View Full Version : Backpack Internal VS External
I have found alot of articles on the benifits of both. I have been using a internal frame pack for my hikes locally. However planning on a thru-hike in 2007 I figured I would ask everyone here what they use since you have been on the A.T
Any advice would be great and sorry if there has allready been a thread posted
blackbishop351
07-18-2006, 22:06
I'm using a really REALLY old external right now, but I'm switching to frame-less (Moonbow Gearskin) ASAP!
I currently use a Kelty Super Tiaoga. It is an external frame pack. I have never been able to find an internal frame pack that fits me well in the price range I want (sub $200). I love the adjustability, many compartment options, and durability. It also lets more air in between your back and the pack, providing a cooler hike. It has load lifters that help to reduce the side to side movement while climbing. While I don't think that it is a great rock climbing pack, I have done hand over hand boulder climbing and rock hopping, while ascending above the treeline peaks without losing my balance. I can't see myself ever switching to an internal frame pack. The closest I've come to changing packs is the brand Deuter. They have a kind of hybrid pack that is very stable, but it is a bit small for my needs.
Johnny Swank
07-18-2006, 23:58
I sewed a couple of Gearskin-like packs for us. Once you get the packing down, they're awesome. Like walking around with a pillow on your back.
I am curious I have 2 ruck sacks. A medium and large ruck. As an infantryman I have humped with both of them. But not at extreme distances like a thru hike. I wonder if a ruck would be an option as my pack. I also have the new military sleeping system which has a bivy, a patrol bag, and a heavier black bag. I am not sure what the rating is on the system as a whole but wonder if it would also be an option for a thru-hike.
Long distance hikers use all sorts of different gear. For backpacks, some use internal frame packs, others use external frame packs, and others use frameless packs such as rucksacks. But to answer your question, the most common type of backpacks is internal frame packs. I'm sure that one reason for this is that internal frame packs are the most common packs currently being sold. Just go into any outfitter and look at the selection. By far, most are internal frame, with an occassional external frame or other type of pack.
My vote is for an external frame pack. I did my thru with a old, 1978, Kelty pack. I did replace the total belt system with the current Kelty design. I like to have the ability to store in pockets where stuff is easy to get at rather than everything in just one major compartment.
My summer pack weight with food and water was around 32 pounds.
I am curious I have 2 ruck sacks. A medium and large ruck. As an infantryman I have humped with both of them. But not at extreme distances like a thru hike. I wonder if a ruck would be an option as my pack. I also have the new military sleeping system which has a bivy, a patrol bag, and a heavier black bag. I am not sure what the rating is on the system as a whole but wonder if it would also be an option for a thru-hike.
dude, you gotta lighten up... literally... that ALICE gear will kill you... WAAAY too heavy... get thee to a gear store and see what the civilian world uses... i was amazed... 1.5lb rucksacks, 1-2 lb sleeping bags, 2lb hammocks, 5oz dehydrated meals vs MREs, comfortable synthetic boots instead of leather combat boots, etc... took awhile to make the mental transition, but once i realized i wasn't dropping my ruck out of tanks, trucks, or APCs anymore, and that my lighter gear would really last if i took care of it, it was easy to get used to... no more 60lb packs... i'm down to about 15lbs total gear, before food and water, and manage to be quite comfortable above 45*. another couple lbs of clothes and sleeping bag will get me into the teens and 20s (though i don't live where it's ever that cold anymore!)
Seeker,
I have decided to go with a store bought pack. Still not sure on internal or external frame.
I think I will go with my military sleep system though. The green patrol bag weighs next to nothing and would be good for summer. I have not yet weighed the entire system. So I am not sure what its weight is. Probabaly a few pounds. It may or may not be a good choice but I will find out.
But, then again I am not looking to go ultralight.
Thanks for the advice!
blackbishop351
07-19-2006, 23:55
Completely off-topic, but how does a guy go about creating a poll thread?
just go to the forum that your topic would be part of. And at the top there is a button to post thread and it gives you the option of having a poll and it will walk you through setting it up
Bob Baker
07-20-2006, 21:10
Are these results surprising to anyone else? I would have figured about 75-80% internal users. Any thoughts?
I have decided after much debate and alot of reading to go with an internal frame pack for my thru-hike.
Figured I would give the reason behind my decision for any one new. I found many articles on this topic. A external frame allows for a cooler back and for heavier loads with a smaller pack. But are designed for a flat level surface or at least not very rugid terrain.
Internal packs are designed more for rugid terrain keeping the load close to your center of gravity for a more balanced load. And, with the many options internal frame packs have. Anything you are going to pack in an external frame can fit into an internal frame.
