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misprof
09-15-2015, 01:38
Hi I am not advertising here I am wondering if anyone uses an Aarn body pack instead of the standard backpack. Most of the reviews I have read are all put out by the Aarn website itself. The reason I am asking was the sports medicine doctor I saw last week, an avid tramper, recommended them because of of my bad back and hips. To me they look like they would be uncomfortable in hot weather. They also weigh in heavier than I am use to for a pack. I am just wondering what others experience with them are?

Franco
09-15-2015, 02:31
They are somewhat heavier but feel lighter in use.
The reason is because if correctly set up (that is if you put enough weight in the front pockets) the center of gravity is where it is when you don't wear a backpack.
In other words you don't waste energy "balancing" the weight you have on your back.
Not a new idea as far as carrying weights goes, folk have been balancing weights on their shoulders for thousands of years...
31997

misprof
09-15-2015, 04:48
Are they hotter? This is from someone who hikes in shorts and a t-**** down to about 45F.
They also say on the website that none of the weight is ones shoulders but on ones hips.

Franco
09-15-2015, 04:56
There is a gap between the pockets and my chest , not sure about "others" chest.
Yes the weight is fully on the hips but you can also transfer some or all of it to the shoulders.
BTW, years ago took me a while to figure out that people with large stomach bones don't benefit from the balance bit as much as I do.

misprof
09-15-2015, 06:29
Thanks. I appreciate your input. I do not have large stomach bones. :) Most of the time, above tree-line if it is windy, I have to work at not going airborne.

Five Tango
09-15-2015, 10:07
I am glad this subject came up.I have the Aarn Load Limo which is their largest pack.Right this minute it is loaded to roughly 32 pounds.I put it on this morning.You have to experience the "counter balance" effect to appreciate it!
I do not have much experience in the woods with it but did hike some here in central Georgia locally in July and it was a hot day.Your concern about it being hot is understandable but I can't say it was an issue for me at all.The comfort from the balance more than offsets any other issue IMHO.An additional plus is the fact that it is a waterproof top loader bag and the balance pockets have dry bag liners velcroed in which can be removed if you like.They make all sizes and styles of bags and you can go out to YouTube for a tutorial on how to best adjust the fit for the one you have.Trust me,if I can do it,you can too.Did I mention that for an old man who has had a back problem in the past that the Aarn pack is Comfortable?You can barely tell you're wearing it!

Five Tango
09-15-2015, 10:12
I forgot to mention that the front pack not only counter balances the rear load,it greatly enhances Convenience by having your water bottles,snacks,maps,electronics,numerous little items like bug repellent,tp,poncho,windshirt,you name it,all up front at your finger tips.Aarn was going to release a Universal front pack if I remember correctly which was supposed to be compatible with most others.I am not aware if that happened yet or not.Love mine..........

squeezebox
09-15-2015, 10:46
Google says they are going out of business.

nsherry61
09-15-2015, 11:26
BPL did a nice and publicly available review (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/aarn_bodypacks_featherlite_freedom_backpack_review .html#.Vfg3vvlViko) on one of these packs a few years ago.

nsherry61
09-15-2015, 11:32
One more note. I have dealt with back problems for the last 30 years. I have never carried a backpack that was more comfortable and supportive of my back than a Gregory Baltoro. Weight supported with a good fit and a good suspension is, for at least some of us, more important than whether we lean forward slightly to balance the load or not.

That being said, I also don't use a Baltoro these days because my back is more fit and because I carry enough less weight that I don't need that level of support.

Franco
09-15-2015, 13:13
"Google says they are going out of business."
The US importers closed their operation but I am not aware of any problems with the brand otherwise.
Not that it would affect how my two Aarn packs work anyway.


"greatly enhances Convenience by having your water bottles,snacks,maps,electronics,numerous little items like bug repellent,tp,poncho,windshirt,you name it,all up front at your finger tips."
Very good point.
I don't use water bladders, just a plastic bottle (or two...) , having those large pockets there makes it very easy to stay hydrated as well as munching away as I walk.

One of the other nice points with the Aarn is what they call "flo motion" the way the pack moves with your body.
Osprey use that patent (under licence)in some of their packs.

Starchild
09-15-2015, 13:16
There seems to be a growing trend to move some weight into the front, such as water bottles strapped to the shoulder harness. Shifting the weight seems to make sense but how much is needed to shift, it still seems to be working itself out. Not ready to take the plunge, but have tried the water bottle up front method which I like.

