Lightweight Frameless Backpacks State of the Market Report 2011: Part 1 – Choosing and Using a Frameless Pack

This is a preview of a member exclusive premium article.

Much has changed since our last Frameless Backpack Review Summary published back in 2004 and our Superultralight Backpacks Review Summary published in 2006. Although the fundamentals remain the same, the number, diversity, and features available in frameless backpacks have greatly expanded. Our 2004 article contained just seven packs, and our 2006 article contained five packs. Today we have lots of choices, so it's entirely possible to find exactly the pack you want in terms of fabric, sizing, volume, and features. The challenges are to determine exactly what you want and to find it.

A lightweight frameless backpack is a core component of a lightweight backpacking kit, whether you choose to travel superultralight (SUL, base weight less than 5 pounds/2.3 kg), ultralight (UL, base weight less than 10 pounds/4.5 kg), or lightweight (LW, base weight less than 20 pounds/9.1 kg). The base weight is everything but consumables (food, water, and fuel). Pack total weight with consumables for SUL backpacking should normally be less than 12 pounds (5.4 kg), less than 20 pounds (9.1 kg) for UL backpacking, and less than 30 pounds (13.6 kg) for LW backpacking. Stronger people can carry more, but most people prefer less. It's best to keep weight under these limits if you expect to comfortably carry a frameless backpack. The guiding mantra is "less is better."

To carry a light load, all you need is a light pack, so a frameless backpack is the pack of choice for backpackers who've gone lightweight. Frameless backpacks have become very sophisticated and do their job well. However there is a great diversity of users, backpacking conditions, and specific needs and preferences. To accommodate such a diversity, manufacturers offer frameless backpacks with a wide range of volumes, weights, features, and load hauling capability. To cover the range of packs and uses, we divide the topic into six articles as follows:

Lightweight Frameless Backpacks State of the Market Report 2011: Part 1 – Choosing and Using a Frameless Backpack (this article) We discuss the fundamentals of selecting and properly using a frameless backpack, and provide specifications for all packs included.

Lightweight Frameless Backpacks State of the Market Report 2011: Part 2A – Technical Evaluation – Measurement of Pack Volume and Volume Reduction Capability Reports our measurements of actual pack volume and the extent that pack volume can be reduced to accommodate smaller loads.

Lightweight Frameless Backpacks State of the Market Report 2011: Part 2B – Technical Evaluation – Measurement of Pack Load Carrying Capacity Reports our pack torso collapse measurements using different pack loads to determine the comfortable load carrying capacity.

Lightweight Frameless Backpacks State of the Market Report 2011: Part 3 – Packs for Ultralight Backpacking (coming soon) We provide specifications for midsize frameless backpacks popular for ultralight backpacking, rate them according to relevant criteria, and identify the standouts for different situations and needs.

Lightweight Frameless Backpacks State of the Market Report 2011: Part 4 – Packs for Lightweight Backpacking and Load Hauling (coming soon) We provide specifications for larger volume frameless backpacks popular for lightweight backpacking, rate them according to relevant criteria, and identify the standouts for different situations and needs.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

Overview - Frameless Backpacks State of the Market Report 2011
Introduction to Part 1: Choosing and Using a Frameless Pack
Creating a "Virtual Frame"
Pack Compression/Volume Reduction
Removable Stays
Pack Volume
Proper Fit
Fabric Choices
Which Features?
Proper Packing
What Really Matters
Selection Criteria
Specifications
Specifications Discussion
Preview to Parts 2, 3, and 4

# WORDS: 8730
# PHOTOS: 13

--- End of free preview ---

Member Exclusive

A Premium or Unlimited Membership* is required to view the rest of this article.

Membership Login

* A Basic Membership is required to view Member Q&A events

This topic has 54 replies, 44 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 7 months ago by James Marco.

