One Pound Frame Pack

[Daryl and Daryl]

For the last 20 years or so I have used the same basic design for my home made frame pack.  I’ve posted here before but not recently so thought an update might be useful to some.

Backpack consists of 4 groups of items that can be put together or taken apart in a few minutes.  I pereiodically do this so I can run everything but the frame through the washer and dryer.  I don’t know what the upper limit is but I have carried 40 lbs for short distances.  “Upper limit” for the pack is preceded by the upper limit for Daryl’s 77 year old body.  I rarely carry more than 30 lbs for multi day trips.

Here’s a bit of info about each group with some photos.  Total weight of these components is less than 1 pound.

Frame-3 ounces

Two 27″ carbon fiber tubes, 12″ aluminum tubing cross bar, 1/2″ od nylon barbed plumbing fittings.

Items can be attached to the top bar.

Fabric Parts-10.8 ounces

All of these fabric parts (bag, waist belt and shoulder straps) can be easily detached from frame and run through the washer and dryer.  Used 1.7 ounce per square yard uncoated fabric for everything.

Pack Bag-5 ounces

Two 30″ X 30″ pieces.  Approximate capacity = 4000 cubic inches.

Padded Waist Belt-3.2 ounces

2″ quick release buckle, 3/8″ foam padding

Padded Shoulder Straps-2.6 ounces

3/8″ foam padding, 1/2″ webbing, 5/8″ buckles

Posting photos not going well.  Will try again in follow-up post.

[Daryl and Daryl]

[Daryl and Daryl]

[Daryl and Daryl]

[Daryl and Daryl]

[Daryl and Daryl]

[Daryl and Daryl]

[Stumphges]

Daryl, where is your front bag?

[Jerry Adams]

13.8 ounces total?

really good for a framed pack

[Daryl and Daryl]

Stumphges,

I still use the front bag but not every time.  I left it off this post to keep things simpler.

When using the front bag I can leave the shoulder straps off so the net difference in overall weight is about a wash.

Bear Cannisters

Forgot to mention that this pack easily carries the largest of the Bear Cannisters.  Two or three of them will fit into the pack bag.  For example, there’s a horizontal Bear Vault 500 in the middle of the filled bag in the photo.

 

[James Marco]

Good Job! A true UL pack. Are you going to post plans?

[Daryl and Daryl]

James,

No plans for plans.  Too much work!  Took me hours just to post the stuff that I posted.  I think I could make a pack faster than I could make clear plans for making one.

 

 

[AG]

cool design. can you explain the first detail pic above. does the pack body unfurl and  lay flat?

[Daryl and Daryl]

AG,

Yes.  The pack body is just two 30″ X 30 pieces of fabric sewn together on 3 sides with a draw string closure on the top.  It is just a big stuff sack.  Nothing special about the bag.  No pockets.

The 1/2″ webbing on the bottom corners wraps around my waist.  You can see the strap crossinjg my belly in the front-facing photo.  The strap keeps the bag from swinging while walking.

Forgot to mention that the weight of everything in the bag or strapped to the top bar is transmitted to the waist belt via the vertical carbon fiber tubing.  There is no weight bearing on the top of the shoulders.

[Daryl and Daryl]

Jerry,

13.8 ounces total?

Just noticed the question mark.  Yes, total weight for this pack, as shown, is 13.8 ounces.

Pack weight can vary depending on bag size, fabric weight, etc.  My wife’s pack weighs about 12 ounces, for example.  It’s been many years since one of them exceeded 1 lb, however, so that seems like a good description.

I’ve experimented with all of the components.  I’ll go lighter and lighter until something breaks.  Then I’ll go back up in strength until things don’t break.  Have also experimented with hundreds of ways to connect things so they are simple to make and don’t break. The pack shown here is the result of this iterative trial-and-error process.

[Jerry Adams]

” I’ll go lighter and lighter until something breaks.  Then I’ll go back up in strength until things don’t break.”

same here : )

[Daryl and Daryl]

CONNECTIONS

This post is in response to a request for more info on connections.

On

Cast of characters.

Skyshark P-400 from Kites and Fun Things

1/2″ nylon barbed Tee from Mcmaster Carr (5463K611)

piece of nylon or PEX tubing 1/4″

pop rivet-don’t recall size

Nylon or pex tubing goes inside top of barbed tee top.  Keeps Skyshark tubing in place.  Pop rivet only needs to penetrate one side of barbed tee and one side of inner tubing to keep it in place.

[Daryl and Daryl]

CO

 

 

CONNECTIONS

Waist belt to pack frame.

Cast of characters

1/2″ barbed fitting

carbon fiber tubing

zip tie

1/2″ wide nylon webbing

 

[James Marco]

Very helpful. Thanks Guy!

[Daryl and Daryl]

 

CONNECTIONS

Pack bag to top of pack frame.

Cast of characters

P-400 carbon fiber tubing

1/2″ barbed Tee

1/2″ nylon webbing

aluminum cross bar

A life saver shaped ring made by slicing off about 1/4″ long piece of Schedule 40 1/2″ plumbing pipe.  Life saver shaped ring is placed on top of 1/2″ barbed Tee

 

[Daryl and Daryl]

 

 

 

CONNECTIONS

Shoulder straps to top of frame

Cast of characters

1/2″ webbing

zip ties

Top of frame

Easier to do than to show how to do.

[d k]

I think someone from BPL should be dispatched to Daryl’s to video him assembling the pack and describing the process!

[Daryl and Daryl]

TOP BAR

When asked where to buy tubing for the top bar of the frame my answer has been “I don’t know”.  I have always used tubing I have collected over the last 45 years.

To improve upon this useless answer I just ordered some tubing from tentpoletechnologies.com.

Will see if this works.  Stay tuned.

[Daryl and Daryl]

McMaster-Carr

Aluminum Tubes for Pack Frame Cross Bar

 

They carry a dizzying selection of aluminum tubing.  Both inside and outside dimensions are listed so you can select something that should work for your special project.  A top bar that would fit over a 1/2 inch nylon barbed fitting, for example, would require an inside dimension larger than 1/2 inches because the nylon barbs increase the diameter of the fitting.  The nylon barbs could be sanded down a bit to help with the fit also.

 

 

[Daryl and Daryl]

CONNECTIONS

Cast of characters

Pack bag

Waist belt

1/2″ webbing

zip ties

This connects the pack bag to the bottom of the pack frame via the waist belt.  Zip ties would be pulled tight in actual use.  This keeps the pack bag from swaying.

This connection also keeps the waist belt properly positioned for use.

 

[Author]

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