A Return to the Hipbelt

A quiver of different backpacks in your kit is a good way to address this issue, if you can afford to get multiple packs. For less than around 12 lbs, a small, simple frameless and hip-belt-free pack works for me (MYOG 4 and 9 oz packs). For 12 – 18 lbs, a basic hip belt is nice to take a little weight off the shoulders from time to time (like the MLD Burn). Over 20 lbs or so, I almost always choose a LW framed pack (like the GG Gorilla).

Everyone’s needs and preferences obviously vary when it comes to packs. Some people on BPL seem to love frameless packs carrying well over 25 lbs. And where you hike is a key consideration. Even with SUL loads, it’s nice having a light hip belt if bushwacking or off trail to help stabilize the pack. Your personal experiences give you the best direct and relevant guidance on how to select packs that best fit your needs.

I recently underwent a somewhat similar thought process within the last year as a (now former) MLD Burn user. I had the hipbelt due to a need for a bit more support for my bad back, but I think we were otherwise in a pretty similar position. Like you, I also own a larger and more robust pack (ULA Circuit) that I mostly have kept around for longer trips with bigger food carries and/or trips into bear can territory, but I haven’t really given the pack much use since late 2015.

With my kit, I’m usually able to get about 4 days’ worth of food into the Burn, and realistically can probably do 5, although either of the upper bounds tended to straddle the line between “can” and “should,” and the shape of the pack made packing it up a challenge, especially in the first day after resupply.

I ultimately went with a Superior Wilderness Designs Superior 35 (with suspension), and, thus far, it’s really seemed to be a “best of both worlds” option for me, as it’s still small enough that I can go out for 1-2 nights without sloshing around, but it can also handle a longer food load and/or bearcan. As a nice added bonus, it’s a bit wider than the Burn, and the lack of having to play “pack Tetris” every morning has really increased my ability to get out of camp quickly. (It’s worth noting that, despite the name, the SWD 35 is something like 42-45 liters total when all of the pockets are added).

I’m still very early on in my usage of the SWD pack, so time will tell how I wind up feeling about it, but it’s my hope that, by sizing up a bit and adding a few ounces for the suspension, I’ll be able to get by with one pack for more or less all of my needs, without having to worry too much about long carries.

In reading through this, I fear that I’ve responded to your “stream of consciousness” post with one of my own, but I guess my overall take-home point is that there are options out there which would seem to accommodate your stated needs pretty nicely and might allow you to have a pretty workable one-pack solution. FWIW, my SWD pack came in at 26oz with suspension and a few extra mods (load lifters and bottom stretch pocket).

As another alternative, I am using and liking a MLD Prophet.  It has a padded hipbelt and no frame.  I always carry a 1/8 inch foam sheet inside.  That setup allows me to carry 25 pounds pretty easily.

I’m slow to buy new gear (shocking!) and have never tried a pack with no hipbelt. But I would like to lighten up some—I’m using a ULA Catalyst and often carry a bear can.

Packs like the SWD Superior 35 which are fairly light AND have a real hipbelt and stays that carry most of the weight on your hips sounds really nice.

Doug- I’ve long been surprised that there aren’t more options in that particular size/weight class. (Off the top of my head, I can think of SWD and KS.) My SWD clocks in at about 26oz (per their scale, anyway), and considering that my Burn with its various additions was clocking in at about 20, the extra 6oz was a no-brainer for the frame, since it makes for a much more better carry, better weight range, ease of packing (no more getting halfway through and realizing I’ve shifted my CCF virtual frame), and a bit more usable pack volume through not having to worry about the CCF. The combination of getting a light but functional frame and moving up to a pack that’s a bit bigger (5-7L) than what I need for most trips has made for a pretty substantial increase in versatility. I haven’t had the SWD for very long, so my opinion may change (and should largely be ignored anyway), but I’ve been really happy with what it offers for the brief outings it’s been on so far.

Considering that SWD’s “framed” options add about 5oz to the existing pack, I’ve thought that the prospect of adding a similar structure to, say, a Prophet or Burn would be an interesting one.

Or maybe I’m just getting old.