External frame packs obsolete? I don't get it

I like internal packs because they are quieter and more compact, but I will say that if i was loading up, i would choose an external pack. I see a lot of high end and hard use bags (Eberlysock, Kifaru, Mysteryranch) using one form or another of external frame because they carry heavy loads better. I will say that external frame are better ventilated but a lot of people like the "sleek lines" also seen in apple and such of internal frame packs. I have an internal frame, and am looking for an external. both have their purposes I personally want to see more external frame packs on the market. Hope my rambling helped.
Paul
 
Agreed. For heavy loads, an external frame is really hard to beat. And I really like them in hot weather, as well as for packing out elk quarters.

Internal packs allow for a narrower profile (nice for bushwhacking) and they typically have a lower center of gravity, which can be more stable if you're doing much rugged off-trail or steep climbing.

I think it just depends on what kind of terrain you're traveling in, and how much you're carrying.
 
For me it came down to a few things, Having a low profile for boating, access to PALS webbing (try finding anything with webbing and an external frame), and the fact that where I live (next to an airbase) big rucks like this are a common sight, so it doesnt look odd at all to carry one somewhere, or have it in your car.
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No, Its a matter of choice, function and purpose the pack you need for your endeavor. External packs handle heavy weight better, ie., the military Alice pack, you cant strap a many gallon can of water or fuel to your back. The packs allow alot of modularity as well. Typically internal frame offers more comfort for backpacker hiking and overnight camping in the wilderness. Ability to balance weight for extreme hiking, mountain climbing, to snow shoeing etc. There have been a lot of advancements with internal frames, ie., distribution of weight for balance and less stress on the back, legs, hips and shoulders. Of course this is touching the surface for the uses and function of external and internal backpacks.
 
I use internals for everything except carrying out reindeer I've shot in the mountains. Anything that fits inside a pack I find more comfortable to carry in one with an internal frame, even when it weighs 40+ kg.
 
Wow! That Jansport new is around $275. That's as big and as expencive as the Osprey. Must be a really nice pack! :) My brother has an Aether 65, It's very sturdy, comfy to wear, slim lined, and holds a ton. But organization isn't very good. If people look at Kelty and Alps external frame packs, they can be found for $100 to $150. Jansport though, seems to be a Premium pack, with a premium price!

I really like External frame packs. Partly because of the Retro look, partly because they are somewhat modular and partly because I can get them and replacement parts on the cheap. I have three External frame packs, a Medium Alice, American Camper and a Blackhawk SOF Ruck Pack Kit. They work for me. Have tried and used a few Internal frame packs, they were comfy, and worked well. But they didn't have the Charactor or the old school appeal to me that an External frame pack has.

All 3 of my External frame packs have been upgraded to Military Surplus Molle II kidney pads. Even though, I have a Water bladder and am thinking of buying another one, I love using my Canteens. The Molle II kidney pad lets me mount a Canteen on one hip and misc stuff on the other. The Alice and Blackhawk packs have loops for tools which I really like. Most of the time, I have a Machete or Khukri on the pack, though somes, I'll slide a 3/4 axe into the loops. . . My American Camper, has no loops for lashing an axe or poles to the pack. Might have to sew some webbing straps to it in a few places. I like having a Machete/Khukri or Axe with me on most of my trips.
 
Internal is more stable and has a narrower profile. For trail hiking...well, they look better in pictures.
IMO, it's not that the external is obsolete as a pack type so much as that all the development goes into internals, while remaining externals gradually fall by the wayside. Wonder whatever happened to the Colemans with the flexible external frames that would hold shape when vertical, but bend with you if you bent over? I had one, and have no recollection of what happened to it :(
The Mystery Ranch system is kind of a hybrid, as is the Exos series that I use from Osprey, since it has a full perimeter frame that the packbag encloses rather than just being attached to.

I like the idea of an external for some uses, but if you're down to ~20lb, aside from maybe a foam pad, do you really need to be able to attach stuff to the frame or outside of the pack?
 
That's true, it'd be a lot more versatile.
I hate pack covers, though, and use both sizes of OR's "ultralight waterproof pack liner".

You should get you one of those for the packbag, and a Zpacks cuben fiber drybag for your sleeping bag to attach to your external!
You'll be the height of modern technology, fashion, and old-school sensibility all at the same time:D
 
I just prefer not to have my stuff hanging and banging on the outside of my pack, looking and feeling like a second hand store swaying down the trail. I prefer it to all fit inside. But that is just me. :)
 
I used external frame packs exclusively for most of my life (various Jansport packs, mostly). They work quite well and have more capacity/pockets for any given weight than almost all of the internal frame packs on the market. And a very important consideration for me is ventilation on my back.

Three years ago I switched to an internal frame pack (Osprey Atmos 65). Since a lot of my backpacking these days involves off trail and hours upon hours of boulder scrambles and talus, I needed something that was more stable for such use. And in the Osprey, I found a pack that has good back ventilation.
 
If buying a new pack today, I'd probably go with internal. Not because I prefer them, but because the external market has largely been abandoned and left to low-end 'scout' packs. Kelty, Jansport, etc. Few adjustments, skimpy padding, ugly styles, thinner less durable materials.

Sadly, I don't think there are many/any external frame packs today that compare with my ca. 1990 Camp Trails Omega. It was the apex of frame pack luxury and feature development. Sadly, it's hard to even find an online picture to link.

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