Viewing 25 posts - 26 through 50 (of 55 total)

← 1 2 3 →

Author

Posts
Jun 1, 2011 at 7:17 pm #1743786

Steven Paris
BPL Member

@saparisor
Locale: Pacific Northwest

Jay,

Sounds like a lot of people really like the Swift, but I really like my Exodus. Just a great all-around pack. I rolled it up and put inside my carry-on luggage for a recent trip to Bolivia. While there, I used it as a daypack, backpack for a trekking trip and a travel pack. It went on boats, on top of cars, got rained on and finished pretty much looking like it did when I started.

Jun 1, 2011 at 7:49 pm #1743811

Bill B
BPL Member

@bill123

I have an LBP as well. I would consider the stays attached to the hipbelt. Even though they are not directly attached, the stay pockets are so integral to the hipbelt that they effectively work as a single unit.

Jun 2, 2011 at 1:56 am #1743883

Roman Vazhnov
BPL Member

@joarr
Locale: Russia

Why Osprey Hornet was not considered?

Jun 2, 2011 at 2:25 am #1743885

James Marco
BPL Member

@jamesdmarco
Locale: Finger Lakes

Will, Thanks for the great overview of the packs. I won't quibble on the details, you presented a good selection. You seem to have forgotten to include the pack liners and waterproof part of the backpacks…how well it would adapt to being submergerd/subjected to a rainstorm, or, maybe that's still comming? No matter, an excelent reveiew of the state of the market! THANKS!

Jun 2, 2011 at 10:53 pm #1744325

Curry
BPL Member

@veganaloha
Locale: USA

First off, great review! very awesome article. I think it also calls attention to a very big problem in the UL industry. You'll note that ONLY TWO PACKS, the GoLite Jam and Pinnacle, have a women's specific model available although these are generally heavier than the vast majority of packs on the list. That said, at least GoLite understands that there is a big fit difference between men and women and that merely designing a pack for men and than labeling it "Unisex" does not change the physiological reality that male and female humans have different proportions, skeletal and other structures.

GoLite gets a lot of flack on the forums here for being heavier than a lot of the cottage industry folks, but at least Golite understands the female market and makes products for us, which the others such as GG, SMD, MLD, etc do not. Yes, there will always be a few women who can use a man's specific (aka Unisex) pack without problems and many will be forced to make do while always sacrificing some level of fit, comfort or functionality just to have something.

Seriously though, in this day and age, I think any responsible manufacturer, cottage industry or not, should realize how large the female community of backpackers is and begin including us in their pack designs. Another untapped market for UL packs!

By the way, I really love my GoLite Pinnacle size small. Thanks GoLite!!!

Jun 2, 2011 at 11:28 pm #1744327

Robert Cowman
BPL Member

@rcowman
Locale: Canadian Rockies

yes there is a large community, but how many pack designers are women? Lightheart is really the only woman designing UL products. The people designing packs don't have the personal experience to design woman specific packs.

Jun 3, 2011 at 6:44 am #1744385

Will Rietveld
BPL Member

@williwabbit
Locale: Southwest Colorado

Hi all, here's my responses to some of the comments:

What's a LBP??

Removable Stays: Several comments on packs not included. Packs like the ULA Ohm and Osprey Hornet are IF, not frameless. The frames in these packs are not intended to be removed, or easy to remove. Packs with removable stays are designed to be used with or without the stays. And the purpose of the stays is mainly pack stiffening. The stay sleeves are on the backpanel and the stays are not directly connected to the hipbelt. So removable stays are not a built-in, integral, structural pack frame.

Waterproof Pack: Nothing like that exists as far as I know. Most pack fabric is highly water resistant, but no pack is waterproof unless it is seam taped or seam sealed. Any pack with stitching will leak through the seams. Of course there are packs that are more water resistant than others.

Keep the comments coming, good discussion. Happy hiking! Will

Jun 3, 2011 at 8:12 am #1744411

David Ure
Member

@familyguy

"What's a LBP??"

