McHale Backpacks — Long Term Review (Bump 32 and Little Big Pack 36 Compared)
- This topic has 38 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 1 year ago by
.
-
Excellent review—probably the most exhaustive McHale review on the Internet.
My McHale is a big load hauler made for 24 day trips with no resupply so it’s designed to carry alot of weight with some comfort—and it’s very comfy—most especially the hipbelt.
Here’s my behemoth in action somewhere in the mountains of NC. The load lifter straps (what he calls the Bypass Strap System) is noticeable in this pic as these straps run the length of the shoulder straps down to the base of the pack so in effect there are two straps on each side—and both attach at the bottom of the pack.
The top spectra lid on my pack can be used either as a butt pack or when carrying heavy water weight as an over-the-shoulder bag which is easier to put on. It’s great for dayhikes out of camp or carrying water on long-distance water runs from camp.
I convinced my backpacking buddy Hoppin John to get a McHale and he decided on this smaller version at around 5-6,000 cubic inches—all in spectra. A back spectra pocket (I think Dan calls it a Kangaroo Pocket) holds alot of stuff and a detachable bottom pocket covers his sleeping bag compartment.
My pack also has a detachable spectra pocket on the back but it is much bigger!! And attached with 8 webbing tabs to daisy chains. I had it made long enough to hold my 20 inch tent poles—tent stakes—water filter—pack cover—third food bag and extra clothing. It’s huge—but can be removed for shorter trips.
And the opportunity to get a McHale might be coming to an end as he ages out of productivity. Had I known about him 40 years ago I would’ve done everything in my power to get one of his packs—so I tell young backpackers to make the plunge now and get a McHale pack.
Oh and he’s still making incredible packs—as of July 2020.
Within that context I want to ask about the horizontal stay situation; there isn’t any?
You mention that internal framed packs are essentially cylinders and you show a BV500 packed vertically in your bump32 and say it fits well.
In theory I thought that frames in packs are, in part, meant to hold an ergonomic shape compared to frame-less packs which ‘barrel out,’ allowing items to poke the back and causing the pack to sway. A bv500 vertical in most frame-less packs would cause them to ‘barrel out’ right? Isn’t a horizontal frame structure of some kind needed to prevent barreling?
That’s a good question.
To say the pack is a cylinder is somewhat of a misnomer in actual use. The Bump’s front is a single piece of fabric, but there are side seams where it is sewn to the back of the pack. There is a foam pad inside the pack, plus the frame stays, and the mesh material on the outside of the back of the pack. So the back of the pack is somewhat flat, even with my bear canister in it vertically.
Also, the canister is 27 1/3 inches in circumference versus the Bump’s 32 inch circumference. 32 inches is a pretty small pack. We rarely fill up our packs to capacity with big cylindrical hardware. Most people aren’t going to carry a BV500 in a small pack like the Bump — I almost never do.
The stays at the bottom of the pack will have to spread to full width because the hipbelt and its stabilizer strap will pull the frame against the lower back and the bottom of the frame stays will have to align with the hip belt. Same for the top, when the shoulder straps are adjusted so the pack hugs the back, it will force the stays to their designed horizontal spacing. Remember, with the proper length frame stays that are adjusted to the curvature of the spine, you want the pack snug agains the back.
I took some pictures to demonstrate.
Below I didn’t put anything at the bottom of the pack, so the curvature of the bear canister can be more noticeable on the X-Grid portion of the pack. The mesh part isn’t bulging out like the front of the pack, in fact, the mesh is fairly “loose.”
Below, the pack still conforms to my spine. The shoulder straps are a little high because there isn’t anything else in the pack and I tried to show how the pack is flush against my back. Keep in mind, that the curvature of the top of my spine is much more exaggerated than the average person.
Another thing I have noticed is people just stuff their gear in their pack and then tighten the compression straps, if they have them. My Bump doesn’t have compression straps (at my request to Dan). With my LBP, I always lay my pack on its back and use my knee to compress everything, distributing the gear from top to bottom, then I pull the compression straps to snug up the load.
I had a long discussion on pack barreling with Dan on both the 5,000 cubic inch blue demo he sent me and on the final pack. The aluminum frame system is robust although it is essentially—on my Demo and final pack—one big horseshoe config—a bottom shaped aluminum stay with two long parallel stays. These two vertical stays are attached on the bottom horizontal stay with two bolt—and the hipbelt is attached with 2 more bolts on the same bottom horizontal stay.
As mentioned—this creates a “big duffel bag” effect—and I mentioned the Demo pack barreling out in the back—causing the shoulder straps to put pressure in the “deltoid pocket”—where the straps rest in front by the arm/shoulder sockets.
This slight barreling can be seen here—
Dan makes a special point on his fitting video to place a knee against the back panel and push in this bulge—something we discussed at length. I’m used to a stiff frame sheet on the back panel so whatever I pack won’t ever be noticeable.
On my final pack he agreed to put in a stiff horizontal aluminum stay to counter this back barreling—as seen in this pic—blue circle.
The only real problem I noticed was the unprotected section between the top of the hipbelt and the bottom of the foam back panel—when I stuffed in a couple fuel bottles low just above the sleeping bag and these dug into my back—see yellow circle—
Point is—don’t stuff hard objects low against the back of the pack.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
