Ray Jardine Pack

[shampine]

Hello,
I am sure this has been discussed plenty,but when I go to "search" I just don't enough info.Tried google too,but nothing specific about loading etc.

I have a pack on the way,it has already been sewn

My question is,how do you pack one? Sleeping pad un-rolled inside?

I have never used a pack without a waist strap, I am nervous about that.Any opinions?

Any info/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Shampine

[jesse]

What kind of pad? I have a POE inflatable that fits very nice in the bottom. I have rolled a blue close cell pad in my sons r-w pack. Rolled up so it actually acts like a frame, but it really takes up a lot of space.
I put my pad, tarp, and net tent in the bottom. Then my clothes, food, stove, and other stuff. All of this fits in the main body of the pack. Then my r-w quilt takes up as much of the extension collar as it needs.
Because the extension collar has no support, heavy objects (food, clothes, tent, etc.) cause it to flop over. The bag I have found has to go on the top.
I love my r-w pack.

[shampine]

Thanks for your reply. My pad is a closed cell. I was thinking of two layers as a back support. Double/folding it up, back support and a decent size sleeping pad.

[JAK]

I use a closed cell pad also. It goes in first like a vertical cylinder unrolled as much as it will, then my sleeping bag, then food, then other stuff. It makes the pack a little too cylindrical but I can sort of beat it to conform it into shape a bit. Depends on the size and shape of the pack what you can do, and how much pad you want. Have fun.

[TACKLE]

I've used a Golite Breeze backpack for 3 years. IMO you should skip the hassle of squeezing the pad into the pack. Load the pack with the heaviest in the bottom and the soft things against your back. I rig the foam pad off the ice pik straps on the bottom, with rubber strings(Mt.Rogers Outfitters),then loop the strings over your bottles in the side pockets to keep the pad from flopping around. This way you get alot more in your pack and can easily get your pad going for that power rest you so deserve.

ALOHA!

[fiddlehead]

I use a "Breeze" also and have tried all 3 of the above posts methods.
It basically depends on:
1/ my pad at the time (summer i have a very thin one that folds easily, cold temps I use a thicker one that must be rolled
2/ How full is my food bag? I'll do the inside cylical method as JAK mentioned if i have room.
3/ If i'm pretty full, i'll roll it tightly and strap it on the outside where those ice ax holders are although i had straps sewn on to them that will accomadate my pad. (by the way, i would not put the heaviest stuff in the bottom of my pack. I would put my food (definitely my heaviest stuff sack) on top. Two reasons: it's better to have the weight above and close to your spine rather than hanging the weight on the bottom (IMO of course) and i want to get to my food bag more frequently than any other item in my pack.
Nothing else in my pack is really heavy anyway.

Hope this helps. If you keep it under 20 lbs. you will get used to no hip belt and love it. (i did anyway) (remember, there's no reason to carry more than 3-4 days food on the AT except for the wilderness in Maine. )

[jesse]

In order to attatch it to the bottom, you will have to make some modification.

[shampine]

Thanks everyone,great advice. I can't wait to experiment with it. Looks like lots of options.I think no hip belt worries me the most,that will be interesting. Like it was said,if I keep the load light it should be know problem. I hope it has a sternum strap.

Shampine

[TACKLE]

Pick up Rays "Beyond Backpacking" for details on hiking with the Breeze system.

ALOHA,

TACKLE

[Captn]

Pick up Rays "Beyond Backpacking" for details on hiking with the Breeze system.

ALOHA,

TACKLE

Ray recommends packing the quilt/bag in the bottom loose, then your clothes and other stuff on top, then food on the top.

Tarp in the kangaroo pocket, water bottle on one side, fuel on the other.

I think he folded his pad and kept it against the back inside the pack.


His pack is great .... except I find the straps a bit heavy, but it's a great design. If you use a down quilt instead of a synth quilt you have plenty of room in the pack .... just remember to carry less than 20 lbs when possible.

[cathy]

I uae a zrest and stow it in the front pocket. Extra clothes, food, personal stuff goes in the bottom first, then I stuff in the sleeping bag. Cookpot with stove inside and tent goes on top for easy access. Water and polar pur goes in side pouch. Lunch, maps, and mp3 go in the other side pouch. Umbrella is in the front pocket with zrest.

[whitefoot_hp]

what i have noticed that works better than a cylinder of close cell foam is take your pad and cut slits in the side to make it function like a z rest. then you place it against the part of the pack that will be against your back and it acts like a 3-4 inch rectangular and stiff frame. my conduit actually feels like a nimbus ozone, seriously.

[Captn]

Ray recommends packing the quilt/bag in the bottom loose, then your clothes and other stuff on top, then food on the top.

Tarp in the kangaroo pocket, water bottle on one side, fuel on the other.

I think he folded his pad and kept it against the back inside the pack.


His pack is great .... except I find the straps a bit heavy, but it's a great design. If you use a down quilt instead of a synth quilt you have plenty of room in the pack .... just remember to carry less than 20 lbs when possible.

Correction .... I went back and looked in the book .... the Food goes on the bottom, quilt on the top.

[Captn]

what i have noticed that works better than a cylinder of close cell foam is take your pad and cut slits in the side to make it function like a z rest. then you place it against the part of the pack that will be against your back and it acts like a 3-4 inch rectangular and stiff frame. my conduit actually feels like a nimbus ozone, seriously.

I fold up my inflatable Max Thermo 3/4 pad and lay it against the back with just a touch of air remaining in it. It's amazing just how comfortable a frameless rucksack can be when you wear it like this.

[greentick]

I fold up my inflatable Max Thermo 3/4 pad and lay it against the back with just a touch of air remaining in it. It's amazing just how comfortable a frameless rucksack can be when you wear it like this.

Airtubes verticle or horizontal? I have the same pad and a couple of frameless packs.

[whitefoot_hp]

i have been experimenting with an inflatable, a big agnes insulated one, and can't quite get it stiff enough.

[Captn]

i have been experimenting with an inflatable, a big agnes insulated one, and can't quite get it stiff enough.

There are several things that help .... fold the pad widthwise first, I fold it in thirds, then I fold it in thirds lengthwise. This makes it fit the back of the pack just about perfect. I leave just a bit of air in the pad when I deflate it, so it's got a bit of air in it that gives me some padding when I put everything else in.

I don't try to make it stiff, I try to make it give against my back. That way, it conforms perfectly to the shape of my back through the backpanel of the pack. It's that "molding" to my back that gives me the comfort.

Also ... how you pack the pack makes a difference. Heavy items in the bottom of a beltless pack makes the pack ride a lot different than a pack with a hip belt would ride with the weight at the bottom. How you stuff your bag/quilt makes a difference as well as to the perceived compression in the pack.

Lastly .... I changed my shoulder straps to a longer shoulder strap configuration, kind of like the G4 pack straps, so I can have the pack ride lower on my back, more like a book bag. This allows me to move the pack up and down to find the most comfortable position and also move my center of gravity lower when I want to, as well as adding a simple lightweight stermum strap.

It all adds up.

[TACKLE]

Correction .... I went back and looked in the book .... the Food goes on the bottom, quilt on the top.

Thank you.I was pretty sure Ray said heaviest things like food on the bottom.

[Captn]

Thank you.I was pretty sure Ray said heaviest things like food on the bottom.

Yep ... my bad.

His design doesn't have a waist belt and his statement is that the pack rides better with the weight in the bottom.

I thought I might try it next time out just to see.

[TACKLE]

Capt,
Just take out the days ration of food and put it so you can get at it easy.The heavier the pack the tighter you need the shoulder straps.

TACKLE