it works!

I know the molle frame has caught some flack for being plastic and going to pieces on airborne jumps and breaking when tossed about. I don't plan on the kind of conditions a young man in a warzone experiences, I'm just an old guy who likes to wander the woods!

Will keep yall posted on how all this works out.

 

[acer910]

ive got a Jansport scout external frame pack.
It hold all of my winter clothes, because for some fucking reason i find myself in places that are 70 degrees on day and snowing the next, so i cant always wear all my winter gear.
I cant throw it off a train, and i cant go bush whackin in it.
I load it with about 40lbs of gear, and its comfortable walking for hours on end.
This summer, Im making my own duluth style pack, because if you know how to pack a pack and you travel light, no frame is needed.

 

[frzrbrnd]

ive got a Jansport scout external frame pack.
It hold all of my winter clothes, because for some fucking reason i find myself in places that are 70 degrees on day and snowing the next, so i cant always wear all my winter gear.
I cant throw it off a train, and i cant go bush whackin in it.
I load it with about 40lbs of gear, and its comfortable walking for hours on end.
This summer, Im making my own duluth style pack, because if you know how to pack a pack and you travel light, no frame is needed.

i have a scout, too, and i've not really had any difficulty throwing it from a train. i wouldn't really recommend this pack to anyone, tho. it works for me and i'm not sure what i would replace it with if i had the opportunity, but it's certainly not the best.

at one point i had over forty dollars in change in one of the side pockets.

 

[acer910]

why wouldnt you reccomend it? the only real gripe i have is the water bottle holders are BELOW the side pockets, so your limited on the size of bottle you can use

 

[frzrbrnd]

i suppose i wouldn't really recommend anyone not buy it so much as i wouldn't actively influence anyone toward buying it. the water bottle pockets is a good complaint, but easily remedied by using carabiners (of which, tho, there aren't really many good places to attach). one nice thing about the scout is that it has plenty of room. i haven't been traveling long, but when i was, i was traveling with 2-3 other guys (started out as a crew of 4 altogether, but it became a crew of 3 after a minute) and the others would always be asking me to put some of their stuff in my pack because they had theirs stuffed to the gills while i still had plenty of room to spare, partly because i pack light and partly because it just has that much space.

one of the screws that holds the adjustable crossbar in place broke on mine, tho, so while i'm housed up i need to get that replaced. having one side of that bar wobble all over the place doesn't do so well. all in all, i suppose it's not too bad of a pack for $60.

 

[acer910]

i hate having waterbottles rattle around in the outside of my pack, and i like to be able to just refill soda bottles up when i happen to get them. i wrapped every bit of metal, including the hardware in strips of rubber bike innertubes about .75 inches wide, so that protects it somewhat. that does suck it broke though.

where did you find it for 60 bucks?? i ended up paying about 70 for mine, and that was after about 40 percent off

 

[frzrbrnd]

it might've been seventy -- i remember that i was able to get the bulk of my gear for the road just a couple days before i went on the road for pretty much $100 flat, so i guess it probably was $70 for the pack. still, seems like it's kind of cheap.

but i got it from dick's sporting goods.

 

[sh4d0wm4573ri7]

The only difference is that external frame paks are designed for heavier loads, and also removal of pak from frame to facilitate pakin out meat like quarters of elk or dear strapped to the frame. . Some find external frame paks are more comfy like the alice pak. I own and use both preferring my ranger pak because of its comfort and adjustibility. And its hipbelt is so padded its a dream even with a 60lb load. Or a load of firewood for example strapped to empty frame.

 

[kadenelias]

I'm trying to get gear together for my first trip, I already have a 0 degree sleeping bag (free from occupy). In buying a pack, do you recommend buying online or going to a store where you can try the bag on first? I can't really spend much more than 100. Also, do you recommend packs that have an internal or external frame?

 

[Pheonix]

I suggest maybe reading some of the various threads we already have on this topic.

 

[Dishka8643]

I'm trying to get gear together for my first trip, I already have a 0 degree sleeping bag (free from occupy). In buying a pack, do you recommend buying online or going to a store where you can try the bag on first? I can't really spend much more than 100. Also, do you recommend packs that have an internal or external frame?

for a 100.00 budget, a large alice pack would probably meet your needs just fine. They can be modified a hundred different ways to enhance their comfort, capacity, and practicality. It's a simple, time proven design. Not the best backpack by any means....but it's a reliable, versatile friend to have on the road.

much better than the cheapo internal frame packs that you see at wallmart or some place like that.

If you have the ability to buy online, you might want to pick up a "molle 2" hipbelt for the alice pack. much better than the standard kidney pad it comes with. makes a huge difference when carrying heavy loads.

 

[laughingisharder]

Yeah CFP's are nice i had one a while back and loved it alot.

Looking for a new one now though

 

[Monterey]

I picked up a Swiss bag at a pawn shop after my super aawesome grey digicam desert storm Alice got stolen up in Montana last fall. Only two goody bags, but it's waterproof and small. I always end up with a heavy bag from overloading on food. No belt, but I don't mind...