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Posted by kutenay on December 3, 2007 at 8:26:08 pm EST
In reply to Curious, And wanting to know? posted by Old Hermit on December 1, 2007 at 5:59:52 pm EST

Backpacking, as with many human endeavours is as simple, or complex, as you wish to make it. Basing your techniques on some rigid concept of what you "should" do is rather like dis-connecting two of the distributor wires on your car's engine, to save gas and be "green".....it don't really work that way!

If, you need to carry a large or awkward object, which very few recreational backpackers do, then, a GOOD external frame pack is the most efficient method and straps, bungie cords and rope will affix anything so that you won't lose it. Many of my friends who work in remote parts of BC, the Yukon and NWT use these packs for this reason...and because a pack lasts about two seasons under their usage, so the costs of Mystery Ranch, McHale, Kifaru and other high-end packs get a bit much, Bullpacs seem to last best.

But, this kind of backpacking, or, carrying out game meat to your horses, plane or jetboat, is not what most will be doing, so, I think that a GOOD internal is the better option for most uses/people. With proper attention to HOW you affix items such as winter sleeping pads, iceaxes, skis, snowshoes and so forth, there is no real reason to try to put them inside a pack, which is obviously impossible, anyway.

An internal frame pack will sit closer to your center of gravity and is thus better in really dicey situations, such as climbing, some of my friends over the years used "Jensen Packs" as they felt that skiing and climbing with NO frame gave them better stability...I had a Gerry Makalu of this type, but, wasn't thrilled with it AND you HAD to strap your sleeping pad to the "daisy chain" as space inside was limited and the method of packing it was very critical to performance.

If, you pack properly, bushwhacking is not a major issue with some gear carried outside your pack; the real problem is making sure that you put it together so as not to interfere with your balance, especially when walking fallen logs over big streams...sans "corks", a very scary situation.

Relax, carry what YOU want WHERE you want and enjoy your trip, nobody has a perfect method of backpacking and ONLY DOING IT will show you what works best for you.

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• Re: Curious, And wanting to know? - calamity (Guest) 21:50:12 12/03/2007
  • Re: Curious, And wanting to know? - calamity (Guest) 22:06:22 12/03/2007

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