External Frame Backpacks

Recent External Frame Backpack Reviews

LuxuryLite StackPack

I highly recommend this pack, and have had five friends who have been using them for more than fifteen years. I have carried this pack ever since the designer, Bruce Warren, put one together for me in his booth at the 2003 ADZPCTKO. It took me awhile to reconfigure my load to work with the pack, but ever since then it's the only pack I've ever carried. I've successfully used the pack for day-hikes with only one small cylinder, up to four large cylinders, and fifty pounds for an extended, unsupported… Full review

Norrona Recon 125L synkroflex Pack

High volume external frame with innovative features. Took 1/2 star off for hip belt tightening straps. hip belt rotated counterclockwise   hip belt rotated clockwise right side Norrona, left side ALPS Z Interesting pack. The worst thing about the pack is the hip belt tightening. Instead of pulling the straps inward, you pull them outward. What I wind up doing is tightening the hip belt before I snap the buckle closed. Which leads me to another point. I am a 34-inch waist. The hip belt is adjustable… Full review

U.S. Military MOLLE Pack

Not durable at all. Frames will fail under heavy load. On the fence, did a lot of operations with this pack. Relatively comfortable and fits all body types. I've been debating reviewing this one for a while. A large amount of these packs are on the market for a fair price, so it got me thinking about my experience with them. I received this pack at the basic school circa 2003. It was a lot larger than the medium-sized Alice and I thought it was pretty comfortable for me to put on and carry a load. Full review

ALPS OutdoorZ Commander Frame

Huge carrying capacity, it fits me after modifying with a smaller hip belt and adding a crossbar so the load lifter straps were the correct height. Bought the frame then took off everything except the shoulder straps. The hip belt was too large, bought a smaller one (they have 3 sizes of hip belt). Put a pack on the frame (PACK BAG ACCESSORY FOR COMMANDER) as found on this website https://alpsoutdoorz.com/pack-bag-accessory-commander.html.   There were no shoulder strap lifters so I bought another… Full review

U.S. Military ALICE Pack

Great pack overall.   That's the boys and me on a 4-mile hike with the large Alice.  After 20 plus years I've gone full circle back to the Alice. Everybody on the internet complains about this pack being uncomfortable, but it's probably the greatest military ruck ever made. At 5'9" I've found it almost ideal for me with very minimal changes. I had been through three iterations of Marine Corps packs, Alice, MOLLE, and the ILBE when I was in, and this was hands down the best one. I had to chuckle… Full review

Kelty Yukon 48

Yukon 48 is my fugged-about-it pack. It might not do everything well. However, you can trust the pack to do just about everything. It's the multi-tool of the backpack world. Construction: There's nothing particular unique or exciting about the Kelty frame pack. Humans have been using external frames for thousands of years. For instance, most people will notice Native American cradleboards are essentially small, baby-laden external frames. You have a rigid frame with a bundle attached to it. The… Full review

Kelty Trekker 65

I started out with external frame packs in the '80s, joined the internal frame craze in the '90s, and joyfully returned to external frames with this pack about nine years ago. It is an eternally adjustable, heavy-load-eating comfort-monster. This pack can be tweaked endlessly to find that perfect fit. The frame itself can be shortened or lengthened, the pack body lowered or raised on the frame, the hip belt and shoulder straps replaced. To that end, I am a slender man, and found the factory-installed… Full review

Kelty Trekker 65

Lots of room in this pack. I am a big guy and it fits very comfortably and does not shift much. I would recommend this pack for people who tend to pack a few more things than the average hiker would. I use it for three-day trips and it still has plenty of room left. This pack fits very well and as I have mentioned I am a 230+ guy. The pads fit very well and are comfortable around the shoulders and waist. Depending on where you like to sit your pack I feel this one rides very well when I have it… Full review

Savotta Saddle Sack 339

A robust well-made bag that will last for decades. Heavier than many other backpacks, its environmental credentials, durability, robust construction, and ease of use more than make up for it. The Savotta Saddle Sack is a real workhorse. Yes, it is significantly heavier than most other modern sacks but, unlike them, this pack is likely to be still be carrying loads for decades to come and it can take a serious amount of abuse. This is central to the company’s values which reject our "throw away… Full review