Best practice consensus: adding a frame for Jam?

[Nathan Hays]

Just hiked 40 miles at 40 Lbs with the internal frame replacement I posted earlier. It is not enough – the load lifters are basically useless except to keep the pack from flopping back when unloaded. The frame I made only goes up to the attach point of the shoulder straps.

My design is great for stiffening the whole pack, including laterally. I like having the curved shape across the back maintained. However, it was difficult to get the weight off my shoulders. That's what load lifters are supposed to do.
Your design correctly shifts weight from the load lifters to the hips. I'm going to rework…

[Mike M]

finally got this done- only w/ a snowshoe trip looming a week out :)

I made small loops in the compression straps like Gary, but instead a tube of webbing I folding over a small section of the upper mesh pocket to make another loop and then sewed a little pocket at the bottom of the pack- looks like it's going to work

[Gary Dunckel]

Great work, Mike! Did you do something on the inside of the pack to secure the stay to the load lifters? I can't quite visualize what you did at the bottom of the pack to lock the stay onto the hip belt, but I assume that it works. Is this the pack you will take next week? We'll need a photo essay from you intrepid Montanans, you know. Have some good fun.

[Mike M]

Gary- I didn't secure the stay to the load lifters, but they way it's situated in the Pinnacle there is only a tiny bit of slack before the hydration ports against the stay fully restrict any more downward movement- if I was more proficient w/ thread and needle I think I probably would have

the frame stays in pretty well as is, but to insure it does stay locked in I simply took the small mitten hook that's for hanging a bladder and went over the stay and back into the elastic of the bladder sleeve- it's in there pretty solid

yup this what I'll be using next weekend- wanted to get this pack ready as my Osprey is a little shy on volume for "winter" outings, and I wanted the frame on the Pinnacle as it looks like snowshoes are going to be both worn and carried on this trip- I think the frame will help w/ the additional weight

I plan on taking a lot of pics (of course I'm the guy who left my camera in the tent on our recent Joshua Tree run!!!!!!!!!)

Mike

[EndoftheTrail]

Very cool. Have fun, and report back!!

[Bean]

+1 on being interested in how this works out.

[Gary Dunckel]

Good idea about tying the stay to the bladder sleeve. I wondered why I didn't think about doing that. Then I checked my Jam and found out why–I'd already hacked out the bladder sleeve and mitten hook strap earlier–hmmm…

Anyway, Mike, your pack looks sweet, and I expect you'll appreciate the way the Pinnacle now carries, and at such a small weight addition. Thanks to Brendan Swihart for enabling us!

[Bean]

….
"After reading the OP, I bought a 6 foot x 1/4" soft aluminum rod and bent it to match the stock stiffener. The rod is solid, so it weighs 125g (4.4 oz) which is a lot more than the other post's stays. I removed the stock stiffener so the additional weight is 71g/2.5oz. It slips in where the stock stiffener goes although I had to bend it to get it in. That makes it less than removable. Nothing needed to be sewn.
….
"

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Anybody try a variation on this idea mentioned in this thread by Nathan Hays?

[Mike M]

reading Nathan's post again sounded it like it worked well except the stay wasn't high enough to shift weight off of his shoulders- perhaps the same design only make the hooped portion at top taller????

[Author]

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