Little Big Pack. Simply a Mchale that is smaller version of the Critical Mass Packs.

Jun 3, 2011 at 9:32 am #1744449

Brendan Murphy
BPL Member

@mbmurphy777

I know it's "framed" but it looks nice to me:

"Chair-e-it" backpack

a lightweight backpack that converts to five different modes: backpack (seen above), camp chair, lounge chair (seen left), cot, and fanny pack. Yet only weighs 1 lb 15 oz. The article has pictures of all the modes and notes about its actual use during our Philmont trek.

http://www.csm.ornl.gov/~geist/Philmont/Chair-e-it.pdf
http://www.csm.ornl.gov/~geist/Philmont/Chair-e-it_Part1.pdf
http://www.csm.ornl.gov/~geist/Philmont/Chair-e-it_Part2.pdf
http://www.csm.ornl.gov/~geist/Philmont/Chair-e-it_Part3.pdf

Looks like a fun project. I love my Ohm, but I also I have a slinglight chair so maybe I'll try it.

Jun 3, 2011 at 10:56 am #1744481

Addie Bedford
BPL Member

@addiebedford
Locale: Montana

A rough schedule can be found here.

I plan to meter out the SOTM parts every other week!

Jun 4, 2011 at 3:40 am #1744778

Curry
BPL Member

@veganaloha
Locale: USA

@robertcowman

I'm sure you mean well, but it really doesn't matter what the gender of the designer is…any good designer in business today should know how to make their product fit their customers. just like in any other industry, ie garment industries, there are female designers that design men's clothes and vice versa.

so really, it's a matter of recognizing that there are female customers and wanting to do it. how would you feel if only 2 packs (out of almost 100) were available for you to choose from?

Jun 4, 2011 at 11:43 am #1744860

Mary D
BPL Member

@hikinggranny
Locale: Gateway to Columbia River Gorge

+1 for Susan's comments!

Jun 4, 2011 at 1:11 pm #1744877

Kathy A Handyside
BPL Member

@earlymusicus
Locale: Southeastern Michigan

Thanks Susan! I'm so glad to see this point addressed.

Jun 4, 2011 at 6:11 pm #1744974

Dan @ Durston Gear
BPL Member

@dandydan
Locale: Canadian Rockies

This is going to be a great series. Nice job BPL.

I understand the arguments against including the Ohm since the frame hoop is attached to the hipbelt and it's tougher to remove that some others, but in the previous SOTM on internal framed packs the Ohm wasn't included because it was said it would be included on an upcoming SOTM on packs with stays…which this SOTM appears to be. Hopefully the Ohm gets included somewhere because it's such a great pack.

Obviously we could argue all day about which packs should or shouldn't be included and I understand the line needs to be drawn somewhere, so hopefully my post and the previous Ohm posts will make readers aware of this great pack and give it due consideration. It's essentially a ULA CDT with a superior compression system and nice removable frame hoop.

Jun 4, 2011 at 9:51 pm #1745045

Charles Reneau
Member

@charley289
Locale: Cascades and Oregon Coast Range

Hi there,
I've been using my GG G6 for years. I don't take it off trail, and I tend not to take it on trips when I'll be carrying more than two liters of water at a time (for the desert trips, I take my Mariposa). I've got one puncture the whole time I've used the pack- when my fiance unthinkingly dragged it across concrete (I just about cried!). Even then, the tear was tiny and on the bellows, so I just duct-taped it and forgot it. I've taken it bikepacking, in fact.

I think the coolest thing about the pack is that it rides well. It fits me well, and doesn't get in the way.

So, while it's totally fine that the manufacturers are building packs twice as heavy but lots more sturdy, I still think there's a place for a 3.7 ounce backpack. I think the lightest one in this report is about twice as heavy, right?

Jun 5, 2011 at 3:38 am #1745085

Curry
BPL Member

@veganaloha
Locale: USA

mary, kathy

thanks for the support!

