High Sierra Topix

After years of settling for i-frame packs that barely hold a full size (7 day capacity) bear canister, and e-frame packs that were never designed for bear canisters, i finally had a bag made for my old Kelty Serac. John Campbell (Alpine Luddites) and i discussed the bag design over a period of several months before it was finalized.

The bag most closely resembles a Trailwise Model 72, a big open sack without dividers. It is sized to hold my bear can (Bearikade) horizontally near my shoulders. The two big side pockets each have a removable divider about 1/3 of the way down, so that tent poles can fit inside. Also has a back pocket (like the Kelty) as well as an internal zippered pocket to keep valuables found. It eschews the use of a hold open bar, using a 200D Cordura gridstop collar instead.
Total volume of the beast approaches 100 liters. So no more compression stuff sacks or gear strapped to the outside. Bag is made of 500D Cordura with spectra gridstop. There is also a pocket that can be fastened to the top flap to add more volume (!) and organization.
The whole thing weighs more than a pound less than the Osprey Zenith 75 that it is replacing.

I'm hoping that this will allow me (and my new artificial knee) to spend another 5 years or more on Sierra trails, by getting more weight off of my aging back. If that happens, i hope to be posting trip reports far into my mid 70s.

So you kept the awesome external frame? Awesome load carrier. I once had a Super Tioga (pack bag on it disintegrated due to improper storage) and that pack could never have handled a bearikade let alone the serac with the dividers in it. Looks like a nice upgrade.

What does it weigh? I have modified an old Kelty frame (bought at REI garage sale for $20) with a lighter hip-belt and sewn a proto-type bag. It weighs 3.5 pounds. The prototype is made of old stuff sacks and if I were to really use this pack I would need to sew the pack bag with better material.

I have also considered simply using the Kelty frame (with lighter hip-belt) with the 3-bag system- three duffle bags strapped to the frame, with one sized for a bear can.

Other than the weight, I have always liked external frames.

I wish pack manufacturers would put some more effort in reviving external frames.

I will try to find a scale and get the weight, as ours went kaput this past weekend.

Got a luggage scale; 5.9 pounds.
The Kelty hipbelt and harness are rather heavy.

For some years now, I have kept the empty weight of my backpack at just under one pound.

bobby49 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 06, 2024 12:32 pm For some years now, I have kept the empty weight of my backpack at just under one pound.

Can you elaborate on what you have? Perhaps some photos? I think even my Go Lite frameless pack weighs more, and it's bare bones.

John

It is a cuben fiber backpack (Zpacks Blast 52L, 15.2 ounces), at least a couple of generations back. It has no frame at all, metal or otherwise. However, since I keep the total loaded weight down to 28-30 pounds, no frame is really needed. I wrap my bear canister with my foam pad, and that fits inside. I've packed for eight days with this, although I finished in six days. Since cuben fiber is 100% waterproof, there is no need for an extra cover for rain. I added a custom waist pocket.

You must have a beefier back than me! There is no way I could carry 30 pounds with no pack frame. I also have older bulky gear. It would cost me a fortune to buy all new UL gear. But if it works for you, that is great.

About 15 or 20 years ago, there was quite a movement toward ultralightweight backpacking. I admit, I was one of the instigators. Most of that movement had to focus on the actual weight of each piece of gear. Also, there is the aspect of volume. The smaller in volume for each piece, the smaller the backpack can be. Then, the smaller the backpack is, the lighter in weight it tends to be. In many ways, we achieved our objectives. Sometimes we purchased new ultralightweight equipment. Sometimes we sewed our own new gear. Sometimes we did without.