- Joined
- May 19, 2007
- Messages
- 7,745
Environmental impact is a matter of scale. one guy is nothing, a thousand, big impact. You might not travel in places where lots of people go. I'm not so lucky. I'd love to still have easy access the the thousands of acres that I used to play in. Now its parks and public land. Gotta think with those things in mind. I don't like the idea of all the plastic that is in the environment. But as we get better at it, that is limited. Wood will only ever be as efficient as it is now. If the parks I am near were only used with fires, and natural shelters, about 50 people a year could use them, only during about 3 months. Then they would be either sold for grazing land, stip mined, or the lake bits would get golf courses.
As for pack speed, I can have my hammock and fly packed, rolled, into the pack, and walking in three minutes if I have to. I can have my pack dumped and re-rigged for a search in under a minute. my gear works for me, not the other way around, but I have specific needs. My pack is far from fragile, and will outlast any wood framed pack by decades.
Yes, a bad cheap pack will mess you up. But a good pack does exactly what Mors claims his does, it moves as you need it to. I have a heavy load pack, because I need a heavy load. If I could ultra-light it, I would, and I wouldn't need a heavy load pack. Its like saying a mclaren P1 is a crap car because the trunk won't hold your golf clubs. Pack for the purpose. If I had lost or damaged my pack, I'd be very glad to know I could build a functional replacement to get my by. But I'm not going to be working with that handycap off the start. Backpackers palsy is not a one and done injury, you can get it that way, but you can also develop it over time. Its called backpacker's palsy, not private's slump, or grunt's gait. I'm not saying you are at some more risk than with a modern pack, anyone can get it, if the pack is pinching. Even a good pack can pinch if not set up well.
I've yet to see a modern pack that was properly sized (as the packframe pack must be) and properly fitted "conform the hiker" or inhibit the wearer. I've seen it in packs too small, too large (both could happen with a pack frame) Unbalanced (still could happen) and all manner of other problems. Its been very rare that I have not been able to adapt a pack to fit the wearer. In one case it wasn't a hiking pack, it was little more than a suitcase with shoulder straps, and in another the kid was so tall that there was just no way to get the hip belt to sit and get the shoulder straps high enough. I doubt he was carrying more than 12kg, and it was too much. I try to keep between 17 and no more than 20, but I have the possibility if needed to go higher and add another 10 in just water. 65lbs. not a big deal on flat ground over a short distance, wouldn't be too rough. But only because my pack can support it. I would challenge someone with my level of laziness and lack of training to do 65lbs with just a frame. Is my pack a crutch, yep, so is my lightweight gear, walking poles, vibram soles, and everything else.
Walk your own walk. I'm not denying that this is a great thing to know how to do, but know its limits. know what can happen if you get it wrong. I would love to teach this to the kids I work with. But Its Not Magic. Neither is my pack. And until arcteryx sells little gnomes to carry their packs, they aren't either. Knowing how to fit and pack the bag and how your body can carry it is far more important.
Baldtaco, I think you hit it on the head.
As for pack speed, I can have my hammock and fly packed, rolled, into the pack, and walking in three minutes if I have to. I can have my pack dumped and re-rigged for a search in under a minute. my gear works for me, not the other way around, but I have specific needs. My pack is far from fragile, and will outlast any wood framed pack by decades.
Yes, a bad cheap pack will mess you up. But a good pack does exactly what Mors claims his does, it moves as you need it to. I have a heavy load pack, because I need a heavy load. If I could ultra-light it, I would, and I wouldn't need a heavy load pack. Its like saying a mclaren P1 is a crap car because the trunk won't hold your golf clubs. Pack for the purpose. If I had lost or damaged my pack, I'd be very glad to know I could build a functional replacement to get my by. But I'm not going to be working with that handycap off the start. Backpackers palsy is not a one and done injury, you can get it that way, but you can also develop it over time. Its called backpacker's palsy, not private's slump, or grunt's gait. I'm not saying you are at some more risk than with a modern pack, anyone can get it, if the pack is pinching. Even a good pack can pinch if not set up well.
I've yet to see a modern pack that was properly sized (as the packframe pack must be) and properly fitted "conform the hiker" or inhibit the wearer. I've seen it in packs too small, too large (both could happen with a pack frame) Unbalanced (still could happen) and all manner of other problems. Its been very rare that I have not been able to adapt a pack to fit the wearer. In one case it wasn't a hiking pack, it was little more than a suitcase with shoulder straps, and in another the kid was so tall that there was just no way to get the hip belt to sit and get the shoulder straps high enough. I doubt he was carrying more than 12kg, and it was too much. I try to keep between 17 and no more than 20, but I have the possibility if needed to go higher and add another 10 in just water. 65lbs. not a big deal on flat ground over a short distance, wouldn't be too rough. But only because my pack can support it. I would challenge someone with my level of laziness and lack of training to do 65lbs with just a frame. Is my pack a crutch, yep, so is my lightweight gear, walking poles, vibram soles, and everything else.
Walk your own walk. I'm not denying that this is a great thing to know how to do, but know its limits. know what can happen if you get it wrong. I would love to teach this to the kids I work with. But Its Not Magic. Neither is my pack. And until arcteryx sells little gnomes to carry their packs, they aren't either. Knowing how to fit and pack the bag and how your body can carry it is far more important.
Baldtaco, I think you hit it on the head.
I took it that he's looking for something more traditional though
