Looking for SWD pack ventilation hack suggestions

Maybe ask SWD to add a Gossamer Gear Style backpad pocket and then get the GG Airflow Sit Pad. I don’t have personal experience with the pad at all, but this was the first thing that popped into my head.

I have asked SWD for a quote on adding a bottom pocket similar to a palante pack and in that quote asked what it would cost to add attachments to the back panel that I could use shock cord to attach a sit pad.  I’m waiting to hear back.  There’s a part of me that is hoping there is another solution.

FWIW I had both a Palante style bottom pocket and a Gossamer Gear style sit pad sleeve added to my SWD Superior 30 and those mods cost $10 each. Like Michael suggested, I think the exterior sleeve mod paired with the GG ventilated sit pad might be your best option.

Did you find the sit pad help with ventilation or am I just overthinking this?

I don’t think any sit mat will ever be as cool as a trampoline back such as the one on the Arc Haul. Although they may wick away sweat or allow a certain amount of airflow, they won’t let a breeze get through to your back, which is the main cooling effect. When there is no breeze, they may be little difference, but when there is a breeze, the Arc Haul will be much cooler and drier (though not in the hip belt area).

I’m skeptical of trampoline backs because 1) the pack still touches your back up high and down low and 2) they push your CG farther back. I really like the feeling of having the weight right on my back so that the pack moves with me. Nothing matters more to me when carrying a load.

I sweat a lot too and it’s just part of life when backpacking. My Kumo is cooler when I use their default waffled pad (I like the density) and I suspect the fabric helps wick some sweat as well but it ain’t no breeze.

I’m skeptical of trampoline backs because 1) the pack still touches your back up high and down low and 2) they push your CG farther back. I really like the feeling of having the weight right on my back so that the pack moves with me. Nothing matters more to me when carrying a load.

I sweat a lot too and it’s just part of life when backpacking.

Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it. It doesn’t have to be an inherent part of backpacking. Yes, with a trampoline the pack still touches a minority of your back area, but that’s still allows far better ventilation than 100% contact. Most packs with a trampoline suspension are also built with a shallow profile, so that the pack doesn’t protrude far off your back. I have the Arc Haul Blast, and the depth from the pack’s front mesh pocket through to my back is no further, and in some cases closer, than other packs that have a fatter profile and are in full contact with your back. My pack also moves in lock-step with my body, it doesn’t sway or throw me off at all.

You still may not like a trampoline suspension — not all do — but I suggest that you shouldn’t be dissuaded from trying it due to preconceived notions that actual users feel are not true.

I heard back from Brandon at SWD:

“We actually are not doing the pad attachment on framed packs, as it does not work with the way that our hip belt is sewn into the pack. We are only doing this on packs without hip belts right now.”

so I would have to jimmy something myself…

I’m a big guy (6′ 275 lbs) and I sweat a lot while hiking.  I have an Arc Zip and the difference between it and any other pack I’ve ever used is striking.  My back is still soaked with sweat while hiking but I no longer see it (or have to protect my gear from it) in my pack.  And, as someone said earlier, if there’s any kind of breeze you can turn sideways into it and feel the cooling effect immediately.

The Arc-series of packs are especially nice because you can adjust the arc depending on what you prefer.  There are times when I’ve loaded my pack without arcing the stays (probably a disadvantage of the Zip and laying it down in my hammock to load it) and I have to unload it to put the arc back into it.  Not a big deal, but something to remember.

Center of gravity?  Your pack weight is so low that moving it an inch or two won’t make any noticeable difference.  With a 1/2″ pad you’ve already shifted it that much, so the arc wouldn’t add much more.

I already have a SWD pack. Is there any way I could mod it to add something? It is indeed hot.

With the SWD pack, can’t you create a bit of venting by bending the stays? Surely the simplest and lightest solution (unless the stays are positioned very wide apart and you get too much barreling to achieve any clearance)?

If you’re thinking of adding a Palante-style bottom pocket, I noticed on the Palante website that they have modified the design on the newest version. On the first version, the bottom of the pack was flat and they found that stuff was prone to falling out of the pocket. Now they have rounded the bottom so the edges of the pocket are higher than the center, and they find that this is more secure. Something to consider before you add the pocket to another design of pack…

With my Katabatic Gear pack, when I want ventilation, I loosen up on the load lifters and shoulder straps and let the pack lean back a little bit. This creates a small air gap (0.5”-1”) around most of my back. I used to do the same with an HMG 4400 SW. I haven’t tried an Arc Haul, but I don’t feel like I sweated any less when using an Osprey Exos. Maybe the Arc Haul has a more effective venting design? The best ventilated pack I’ve used is an Exped Lightning pack, which has very minimal contact with your back.

Letting the pack lean back has worked fine for me for hundreds of miles of hiking, provided the pack weight isn’t too high and the terrain not too rough. I would rather have a solid fabric back panel than a back panel with 3D mesh. For some reason, 3D mesh really seems to trap heat.