Now with my military background I agree with the issue of accessing your gear would be easier with an external pack because you have the outside pockets to store more used items in.
Any Ideas?
Amigi'sLastStand
07-21-2006, 02:36
Are these results surprising to anyone else? I would have figured about 75-80% internal users. Any thoughts?
I was thinking about that also. I use an external as I hike in the heat more often that not. Internals just dont let your back breathe. But I figured since WB is mostly geared toward the AT, and most AT thruhikers use internals, the poll would be 80% or higher. What gives?
stranger
07-29-2006, 00:27
External frame packs are fine for the AT, they're just not sexy. Externals are cooler on the back, carry weight much more efficiently, with almost 100% going to your hips if fitted properly, and can be stabilized by packing the weight lower than normal. You can access gear much easier, there are plenty of pockets, and they are a low cost option.
Granted...they can shift from side to side if not fitted or packed properly, they squeak (the single reason I will never carry one again) and they are not easy to lug around, bring in diners, jump into the back of a pickup, etc...Sometimes they lack quality and things will need to be replaced.
Internals do put weight on your shoulders, back and hips, so they work a greater amount of muscles (i.e. more fatiguing than externals) but they are much more mobile and the more advanced manufacturers have really good frame sizing and fit options. They are incredible hot in summer, and will contribute to "fire ass" as the sweat runs down your back, everyone's favorite trail condition in summer.
You shouldn't pack much outside of internal frame packs, and certainly shouldn't put anything heavy on the outside, expecially attached to the back. Internals are much quieter and easier to pack, everything goes inside, pull the compression and you're done! If you can fit everything then your pack is too small or you're taking too much.
Both have advantages and disadvantages. I prefer quality internal packs cause they fit amazing (provided you are fit properly and know how to put a pack on correctly), are remarkably stable (unless your pack them wrong and have crap all over the outside) and are more fail safe than externals in general. They do stink like A$$ however!
Strebor- (In post #9) you said "the green patrol bag weighs next to nothing....."
Go to the post office, most you can weigh stuff 24hrs a day at a counter away from the workers, I have gone to my local post office with a laundry basket full of stuff and ask to weigh it all ( on a slow day for the workers, I would not want to hold up the line)
There is nothing worth taking with you that weighs "next to nothing" Everything has some weigh. It might supprise you, a small mesh bag for a water filter will weigh .9oz. (just an example.)
When I started section hiking I used a military bag and it worked fine, as the years have gone by I have gotten rid of all the military stuff and replaced it with better, lighter( and less) stuff.
If you have some common item that will not read on the scale at the post office, let me know. I have access to a scale the will weigh to the .00001 gram, yes a 10,000th of a gram. An eye lash has weight!
I am still active duty Navy(22yrs) I did one tour with the USMC Recon, 100 pounds of light weight *****-- still weighs 100pounds.
Have fun on your hike. I wish I was going
Sandy B
I dont know why I just like the outside frame:eek: so i can hang socks on:) ky
Frolicking Dinosaurs
07-29-2006, 09:53
Male dino likes the Kelty Trekker 3950 (http://www.kelty.com/kelty/index.cfm?cid=411&fuseaction=Packs.ShowProduct&type=Pack&ID=63), an external frame pack, because it shifts the load off his shoulders well and lets his back breathe. The female dino likes the Women's REI UL-45 (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47856712&parent_category_rn=4500573), an internal frame pack with a complex suspension system that allows you to let the load 'hang back' so your back can breathe or to pull the load close for less sway / more stability. In either configuration, it transfers the load to the hips.
Tipi Walter
07-29-2006, 10:52
The most important piece of gear in my mind is the backpack and so every effort should be made to find one that is comfortable and big enough to haul whatever you need for however long you need it. The biggest advantage I found in an external pack is its ability to organize gear and to stand up against a tree for quick and easy access. It doesn't collapse on itself like an internal pack making life at the campsite a little easier.
On the trail, however, a good internal moves better and often can be more comfortable carrying an enormous load due to its less rigid design. An external of course snags low hanging branches frequently while the internal does less of it. I've hauled 80 pounds using both kind of packs and my Dana Terraplane LTW while still heavy felt more comfortable whereas the externals felt like an ANVIL on my back. And what others have said about sway and loss of balance is a real consideration when first using an external. I've been tossed to the hard ground several times using an external and when crossing a creek on wet rocks, watch out!
All in all I would say that the quest for the perfect pack is a neverending thing as our needs change and the gear we carry changes enough to makes us wonder how such gear would fit into a different kind of pack.