Frameless pack barreling.

[Mike]

The smaller I go with packs, the more barreling becomes an issue. Yeah, I could take a tarp and bivy, but the 4 oz extra for an enclosed tent is worth it to me. I notice a lot of people are okay with the back panel of their packs being round. I prefer to use a Gossamer Gear sit pad inside to keep the back panel flat. Am I alone here that this issue drives crazy?

[Matthew / BPL]

Yeah I like it flat on my back because of an improved center of gravity and stability. It takes me a while to figure out how to Tetris a particular load into a pack.

Overstuffed packs barrel more than an appropriately sized pack.

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

I find barreling most problematic at shoulder height since there is where the shoulder straps connect. If it’s flat against your back there then it will carry pretty well, but if it is barrelled there it can rock side to side.

[Murali C]

Absent a bear canister, usually I have not had barrelling issues. This is with a 5 inch deep backpack (Yargear) which is probably the narrowest I have used.  Maybe you are squishing it down a lot as the backpack lacks height? Where is the barrelling happening? I also don’t use a sitpad against my back as it just shortens the shoulder straps….I actually love to have the backpack by itself and like the feel of that. Depthwise, having a 6 to 7 inches is much better is my feeling. My Alien Outdoor is 5.75 inches and it works fine as the shoulder straps are very long. Zpacks Nero at 5.5 inches is also fine – it feels much deeper though. As the backpack gets narrower, the torso length becomes more important as narrower packs will be too full and to make sure you don’t have a stiff backpack against your back, you may need to loosen your shoulder straps which will then make the pack slide towards your butt and if the torso is already smaller, then the pack will not carry that nicely. But, I have seen videos of jupiter hikes PCT hike this year where his shoulder strap attachment points are way down to below his shoulder blades (Palante desert pack) –  I think he gets away because he carries very little weight I think.  For me, if the pack rides like that, it is like carrying a sack of potatos – the weight migrates down and is more difficult to carry.

Best is to pack the pack loose, have a 6 to 7 inch depth and a good 3o+ inch height and correct torso for frameless packs.  I think the most difficult packs are the narrow, short packs.

[Jerry Adams]

I’ve had the same observation. When the pack is barrel shaped, it rolls back and forth sideways which is annoying.  And it pushes against my spine which isn’t good.

My solution is to put my tent poles on the front of the pack which flatten it out:

The bottom of the poles go into a pocket.

The top of the poles go into a sleeve that then is then folded over and held closed with velcro:

Then, nylon webbing goes to the back with a buckle.  Tighten it depending on how much stuff is in the pack.  That flattens the pack eliminating the barrel shape:

The top of the pack is just a roll top.  I put a strip of velcro on each side to close it:

 

[Matthew / BPL]

I forgot about that design solution. That looks great, Jerry.

[Matthew / BPL]

The little Bearvault (425? I’ve lost count) helps prevent barreling. You can carry it with the flat side against your back in a small pack. It’s wonderful.

[Mike]

Yeah Murali, I think when I use a frameless pack, I have the habit of mooshing things too far down. The back pad really helps, but I really need to pay attention of how I’m packing.

[R L]

From the first post, *The smaller I go with packs, the more barreling becomes an issue.* Well yeah.  Kinda makes me think going with a larger pack, larger stuff sacks and/or loose packing in a compactor bag, while keeping the same contents would allow for better fit?  I can make a large pack smaller but cannot make a small pack larger.  Function over form.  Reminds me of the 10# of stuff in a 5# bag saying.  Just some thoughts.  ~RL

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