Pack search: frameless, for use with a rolled ccf pad

The old SMD Swift? I have a 2010 I have used extensively with a rolled full length Ridgerest.

MLD Arc?

Why rolled and not folded?  Better support/rigidity with a folded pad.

I too used a Swift, with folded pad, great up to about 25# load.  Borah Gear Stealth if John still makes it.

Looked at MLD’s pack line? I am using a rolled CCF in my Exodus. Also, Zimmerbuilt is great, and often ends up costing less then you might think.

+1 for the Exodus, tons of room for a rolled CCF. Still lightweight and durable.
Probably the best backpack I have ever owned.

Folded CCF works better imho. I sewed in an elastic loop to keep the pad in place.

I think rolled works better than folded myself.

@mocai: see KS Ultralight out of Japan. Can be completely customized with a myriad of options. Recommended.

Arne and Alex, I’m not saying that your pad would work better rolled up in your pack. No doubt, it wouldn’t. But I am looking for more load capacity than is typically provided by a folded pad. Due to my hiking and camping styles, I’m willing to carry a thicker/stiffer pad if it can take most of the weight off my shoulders. My situation is a little more favorable to a rolled pad because my load will be high density. I can sacrifice almost half of the pack volume to a thick/stiff pad around the perimeter, but if all of that pad volume was immediately next to my back, pushing out the denser part of the load, I’d be at cross-purposes. Anyway, having already thought about it so much, I’m interested enough in this design that I’m willing to take some lost time and money. We’ll see…

Brad, Arne, and Edward, I ruled out MLD packs after I saw that they feature curved side panels and a slightly larger area at the top of the pack. Since my pad will be thicker/stiffer than typical, I expect that the optimal shape of the main pack would be closer to a precise cylinder.

Robert, KS Ultralight is new to me, and looks like a winner. I was close to ordering a x-pac version of the R-50, but I ultimately decided to try this idea with the Katahdin first. It’s not the perfect answer, but it only cost $95 after discounts. If the basic design idea is working well, I will then know better how to hone design features and trim the weight of the pack, hopefully down close to a pound. Seems doable, but as of now that’s uncertain, so… I’m thinking I shouldn’t order a nice bit of custom work until I know what I expect from it.

ALL, much thanks for the responses. Happy hiking…

Huh…

The pack in the link below reminded me of this old thread, so I thought I would update…

http://wanderlust-equipment.com/products/orbiter-pack/

Looks like it might even work with a conically rolled pad (slightly rainbow-ish when the pad is flat, MYOG). But… that belt doesn’t look like it will take loading very well, which would be the main reason to carry your pad that way. And no water carry options…

$283 (US) seems high, given you still need to buy the liner bag. Part of the cost is that the yen seems to have made a small comeback since I last looked at KS Ultralight packs.

(Though no one asked, I will say that the Equinox Katahdin pack works well in this style, putting up to 30 lbs on my hips. I did about 2/3 of the Florida trail with it. However, I’ve moved on from this idea, and I will not be testing the linked pack, I don’t think. I have since gone completely frameless and use an inflatable pad (I ditched cooking, and got a lighter shelter)… Did the AT with a Zimmerbuilt Quickstep… Now I’m way off topic, but… FWIW… I loved this pack… just a few small tears in the pack fabric near where the mesh connects near the top of the pack, on both sides. I guess I wasn’t very careful stuffing things into the front pocket. I taped it up, inside and out, and it held without further damage. So, the tape mainly served to maintain water resistance, it seems. I had it loaded up to 26 (?) pounds a few times, just after a resupply. Bearable at that weight, but not comfortable. For me, under 20 was fine. No padding in the shoulder straps, just the mesh. But they are angled and shaped nicely, for me at least. I added a sternum strap, and a small sheet of thin foam as padding, inside the pack. I did quite a bit of jogging… Strapped tight, it worked great. The roll-top/tie-downs work well for compressing the pack. I liked not having a hipbelt. Less restricted twisting motion, more air in the torso. Water resistance: all day rain will yield a tiny bit of rain inside the pack. I didn’t use a liner, just stuff sacks. No problems. It was especially dry this year, however, at least for the sobos. Really impressed with the quickstep overall.)

Granite Gear Virga.  MLD Prophet.  Golite Jam ( now available at MyTrail).

All were loved in the earlier days of ultralite – when everyone was using a rolled CCF pad :)