View Full Version : Modular, light(ish) pack?
Looking into getting a new pack as my 6yr old pack has a few hipbelt issues no, and weighs around 3-3.5kg empty, so Is a wee bit heavier than Id like.
Just wondering if anyone knows of a pack that is modular, I I.E. Most pockets can be removed, replaced with different ones etc.
I was looking and there are some packs geared towards the armed forces with molle/pals webbing, which is an excellent system, but they were all expensive, or fairly hefty.
I dont mind how much the pack weighs really, as long as its under 2.5-3kg ish. Not trying to go UL, just a bit lighter than I am at the moment.
Anyone know of anything that exists like this?
Thanks
A couple of suggestions that are not exactly what you had in mind but might work too.
Take a look at the LuxuryLite pack :
http://www.luxurylite.com/stackpackindex.html
external frame, you can buy cylinder of various sizes and mix and match.
I use the Aarnpacks , these are modular in the sense that you can buy the main pack and front pockets of different sizes.
So maybe worth looking into those too.
Tuckahoe
04-25-2015, 07:16
Paradox Packs might be what you are looking for --
http://paradoxpacks.com/design/
http://store.seekoutside.com/packs/
Both aarn and paradox seem interesting. The luxurylite is more what I had in mind in terms of modularity. I'm toying with the idea of making something with a thin aluminium frame, and gridded fabric over it, allowing attachment of any pocket with molle webbing. Im thinking it should be possible to get it to around 2.5kg total weight (With pockets). Not UL by any means, but not unbearable. I might have to sketch out a few designs.
Mountain Wildman
04-26-2015, 02:27
I don't know too much about them but Hill People Gear might be worth a look.
Supposedly high quality gear.
http://www.hillpeoplegear.com/Home/tabid/1157/Default.aspx
Looks to be a very modular system, and well thought out. But it also seems to be very military orientated, so It seems like they are using relatively heavy fabrics. The weight for a system with as much capacity as my current pack seems like it would be above 3kg. Im not looking to go UL with my pack, but 3kg+ seems a smidge heavy. I guess 3kg would be my upper limit for weight of a pack with no load.
Thanks for the suggestions guys, certainly has given me some good ideas of what to look for an that. Ive started work on sketching out plans and figuring out weights for a MYOG modular pack system. Dunno if Id have the skill to make one, but as a thought exercise, if nothing else, It is an interesting process.
I don't know too much about them but Hill People Gear might be worth a look.
Supposedly high quality gear.
http://www.hillpeoplegear.com/Home/tabid/1157/Default.aspx
a $400 5.5lb 50L pack?? no thanks 'm good. If your going to do something that dumb you aswell just get a molle.
Size12
If you have the time and are willing to spend a bit of money , making a pack frame can be a great project.
Take a look at this one for example :
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=102455
however if not too sure you could just type in "backpack frame" into Google images and you will find many ready made solutions there.
Interesting, I hadnt seen that thread. I hadnt considered wood as a frame material either, thought itd be too heavy. Was going to look at making the frame out of aluminium rods, bent to shape and welded (I know 3 people that weld, and have access to a mig welder where I work, but Afaik, that one is only fitted out for steel at the moment).
Similar to roger caffins H frame design. Then stretch a sheet of lasercut (grid pattern. Similar to the molleminus system)1050 ballistic nylon over it to allow attachment of any molle pouch, and allow custom packbags to be made that can easily be attached. The other Idea I had was a large lasercut hdpe sheet instead of the ballistic nylon, with two flat crossed aluminium stays behind it. This would be more similar to an internal frame pack.
Of course,it all depends on weight, and Im going to start calculating an estimate soon, but no guarantees on having it done for the next few weeks. I have exams and that for the next week or so.
Ill try to knock up some design sketches to show what I mean. By no means would this be an UL pack, but Im thinking I could get it to come in at around 2-2.5 kg, which would be reasonable.
Walkintom
04-26-2015, 09:25
Also take a look at the Kelty Trail Logic Packs. Their lineup has changed a lot in 2015 but the 2014 TL packs had a pretty neat modular component to them. They were about $200 so you may be able to get one somewhere marked down now that we're well into 2015.
Tuckahoe
04-26-2015, 10:43
I have Kelty's Trail Logics PK 50 and love it, but I would not consider it the sort of modular pack that the OP is after.
It isnt, but certainly is an interesting pack. Im coming to realise that a fully modular pack as I had envisioned one, does not really exist outside of external frames and packboard, which have a few flaws for what I do (externals catch on things too much, some of what I do turns into a bit of a bushbash due to lack of track maintenance).
Thanks for the suggestions though. They are certainly giving me things to consider, and are quite interesting!
Kind of late to the thread but there is also the Molly Mac Pack (http://www.mollymacgear.com/molly-mac-pack/) based on the molle/pals idea.