View Full Version : Aarn backpacks
Occasionally I have mentioned the Aarn packs from New Zealand. The main difference is the use of the balance pockets to .... balance the weight. Obvious if you have carried say a 10 lbs shopping bag on one side compared with two 5lbs bags one on each side. The same works for a backpack, IE the balance allows a straight posture and that makes it easier and "lighter" to carry the same weight.
There are many other smaller features that make the packs work. None of them are light but lighter than a lot of heavy framed (big load) packs.
It has always been a bit difficult to explain how they work but now Aarn has posted several video clips on his web site, the first one (8 min) starts automatically , you need to find the others.
Check out the Aarn Pacer tents too, very nice if you use trekking poles and are after a light strong all season tent.
( the Pacer 2 is a bit small and only one door but still pretty good for the weight)
http://aarnpacks.com/index.html (http://aarnpacks.com/index.html)
Franco
pic: after a 4 day walk
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e389/Francophoto/odds/Me-and-Aarn.jpg
4eyedbuzzard
03-28-2009, 22:13
Not a lot of Aarpacks in the US. I have to explain the system to most who see it.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/1/2/2/7/hike1.jpg
Mule over on Hammock Forums has a couple of Aarn packs and swears by them. Not my cup of tea, but pretty doggone cool nonetheless.
Do women tend to like this style pack as well as men? Or does the obvious difference between the shape of the average man and the shape of the average woman make the pack less appealing to women?
Curious,
Laura/1Pint
Good question. Aarn addresses that in at least one of the video clips about the pockets, I found 3 or 4 clips yesterday just about how to use each type of pocket but cannot see those now , maybe I had a men's look.
Anyway this is in the FAQ :
4. Can women wear them comfortably?
Yes, and women with large busts have found the pockets work well after custom bending the frames to suit their contours.
Those pockets have an aluminium stay built in, that is part of the reason why the weight of them is on the hip belt not on the shoulders. Apart from the back comfort, pretty much as soon as you take the pack off your back you will not feel that lingering pain/pressure you do with most packs. Maybe a bad analogy but I think that it is a bit like trekking poles, they look kind of goofy and unnecessary till you try them (if you bother to learn how to use them).
( note the TT Rainbow at the back......)
Franco
4eyebuzzard
One comment that Aarn makes is about the system being 4 years old, not that new but I must have been an early adopter. Reminds me of how it took camera manufacturers several attempts over several years to incorporate "hand grips" into the SLR design. Up till then they were all very un-ergonomically flat. And yes I spent much time trying to explain then why it was such an "obvious" advantage.
Franco
sheepdog
03-28-2009, 23:05
Looks interesting. Are they hot and sweaty to wear??
I bought one of Mule's used Aarn packs.
I was so impressed that I ordered a new Peak Aspiration (that arrived a few days ago).
And I've sold the used pack to someone else to check out (and get them inspired).
The Aarn pack is why my basically new Gregory Baltoro 70 is for sale.
Looks interesting. Are they hot and sweaty to wear??
that was my immediate question. i could just imagine getting back pack sweat on my chest during summer months
There is an air gap between those pockets and the chest, however in same situations they will feel warmer than not having anything at the front. Like anything else there is a trade off. Right now there is an F18 buzzing on top of my house (Formula 1 Grand Prix) and boy is it fast, but I bet it uses a lot of fuel...
My point is always choose your poison, you have to figure out if it is better for you or not, but as mentioned above a simple balance test is to walk about holding a load with one hand and then dividing that evenly between the two hands (shopping bag test...) and see for yourself . (the extra effort in balancing the side without weight is similar to balancing the weight on your back)
BTW, I usually use ULA (Amp or Circuit) below 10-12 kg (22-26 lbs) at that point the difference becomes much more noticeable. However just last night I figured out how to use the bigger pockets with that pack so it will get more use. (the other pack is 70L plus pockets)
Franco
4eyedbuzzard
03-29-2009, 02:26
Looks interesting. Are they hot and sweaty to wear??
I bought my Peak Aspiration model with Sport size front pockets after my last back injury as I was trying to find a pack that would help (along with going lighter overall) allow me to keep hiking. The body pack approach seemed to be a good idea given that it's best that I maintain my spine in as upright a posture as possible. The main backpack part is similar to any internal frame in terms of back contact. While it's hard to tell from photos the front pockets don't actually touch the chest and the pockets transfer the weight via a bendable aluminum stay directly to the hipbelt. I haven't had an issue with the pack feeling unusually hot or sweaty in the year and a half I've owned it, but hiking here in NH and VT I haven't worn it in temps much above the low 80's midday, and usually much lower. While I wouldn't go out of my way looking to hike in hotter temps, I don't think I'd hesitate to wear it somewhere warmer and more humid as there is still circulation between the front pockets and chest. I can see where this might be a concern though--I just don't have any first hand experience in real hot and humid weather with it. The packs can be used without the front pockets though, and this would be an option in really hot weather.
Putting the pack on takes a little getting used to with the front pockets to contend with, but it becomes second nature pretty quickly. I mostly carry stuff like water, food, TP, steripen, camera, hat, map, bug spray, 1st aid, headlamp, etc in the front pockets. I don't go crazy trying to get the absolute heaviest/most dense stuff in them, I just pack them for convenience and there's usually plenty in them weight wise with 1-2 liters of water.
If you poke around the Aarnpack website http://www.aarnpacks.com (http://www.aarnpacks.com/) there's a good amount of info there. I was a little concerned with customer service when I first bought the pack, as there is currently no US distributor, but an issue I had with the shoulder straps was immediately resolved via e-mail at absolutely no cost to me--Devi (a former Bostonian), Aarn's partner who runs the office, shipped me a new set as soon as I informed her of the problem.