External Frame Packs? Still any good ones made?

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jaymeister99

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Sep 14, 2010
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I've been out of the long distance hiking scene for a few years (two little kids does that). I can't seem to find any good large external frame packs.

Are there still any good (large) external frame packs out there?
 
Not as far as I'm concerned because of the types of stuff I do. On the other hand lambertiana's opinion should not go ignored because he spends a lot of time on a trail hauling load in the heat, and for that he rates the Jansport Carson very highly if I recall correctly.
 
There's always the good ol' Kelty Yukon. ~3000 cubic inches of storage, plus whatever you want to lash to the frame. That's what I've got. If I can ever save up a bit of money, I'm thinking of trying a ULA Camino. . . It's not an external frame, but being a panel loader, I think it'll give me similar or better organisation and access to my gear.
 
jaymeister99 said:
I've been out of the long distance hiking scene for a few years (two little kids does that). I can't seem to find any good large external frame packs.

Are there still any good (large) external frame packs out there?
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Is there any reason you are partial to external frames? I keep a old one around, frame with a shelf, for hauling out out quartered elk.

For pure backpacking, internal frame packs are hard to beat. Fact is they have probably evolved a lot since you were last in the know.

Some prefer the traditional external frame, if that's you the kelty's are pretty good.
 
I'd suggest looking at lots of options, companies have come a long way to evolve backpacks.
 
I still speak highly of the Jansport Carson.

If you are carrying heavy loads on trail, a good internal frame works well and is cooler than most of the internal frames. When I am going off trail where there is a lot of scrambling, I use an Osprey Atmos 65, which carries loads very well and ventilates a lot better than most internal frame packs.
 
Between the Kelty and the Jansport
Do you want a top loader or a zip opener?
The Jansport has compression straps.

I have had a Kelty for bloody years, and it is still going strong.
 
Jansport has several solid external frame bags -- avoid the base level - make sure you get a good hipbelt and good well padded shoulderstraps - Carson or D2 by jansport. Also, there are some external frame Camp Trails bags that are great before they got absorbed by Eureka. Here are some classics to look for (you can get them CHEAP now too) - the Mckinley is a great pack. I carried one for many years. As far as external goes - people don't understand. external carry heavier weight better than internal. they put more on the hips and less on the shoulders, and they ventilate MUCH better than internal. If you aren't doing things that require the bag to be a "part of you" -- external are better suited for hiking.

There is a VERY nice old school jansport external frame pack with hip clutch on ebay right now with a starting bid of 75.00. I know for a fact that this pack was 230 bucks new. this was their top of the line external frame, made of hexstop ripstop material, look this up: "Jansport External Frame Hiking Lightweight Backpack Hip" - this is a very nice bag.
 
Cabelas makes a good hunting pack. I think perhaps the Alaskan Guide series? I borrowed one from a friend to pack out an elk last fall...most comfortable day I've ever spent hauling meat.
 
lambertiana said:
I still speak highly of the Jansport Carson.

If you are carrying heavy loads on trail, a good internal frame works well and is cooler than most of the internal frames. When I am going off trail where there is a lot of scrambling, I use an Osprey Atmos 65, which carries loads very well and ventilates a lot better than most internal frame packs.
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How do you like the Atmos? I was just trying on an Atmos 50 yesterday, and I loved it. I'll have to go back to the store and try it on with some weight in it, but based on first impressions I think I'm going to pick it up as a weekend pack.
 
I have a big Jansport which I believe was the predecessor of the Carson. I don't remember the name of it. But its big and comfortable. Better straps and back support than the Carson. Did I mention its big? Around 5000ci. Looks a lot like this except its green: http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___60975#

The Kelty's are a little on the small side for me. I was thinking about getting the Carson and trying to modify it a bit. Anybody tried the Kelty Red Cloud? This looks like an internal I might consider.

As for being partial to externals, Its just what I always used, I like lots of pockets. I would switch to an internal if I could find one with lots of pockets.
 
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Rprecision said:
Fact is they have probably evolved a lot since you were last in the know.

Some prefer the traditional external frame, if that's you the kelty's are pretty good.
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Kelty is pretty much out of business (the owner died, if memory serves). My hiking partner prefers external frame backpacks, and he just managed to score one of the last Kelty external frames left in the stores.