Earlier this spring I was shopping for a UL pack. After trying – and returning – a few sub 2 lb packs, I finally found the pinnacle and chose it. the Jam is smaller, but I liked the volume flexibility with the pinnacle. it actually fits and carries quire well.

At some point, I'd like to buy a pack that weighs less than 2 lbs, but for now, I'm very happy with my pinnacle.

Susan

Jun 5, 2011 at 7:20 am #1745109

Gabe Miller
BPL Member

@gabespartan

Will – love this report and I learned a lot, particularly on the fitting component.

Would it be possible to update the torso lengths from s, m, l, xl to the actual range in inches? Even better would be the actual strap to bottom of belt measurement for each of the size offerings. This is what truly matters. Size offerings don't mean anything without this.

For someone with a 24" torso, like myself, very few packs actually are long enough for me – so these torso measurements are critical.

Jun 5, 2011 at 10:40 pm #1745397

Warren Greer
Spectator

@warrengreer
Locale: SoCal

No ULA Ohm in the SOTM Internal Frame report. Wouldn't mind reading about that choice. Seems like a good pack that shouldn't have been left out. -Also, great and informative report Will. Can't wait for the next installments.

Jun 6, 2011 at 1:10 pm #1745615

Jörgen Johansson
BPL Member

@jorgen
Locale: www.smarterbackpacking.com; www.fjaderlatt.se

Totally absorbing, ambitious, knowledgeable and balanced. Backpackinglight.com at its best. Thank you, Will.

Jun 7, 2011 at 11:28 am #1746063

Scott Truong
Spectator

@elf773
Locale: Vancouver, BC

Where should the shoulder strap attachment be relative to the top of ones shoulder?

Straight across from top of shoulders at 90*? or below the shoulder (wrapped) a couple of inches?

I read different things. I was under the impression the fit as described in this article more or less applied to pack fit when most packs were externally framed and thus outdated.

I have a MLD Burn, and am wondering if I should get a large torso, even though the med measures exactly my torso length. Though it definitely wraps my shoulder.

Jun 8, 2011 at 11:41 pm #1746824

carlos fernandez rivas
BPL Member

@pitagorin
Locale: Galicia -Spain

I really like state of the market reports my only concern is how long we must wait to read the complete report :-(

Jun 9, 2011 at 2:00 pm #1747116

Jacob Wallace
Member

@jacobw

To be honest, I agree with this last comment. Eeking out the four parts of this report over a couple of months (can that be right?) seems excessive. Summer is just beginning and I'm keen to make the leap to my first frameless…I'd quite like to know this report's conclusion before I do :(.

Jun 9, 2011 at 2:06 pm #1747119

Will Webster
Member

@willweb

+1

Jun 9, 2011 at 7:33 pm #1747245

Roleigh Martin
BPL Member

@marti124
Locale: Founder & Lead Moderator, https://www.facebook.com/groups/SierraNorthPCThikers

I was really surprised to see the Kifaru packs considered frameless backpacks. I know the stays are removeable, that's because one has a choice of either of two stay lengths, but your definition of frameless is that the stays do not cause the weight of the pack to be distributed to a combination of the stays/belt because the stays are not afixed in some manner to the belt? (Or did I misread the intent of your definition.)

Are you saying a pack maker who claims their packs can handle weights between 100-150 pounds (mostly for gutted killed wild game, like goat, etc), that people are hauling such weights in those packs and the weight is not carried mostly by the belt/frame(stays)? How can their pack be that comfortable with such weights then?

Can you please elaborate on this, I'm really confused here. Thanks.

Jun 14, 2011 at 9:14 am #1749022

Robert Gough
BPL Member

@foxmagick
Locale: New York

Thank you, great article with lots of good info. Looking forward to the remaining articles. Kind of wish it was written before I bought my pack.

All Good Wishes
Author

Posts