Five Tango
09-15-2015, 13:53
Actually,I contacted Aarn shortly after I purchased my Load Limo.The company is NOT going out of business but their US distributor has terminated the association with the parent company for reasons unknown to me but will venture to guess "low sales" as hardly anyone in the USA has heard of them.You can order directly from Aarn in New Zealand.Best place to check them out is their website or YouTube.I forgot to mention the hipbelt is adjustable "angle wise" (if that makes any sense) and can be tightened on both/either the top edge or bottom edge of the belt.Also forgot to mention that the front packs have a "stay" in them which makes a curvature to the front bags;thereby giving them some airspace in relation to your body.There is a short learning curve to "dialing in" your optimum fit which is where YouTube comes in handy.Aarn Tate makes one Awesome pack,well,several actually and you can find one that suits your needs.He even makes some lightweight models.And you don't have to use the front pack but if you do,they are made for each other.

aarn
09-15-2015, 20:43
Just to clarify, our previous USA AARN distributor has closed down his distributorship due to other time commitments. For USA, Canada and any other countries without AARN national distributors, we are happy to supply direct from New Zealand. See our website www.aarnpacks.com (http://www.aarnpacks.com) and send us an email with your requirements/queries from the Contact page or email us at [email protected] (http://[email protected]).

We are planning to set up USA distribution in the near future.

Happy Bodypacking!

Aarn & Devi

Franco
09-15-2015, 23:13
Hi Aarn (or Devi...)
any news on the new tents?

misprof
09-16-2015, 00:05
Thanks everyone, As I live now in New Zealand they are not hard to find, but was wondering how they perform in the field. I did read they are coming out in 2016 with CF packs for us gram weenies. :)

cjayflo
09-21-2015, 10:19
If aarn is still reading this I would offer a word of advice. Get some updated reviews out there. I was looking at these packs before the usa distribution closed. It's very hard to figure out which year of the pack you are buying and most reviews I found were way out of date. Some videos show green packs but most i saw for sale were orange. Many reviews were on blue packs. The one pack I tried on didn't fit me right at all (not the pack fault)but carried very well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

Namtrag
09-21-2015, 14:42
They need to give some away to some of the Youtube backpacking people with large subscriber bases in order to get some current reviews and publicity. I have yet to ever see anyone on the trail wearing one, so it's kind of hard to rationalize buying one without any real info.

Five Tango
09-21-2015, 14:57
They need to give some away to some of the Youtube backpacking people with large subscriber bases in order to get some current reviews and publicity. I have yet to ever see anyone on the trail wearing one, so it's kind of hard to rationalize buying one without any real info.

Glad you mentioned that idea as I emailed Aarn that thought last week when this thread started.My comment was that he could spend lots of money on advertising or just go to Trail Days and give away the same dollars worth of packs and let the word spread from there.Until you have owned a pack that was not very comfortable and then tried one of these that balances the load and totally changes your center of gravity,you cannot imagine the difference.And the convenience of the front packs more than offsets any bulky or "different look" issues.Mine is a nice blue and gray color scheme.As far as packs go it looks pretty good.I have seen some in lime green and gray that I was not crazy about but truthfully it's all about function and not style once you go with the front pack system.Aarn does have lots of great videos on YT.If I were him I would not only give away a few packs,I would personally custom fit them to the lucky recipient so they could experience the difference.

Namtrag
09-21-2015, 15:02
Great ideas!

Yeah, if he gave one to Shug or Sintax 77, he'd get a ton of views. Shug just put up a trip video Sunday, and when I watched it this morning, it already had over 5,000 views.

Five Tango
09-21-2015, 16:19
Great ideas!

Yeah, if he gave one to Shug or Sintax 77, he'd get a ton of views. Shug just put up a trip video Sunday, and when I watched it this morning, it already had over 5,000 views.

Yup,I specifically mentioned the Shugster to him but forgot to mention Sintax77 who is another all time favorite with great vids.FWIW,I had a professor of Marketing tell me once over 40 years ago that "word of mouth" has always been and will always be the best marketing program ever.

scooterdogma
09-22-2015, 08:21
I've used AARN packs for over six years. I am female and about 5'4". I started out with the load limo and have sense bought smaller aarn packs. I love the convenience, the fit, the comfort and the conversations I have been part of on the trail due to the look of this pack. I belong to a hiking group which has seen the wisdom of aarn packs. Six of them have purchased and will gush just as much as I do about the design and comfort of these packs. If you have any questions, ask me. I will watch this spot and try to help.
32084

Odd Man Out
09-22-2015, 09:30
Exercise physiologists have analyzed the advantages of carrying loads that are centered over your spine. In most of the world (except Europe and North America) people routinely carry heavy loads on their heads or use a strap to transfer weight to their head. So there is good science behind this principle.

Energetic cost of carrying loads: have African women discovered an economic way?
G. M. O. Maloiy, N. C. Heglund, L. M. Prager, G. A. Cavagna & C. R. Taylor
Nature 319, 668 - 669 (20 February 1986); DOI:10.1038/319668a0

Energetics of Load Carrying in Nepalese Porters
Guillaume J. Bastien, Bénédicte Schepens, Patrick A. Willems, Norman C. Heglund
Science 17 June 2005: Vol. 308 no. 5729 p. 1755 DOI: 10.1126