I have an old internal frame backpack up in the rafters of my attic, but the thing is so heavy that I'm probably never going to use it ever again. There's been so many advances in lightweight backpacks over the last 5 - 10 years that there's simply no reason to go strapping a 6.5 lb backpack on.
 
jaymeister99 said:
As for being partial to externals, Its just what I always used, I like lots of pockets. I would switch to an internal if I could find one with lots of pockets.
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I'm still trying to get my hands on one (the owner of the company is currently having some difficulties, so delivery of my pack is taking a little longer than I'd expected), but if it's pockets you want and lots of different storage options, look into the Molly Mac Pack.
 
capolan said:
there is a very nice old school jansport external frame pack with hip clutch on ebay right now with a starting bid of 75.00. I know for a fact that this pack was 230 bucks new. This was their top of the line external frame, made of hexstop ripstop material, look this up: "jansport external frame hiking lightweight backpack hip" - this is a very nice bag.
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That is exactly what i would want! My old Jansport looks a lot like this one, but mine has a bit more solid hip connections and its all dark green. Apparently mines a bit older.
 
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yes, thats a very nice bag -- I use to sell them, and I actually use to have a few of them (got them from JS reps fairly often) but if you want a great external frame - better in fact than what is out there now - this bag with the hip clutch is VERY nice.

Solid hip connections -- do you mean you have the first early pivot system -- which used leather "washers" and a metal "Wing" to have a full hipbelt pivot? The green and blue ones are older in design -- they also use a heavier "oxford" nylon and leather lash tabs. My scoutmaster back in the day had the "blue" one. He was an engineer by trade, and he redesigned his pack turning it into a full floating frame suspention system. very impressive work.

I would say if you want a bag - snap this one up on ebay -- its a great bag, there are no better external frame bags out there, especially now that no one makes them anymore really...

I didn't think I could post a link to ebay and I wasn't looking to get banned ... Glad my keywords led you to it! This is actually a much nicer bag than the Carson by the way.

Oh, and internal bags -- they were never made originally to take the place of frame backpacks per se. They were mountaineering bags - hence why they were (don't know about now) all "tunnel" designed (1 main storage area that is huge - few pockets). they were designed also to have little on the outside of them - everything internalizes. Using them for winter camping is a HUGE PAIN IN THE A** for this reason. Lowe, Mountainsmith, Gregory, Dana Designs, North Face -- these weren't originally for "hiking". People adopted them even though they have terrible ventilation (go hiking in new mexico where it's 107 in the valley and talk to me about how comfy internal frames are) and the weight distribution for heavy loads is not optimal. For canoeing or climbing i'll go with my internal frame, but for true hikes -- external is still the way to go. more weight, more comfort, more stability, more ways to balance the load using the frame.
 
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There are a LOT of good external frames out there, but it's a very personal choice based upon your body's dimensions. I'm one of those lucky few who fits the ALICE pack perfectly, it's always been my favorite, and is a GREAT pack. Very comfortable on my back. YMMV.
 
Yup, mine has leather and the big metal "wings" on it.

I never understood why the internal frames became so popular. Back when I started backpacking NOBODY had an internal frame pack. They existed, but around here they were supposed to be for mountain, off trail hiking, or thick brush. Seems nowadays they are just preferred for some reason (a fad or just "in style"?).
 
jaymeister99 said:
Yup, mine has leather and the big metal "wings" on it.

I never understood why the internal frames became so popular. Back when I started backpacking NOBODY had an internal frame pack. They existed, but around here they were supposed to be for mountain, off trail hiking, or thick brush. Seems nowadays they are just preferred for some reason (a fad or just "in style"?).
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Weight, internals have evolved to be lighter, more flexable and cooler. I have had a number of external's growing up. I recall a big blue POS I hade the the boyscouts. I was happy to pitch that heap in the dumpster.

I understand both sides of this, a good fitting external is cool too !
 
6shooter - the Atmos 65 carries loads very comfortably, and ventilates well, too. That was an absolute requirement for me, since I don't do well hiking hot.

External frames are better for carrying large loads on trail. Internal frames are better for off trail scrambling. One of my peeves is that the internal packs that carry enough for weeklong trips either have no pockets, or they weigh a lot. The Atmos 65 is a good compromise - decent pockets and light.

A good external frame pack like the Jansport Carson also costs a lot less than a high quality internal frame.
 
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