Thread: Modern Packs

Just wondering how much weight are people carrying with these external frame packs with a meat shelf? My knees and hips get sore with anything over 35kg after a km or two. Once I'm over 40km I'm really struggling. My limiting factor is me, not the pack and I'm only early 40s. Would any pack stop sore knees with over 40kg? Surely you still have all that weight going through you knees and hip joint with whatever packs on you back? Just wondering ��

Originally Posted by Southern lite

Just wondering how much weight are people carrying with these external frame packs with a meat shelf? My knees and hips get sore with anything over 35kg after a km or two. Once I'm over 40km I'm really struggling. My limiting factor is me, not the pack and I'm only early 40s. Would any pack stop sore knees with over 40kg? Surely you still have all that weight going through you knees and hip joint with whatever packs on you back? Just wondering ��

I think with the meat sling/carbon frame packs you are getting a good reliable sit of the hip belt high on your hips and with the meat sling the load centred and close to your back. There is very little lateral movement of the pack too and the pack doesn't pull back on your neck and shoulders. When well set up the load feels lighter.
Im 76 so the my loads aren't huge anymore, but I can still carry the bone in legs and shoulders of a deer up a good hill without much stress. I feel well balanced and my legs and back bits don't hurt - although they do in lots of other situations.

Your pack is excellent but the configuration of just the 2 alloy struts for support and less optimal distribution of the load in the bag means that it is unfair to compare it with the carbon frame meat shelf options.
Your packs are a still a revelation of lightness, robustness and utility and I hugely recommend them. Horses for courses.

Thanks for the reply. I've never used a big external framed pack. Was interested in hearing how they feel/carry, that's why I was asking. When I started making packs I honestly never thought hunters would be using them.
Would these bigger packs just give your shoulders and back an easier time or also the knees and hips with the better weight distribution do you think?

From experience with my Exo and also the terrible issued Terminators in the army which have no frame and use terrible internal stays that bend... the ability for the exo to distribute weight through the hips comfortable and also hug the body helps stop the pack moving around which causes you to be pulled off balance / fighting for balance which all adds to fatigue through your knees. I've had my exo somewhere north of 45kg and though it did slow me down drastically, especially on the inclines, and I was pretty knackered by the end of it all, there wasn't a time where I was in pain or having to constantly adjust the pack or take long breaks. Where as I've had the terminator at 30kg and it's caused me to turn salty real fast with the way it slides down your back over time, pulls on your shoulders and moves side to side on uneven ground

Originally Posted by Southern lite

Thanks for the reply. I've never used a big external framed pack. Was interested in hearing how they feel/carry, that's why I was asking. When I started making packs I honestly never thought hunters would be using them.
Would these bigger packs just give your shoulders and back an easier time or also the knees and hips with the better weight distribution do you think?

I went from an Osprey aether (nice pack), to a Tatonka bison (solid), to a pack from yourself. In my experience, the full frame of the first 2 did not offer me anything more in comfort, or weight distribution. In fact, the full frame with the pack sitting a bit further out I found lended itself to swinging a bit more. And a bit more unsteady when clambering up and down steep stuff. I've found that having a pack custom made to my sizing keeps it really snug and secure feeling. I guess this would be my only consideration of a 'down-side'. Being that custom sizing means if you were to ever want to move it on, there is immediately a limitation on who you could sell to, given that to get the best out of it, they'd be very similarly sized to yourself.

Originally Posted by Southern lite

Just wondering how much weight are people carrying with these external frame packs with a meat shelf? My knees and hips get sore with anything over 35kg after a km or two. Once I'm over 40km I'm really struggling. My limiting factor is me, not the pack and I'm only early 40s. Would any pack stop sore knees with over 40kg? Surely you still have all that weight going through you knees and hip joint with whatever packs on you back? Just wondering ��

The biggest difference for me going from, macpac, Tontoka, osprey, expeed and going to the exo was getting the weight off my shoulders' and back,
The weight sits on my hips and can feel it on my legs

I have only had mine up2 45kg but i was fine the next day.
I have major back issues ( was told i would never carry a backpack again) and would normally be crippled after carrying that much.

Originally Posted by 199p

The biggest difference for me going from, macpac, Tontoka, osprey, expeed and going to the exo was getting the weight off my shoulders' and back,
The weight sits on my hips and can feel it on my legs

I have only had mine up2 45kg but i was fine the next day.
I have major back issues ( was told i would never carry a backpack again) and would normally be crippled after carrying that much.

If you've got a heap of weight on your shoulders with a macpac or tatonka etc then its not fitted properly. To be honest I think a lot of guys think that if they buy the most expensive/exotic/unobtainable packs the placebo effect kicks in and you're telling yourself it's awesome (which it's maybe) but most modern packs from the more common manufacturers carry weight just fine

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

If you've got a heap of weight on your shoulders with a macpac or tatonka etc then its not fitted properly. To be honest I think a lot of guys think that if they buy the most expensive/exotic/unobtainable packs the placebo effect kicks in and you're telling yourself it's awesome (which it's maybe) but most modern packs from the more common manufacturers carry weight just fine

Bro its definitely awesome and the macpac was ok, Tatonk always felt like it was pulling me back ospray was way better but nothing like the exo and with my compressed vertebrae its not a placebo but i do know what you mean

My sciatic nerve plays up when i overdo things, my training pack is a sika and any more than 12 kg in that, and i know about it the next day.

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

If you've got a heap of weight on your shoulders with a macpac or tatonka etc then its not fitted properly. To be honest I think a lot of guys think that if they buy the most expensive/exotic/unobtainable packs the placebo effect kicks in and you're telling yourself it's awesome (which it's maybe) but most modern packs from the more common manufacturers carry weight just fine

You are correct. Most modern packs are thoroughly adequate, but do fall onto a continuum of "good enough" to "excellent". The older I get the more excellenter I require.
Like the difference between a high density foam mat and a thermarest neo air.