I needed a decent sized pack for backcountry skiing. After looking for over a year I finally found NEARLY what I was looking for, a Camelbak Commander hunting pack. (Yeah, it's in camo but it's no biggie.)
Things about the pack I really liked:
1. insulated hydration hose and insulated routing through the right shoulder pad
2. internal velcro straps to hold avy probe & snow saw
3. front flap pocket for holding jacket or vest. This was a must for the pack.
SO, upon looking it over I realized I needed a proper frame for a pack this size – 2,747 cu. in. – not the floppy frame sheet" provided. I bent two 1" wide aluminum bar stock pieces for vertical stays & one 8" piece to connect them at the top. This frame was attatched to the pack with stainless Nylock nuts, washers and bolts. I covered the bar stock with Gorilla duct tape tp prevent chafing on the materials and the hydration bladder, since the frame was inserted in the zippered bladder compartment.
Then off came the wimpy waist belt and on went an REI Ridgeline belt, which fitted perfectly behind the pack's lumbar pad, after some judicious seam ripping and bar tacking.Even the belts hip tensioning straps fitted the pack's original ladder buckles. It's like the belt was made for that pack.
Next I had to remove a plastic ladder buckle from each side of the lower side compression straps and put on a QR buckle for more easily adding and removing side pockets.
Finally I had my friendly shoe repair shop stitch on the bottom straps & buckles,since they did such a nice job bartacking the lumbar pad.
Now this pack is ready to properly and comfortably support all my avy equipment plus food, water, emergency bivouack gear and extra clothes for backcountry skiing in the Rockies and my own Las Vegas Spring Mountains next spring when the snowpack has (hopefully) stabilized .
BTW, the REI side pockets (no longer available) add 400 cu. in. each. Also I added the orange whistle/buckle on the sternum strap.
