Front Pack?

[Roger Caffin]

If it is dorky but it works, it’s not dorky.

On the other hand, the idea of trying to carry that white Cuben pack on my back is an utter non-starter! The only way I would carry a pack of that size is if I was transporting polystyrene foam balls or packaging air bags.

As for the extra bags on the front – there are plenty of BPL members for whom just one of those front bags would serve as a pack for several nights.

I am not saying it’s a silly idea, but so many attempts at it are either impractical or … ridiculous, imho.

Cheers

[James Marco]

I agree, Roger.  And, yes, I have had the same problem with twisting. They are awkward to put on. But the main problem was exactly as you say. Just too big to be real useful, especially on this list. I am good with around 18L of food. This leaves another 18L for everything else. Unless I was going out with two kids and a wife again (35 years ago I would have more interest) I just never need that much extra space. 2200ci is enough for two weeks of food and my camp kit for anything down to 32F/0C. The pouches with the stays seem pretty good, but even they are painfully awkward to slip off and on, not counting watching where you place your feet…

[jscott]

I carry a very small fanny pack turned around onto my belly where the hip belt snaps. That’s for a Steripen, a map, and lunch–nuts and a power bar. And sunscreen. I don’t notice it at all.

I tried carrying a water bottle on a front shoulder strap. Way too bouncy.

[Roger Caffin]

The one thing I DO carry on the front is my camera, in a waterproof (well … showerproof?) pouch clipped to the top of my right shoulder strap. I tried having it on the left strap, but when I swung my pack onto my shoulder it went everywhere. It’s a Canon ‘compact’, not a full-blown DSLR. It does not obstruct my vision at all. But I can get it out single-handed and take a photo in seconds. Useful speed.

Cheers

[Stumphges]

Figuring out a non-bouncy way to carry water bottles on the front is tricky. Here’s a post with vid (not mine) showing several low-cost ways, depending on pack: http://www.gygago.com/index.php?id=792&lang=de

Adding 1 or 2 liters of water to the front actually improves my comfort by balancing out a 15-20 pound load on the back. So I’m actually somewhat pleased when it’s time to load up with water.

[Matthew / BPL]

One insight I like from ^that video is how he cut a plastic D-ring and then slid it onto a webbing strap nondestructively. It never occurred to me that one could do that. Thanks for sharing the video.

[Roger Caffin]

I think it is ITW/Nexus which has a range of buckle accessories which can be added on – all with a ‘cut’ section. Useful idea.

Cheers

[Geoff Caplan]

As I’ve posted elsewhere, I’m a fan of the Aarn bodypack concept. I feel more balanced, my walking posture is more natural, I have eliminated shoulder and back pain, and I feel less fatigued at the end of a long day.

I can’t account for Roger’s problems except to say that fitting is non-trivial and it takes some time to get the packs dialled in – there are far more adjustments than you have with a conventional pack.

I don’t get a warm chest – the front pockets have a bendable strut and airflow is excellent. I’ve worn the pack on long alpine climbs in roasting weather with no issues.. Most women seem to be fine once they find the right adjustments. My arms are not restricted by the pockets, though it took a couple of days to get this right. I can see my feet perfectly fine. Getting it on and off is a non-issue once you get the knack. And if the pockets were ever a problem, such as for a day with a lot of scrambling, I carry a pack large enough to simply put them in the backpack. Careful research by a leading ergonomics lab has shown that once you are carrying a non-trivial weight the additional weight of the pockets is more than compensated by the additional ergonomic efficiency.

Not everyone likes the Aarn, but it’s the most innovative pack out there and offers unique benefits if you do like it. Aarn has a happy band of enthusiastic customers.

My only reservation is the complexity and the weight – from the lightweight perspective they seem over-engineered. I have a prototype of a simpler design that offers pretty much the same benefits at half the weight.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Geoff

Just out of interest, how tall are you?
I note that Aarn himself is quite tall, while I am not, and it did seem to me when I field-tested an Aarn pack that it was made for someone a foot taller than me.

Cheers

[Daryl and Daryl]

Photo below shows how the front-to-back balance mentioned by David can be achieved with the fanny-to-belly pack mentioned by Jeffrey.

It only requires running a webbing (red) from each of the top backpack corners to the front pack .

[jscott]

My ‘belly pack’ weighs 2 ounces and is very small. It’s a pocket. Not at all like the picture above. Nothing wrong with that; I just want to be clear. I carry maybe 12 ounces in it at most.

[Ito Jakuchu]

In response to Jeffrey and Stumphges my way of carrying water bottles up front with no or very little bounce is to use packs that have a running hydration vest harness. Or in other words, where the bottle pockets are integrated in the shoulder straps. I went from a pack with a light frame and hip belt to an Ultimate Direction Fastpack 20 and 30 which have a roll top closure, and allow me to carry more than a litre up front and some other gear.
I still use them but now go mostly with a Salomon Peak 20 which has more storage up front and less bounce (a better fit on me) in the back as well.
Last time on an overnighter in the (Japanese) Alps I stored all my food for two days in the front pockets. Then in the bottle pockets I had two 600ml BeFree soft flask bottle/filters. Close to half of my total pack weight was up front. Very little bounce even when running.

I did also carry a separate hip belt for more snacks and compass/phone/trash.

[Author]

Posts